Garanoir is a variety of red wine grape. It was created by André Jaquinet and Dominique Maigre at Station Fédérale de Recheres en Production Végétale de Changins in 1970 by crossing Gamay

Gamay

Gamay is a purple-colored grape variety used to make red wines, most notably grown in Beaujolais and in the Loire Valley around Tours. Its full name is Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. It is a very old cultivar, mentioned as long ago as the 15th century...

 and Reichensteiner

Reichensteiner

Reichensteiner is a white wine grape that is mainly grown in Germany) and England), although New Zealand also grows a small quantity. It is a cross between Müller-Thurgau and Madeleine Angevine x Calabreser Froehlich, and was first bred in Germany during 1939.In England, it is the 2nd most grown...

. Garanoir was developed for cultivation in German Switzerland, and is a full sibling of Gamaret

Gamaret

Gamaret is a variety of red wine grape. It was created by André Jaquinet at Station Fédérale de Recherches en Production Végétale de Changins in 1970 by crossing Gamay and Reichensteiner...

, which was intended for the French part of the country.

Total Swiss plantations of the variety in 2009 stood at 203 hectares (501.6 acre). It is grown in both French and German Switzerland.

Garanoir has relatively good resistance to rot and ripens early. It gives dark purple wines, which are fruitier, lighter and less concentrated than those of Gamaret.