Counoise is a dark-skinned wine grape grown primarily in the Rhône valley region of France. Counoise is also grown in California 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. There were 638 hectares (1,580 acres) of Counoise in France in 2000.
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. Some producers who favour the variety use about 5% of it in their blends, and those account for most of the plantings.
Counoise is currently produced at several California wineries including Holly’s Hill Winery in Placerville, Oak Mountain Winery in Temecula, and Frick Winery in Geyserville.