red grape · regional specialty
Counoise
Rhône Valley, France
Say it
koo·nwahz
Final 'e' is silent; the 'noise' syllable is the French /nwaz/, not the English word
On the palate
strawberryraspberryblueberryvioletblack pepperlicorice
How you spot it blind: unusually high acidity and near-zero tannin brightens any southern Rhône blend
The story
First written down · 19th century, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Counoise was championed at Château la Nerthe by Commandant Ducos in the late 19th century, and his plantings defined 11 of the 13 grape varieties permitted when Châteauneuf-du-Pape's AOC laws were codified in the 1930s.
Where it lives
Châteauneuf-du-Pape · Gigondas · Tavel · Vacqueyras · Côtes du Rhône
Shows up as
still redrosé