Grenache
Vintage image sourced from Moth Girl Wings
Grenache. Garnacha. Granaccia. Cannonau. Many names, one grape. It just depends on where it grows. Grenache is probably best-known as the “G” in GSM wines, southern France’s Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre blends. An unsurprising claim to fame, since Grenache is often blended with other grape varieties. Grenache has a reputation for being a bit “blah” by itself, since the grapes can accumulate lots of sugar, resulting in high alcohol wines that lack sufficient acidity to taste balanced.
But. (There’s always a “but” when it comes to wine.) More and more producers are finding ways to bring out the best in Grenache. And the vine’s ability to thrive in dry soils is coming in handy in these times of climate change, as droughts have become commonplace in some wine regions. This tasting will take you through Grenache’s greatest hits, both in blends and monovarietal wines, so that you can decide whether it’s blah or brilliant.
The Wines
#1: Southern Rhône
Grenache probably came to France first through the Roussillon, which shares a border with Spain, but today, the Southern Rhône is its best-known home. Châteauneuf-du-Pape in particular has given Grenache worldwide prominence, since it often plays the starring role in a blend of up to 13 grapes. Some producers even choose to leave the others out and give Grenache the whole stage.
This is also where Grenache became the “G” in GSM blends, the Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre combination that makes up most of the wines in the Southern Rhône appellations.
What to ask for: Ask for a Grenache-forward wine from the Southern Rhône
Alternatives: Stick with a Southern Rhône Grenache blend, like a Côtes du Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Ventoux, Luberon, Cairanne, Lirac, Costières de Nîmes, Duché d’Uzès, Côtes du Vivarais, or Grignan-les-Adhémar
#2: Languedoc-Roussillon
This massive, sunny region (or two regions, really) has historically produced the majority of France’s wines, though it’s been better known for quantity rather than quality. It’s a tough card to be dealt as a winemaker here, since today’s wines can be incredible quality and downright steals price-wise.
In the Languedoc-Roussillon, Grenache still plays a major role in GSM blends, but there’s another grape variety joining the cast here: Carignan. Carignan goes by other names in Spain and Sardinia, two of Grenache’s other original homes. Like Grenache, Carignan thrives in dry, warm places, so it’s experienced a revival as winemakers adjust during recent drought years. Unlike in Priorat, where Grenache and Carignan share top billing, in the Languedoc-Roussillon, each appellation has its own confusing rules about which grape varieties can comprise which percentage of each blend. Suffice it to say that in this crescent-shaped swath of southern France, Grenache consistently plays a major role.
What to ask for: Ask for a Grenache-forward wine from Languedoc-Roussillon
Alternatives: Stick with a wine from the Languedoc-Roussillion, from AOCs like Côtes du Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon Villages, Faugères, Corbières, Minervois, Fitou, Saint-Chinian, Terrasses du Larzac, La Clape, Corbières-Boutenac, Minervois la Livinière, Pézenas, Pic Saint Loup, Saint-Chinian Berlou or Saint-Chinian Roquebrun
#3: Rioja
Garnacha didn’t originate in Rioja, but it’s a critical part of the blends today, especially in Rioja Oriental (formerly known as Baja). There are 5 different red grape varieties that comprise the cast of Rioja, of which Tempranillo is the star. Tempranillo comes from the Spanish word “temprano” meaning “early.” Unfortunately, early ripening isn’t as ideal as the climate changes, particularly when things warm up. As producers seek to adjust to maintain quality, Garnacha is gaining in importance.
Rioja spans about 62 miles (100 km) from end to end, where vineyards range in altitude from 1,000 ft. (300 m) to 1,800 ft. (550m) as they run along and away from the banks of the River Ebro and its tributaries. The region is divided into 3 areas: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental. Rioja Oriental is where you’re going to find more and more producers zooming in on Garnacha, since this southeastern area is where the Mediterranean gets closer and temperatures heat up. It’s worth asking your local retailer if you’re not sure whether a particular Rioja is from Rioja Oriental or not.
What to ask for: Ask for a red Rioja, preferably from Rioja Oriental
Alternatives: Garnacha-based wines from Campo de Borja, Cariñena, Calatayud, Navarra, Somontano
#4: Priorat
Spain’s wine classification system ranks the quality of its wine regions, much like in France and Italy. In Spain, the highest ranking is Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa), or DOQ in Priorat’s case, using the Catalan spelling. There are only two regions in Spain that have achieved this ranking: Rioja and Priorat.
Priorat sits about 2 hours west of Barcelona, sheltered by a mountainous amphitheater created by the Sierra de Montsant, with terraced vineyards planted on steep slopes winding around hills and valleys along the River Siurana. Carthusian monks from Provence gave Priorat its name, from “Priorato,” Spanish for priory. There’s even a legend in which a shepherd had a vision of a staircase on which angels ascended to heaven. The Provençal monks built their monastery on the spot, became the Carthusians of Scala Dei (stairs of God) and began planting vineyards like the ones they managed in France.
