Counoise

{{Short description|Variety of grape}}

{{Infobox grape variety

| name = Counoise

| color = Noir

| image = Counoise.jpg

| caption = Counoise in Viala & Vermorel

| species = Vitis vinifera

| also_called =

| origin = France

| hazards =

| regions = Rhône valley

| notable_wines = Châteauneuf-du-Pape

}}

File:Counoise grappe.jpg

Counoise is a dark-skinned wine grape grown primarily in the Rhône valley region of France. Counoise is also grown in California, Texas, New Jersey, and Washington. Counoise adds a peppery note and good acidity to a blended red wine, but does not have much depth of colour or tannin.Oz Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes Harcourt Books 2001 {{ISBN|0-15-100714-4}} There were {{convert|638|ha}} of Counoise in France in 2000.{{cite encyclopedia |editor=Jancis Robinson |encyclopedia=Oxford Companion to Wine |edition=Third |title=Counoise |year=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=0-19-860990-6 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont00janc/page/208 208] |url=https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont00janc/page/208 }}

Counoise is one of the grapes allowed into the blend of Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine. In 2004 only 0.5% of the appellation's area was planted with Counoise.[http://www.chateauneuf.dk/en/production/grapes.htm www.chateauneuf.dk: Grapes], accessed on June 18, 2008 Some producers who favour the variety use about 5% of it in their blends, and those account for most of the plantings. One such producer is Château de Beaucastel, which is noted for using all the 13 allowed varieties.