Once upon a time, and not that long ago, Carignane was the most planted grape in California. In 1971 over 25,000 acres grew with Grenache at number two with half as many acres, according to the American Association of Wine Economists AAWE.  Cabernet Sauvignon trailed at number eight with Chardonnay at number nineteen. A lot has changed in 50 years. Today Cabernet is King, Chardonnay is Queen, and in their latest report on Wine Grape Varieties in California in 2024 (bearing acres).  Carignane is only the 23 most planted fruit bearing grape in California with 1,838 acres— just behind much better known wine grapes like Viognier at 22 with 2418 acres  and just ahead of Sangioveses (the grape in Italy’s Chianti) at 25 with 1337.

So what happened? Carignane and Grenache grapes gave a big bang for the buck for brands like Gallo. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, most wine grapes went into bulk wine that was sold in large jugs. My grandpa’s wine cellar had wines like “Hearty Burgundy” which likely had very little Pinot Noir in it, but a lot of Grenache and probably a significant amount of carignane!