Another mystical aspect of Priorat is its special soil, called “llicorella,” which glitters thanks to mica quartz particles in the slate, reflecting warmth and light onto the vines. Just like on the other side of the Pyrenees, Garnacha and Cariñena star in these Mediterranean wines.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternatives: Montsant
#5: Cannonau di Sardegna
Sardinia, once part of the kingdom of Aragón, claims Grenache as their own native grape, but here, it goes by Cannonau. This rugged island in the middle of the Mediterranean, east of Rome and just south of Corsica, has been fought over by various peoples and kingdoms since antiquity. And yet, it still maintains an independence and culture all its own. Sardinia isn’t even fully Italian, since it was granted autonomous status, much like Sicily. If you ask a Sardinian where they’re from, it’s Sardinia, not Italy.
Sardinia was also one of the first Blue Zones to be identified, a place where people live to be centenarians far more than average. Not a bad endorsement for picking up the habit of enjoying one of Sardinia’s best-known wines.
Cannonau di Sardegna, the full name for these wines, is usually made from 100% Cannonau, though other local varieties are allowed to be blended in small amounts.
What to ask for: Cannonau di Sardegna
Alternatives: Stick with Cannonau di Sardegna
#6: Australian Grenache
Some of the oldest Grenache vines in the world aren’t in France, Spain or Sardinia, but in Australia. This strange circumstance is largely thanks to a nasty insect, phylloxera, which destroyed vineyards throughout Europe in the late 19th century. Australia, an ocean away from the horrible louse, was able to avoid phylloxera’s spread across Europe, and its vines survived.
Before phylloxera, in the mid-19th century, European settlers had brought grapevine cuttings from France to Australia. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, known as Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro down under, were some of the top choices, especially for making fortified wines. A century later, Australians doubled down on GSM plantings, since the grapes thrived in dry, warm climates, particularly around Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale, and were considered solid “workhorse” grapes, reliable, if not necessarily exciting.
And then Australian Shiraz blew up. Yellow Tail and other “critter” wines became hugely popular on grocery shelves worldwide, while Penfolds and other producers built the reputation for Australia’s top quality Shiraz. Grenache was largely forgotten, and vineyard owners could barely afford to keep the old vines alive.
But recently, “New Wave Grenache” producers saw the old Grenache vines’ potential, and started making a new style they’re calling “warm climate Pinot Noir.” By carefully avoiding picking overripe grapes and adjusting winemaking techniques, Australian producers have begun to write a whole new story for some of the oldest Grenache vines in the world.
What to ask for: Australian Grenache, preferably monovarietal, though GSM blends predominantly based on Grenache work too
Alternatives: American Grenache
Tasting tips
The eats
For this tasting, I’d love a burger bar. Full-sized or slider-sized, it’s up to you. Weather permitting, this is a great one for grilling, especially since you can easily throw some portobello mushrooms in the mix for your vegetarian friends (and for those of us who just like eating everything).
If you’re going the charcuterie route, a Spanish-themed board would be a great fit. Manchego, Serrano ham, cured chorizo, green Manzanilla olives, Marcona almonds, you get the gist.
The prep
These wines should be relatively easy to find, and your guests will have a range of price points to choose from for each style. It’s up to you as a host to decide if you’d like to set a spending range, or if you’d prefer to let your guests determine what they’re each comfortable spending on this tasting.
If you love these wines and want to try out other tastings where Grenache plays a feature role, check out Rhône Reds.
Stuff to know
Garnacha is claimed by both Spain and France, so who grew it first is under some debate. Sardinia, too, has its own claim to what they call Cannonau. Europe’s history of border shifting has something to do with this murky provenance, since the kingdom of Aragón (the medieval one, not than the modern-day region) used to reign over chunks of land on both sides of the Pyrenees, along with portions of Italy and the Mediterranean islands: Mallorca, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica. Who brought the grape from which part of the kingdom to the other first isn’t the easiest to determine hundreds of years later.
Wherever it started, Grenache is essentially a Mediterranean grape, since it thrives in dry, warm, windy climates. It’s a pretty durable vine, which made it a go-to grape for growers around the Mediterranean and during the early years of viticultural exploration in far-off countries with similar climates, like California in the United States, Australia and South Africa.
Today, France gets to claim the top spot for having the most Grenache planted, which is why I’ve chosen to use their word most frequently here. The grape even has a bonus name, Grenache Noir (/Tinta), to differentiate itself from its own mutations that are white (Blanc/Blanca), pink (Gris/Roja) or “fuzzy” leafed, called Lledoner Pelut/Garnacha Peluda.
In this tasting, we’ll focus in on Grenache’s best-known red wines, but it’s still worth mentioning that the grape also plays a key role in many rosés worldwide.
What to look for in this tasting
Grenache doesn’t ride solo in most of these wines, so it can be a bit challenging to pick out exactly what it brings to the party. Generally, wines made from Grenache are on the pale side color-wise, making it easy to confuse them for delicate, thin wines when they’re anything but.
Grenache needs a lot of warmth and sunshine to ripen, and when it finally does, there’s a lot of sugar in the grapes. Sugar turns into alcohol thanks to fermentation, so wines with Grenache in the mix might look pale, but they’re what wine people like to call “big” or “hot” alcohol-wise. Keep an eye on the ABVs in this tasting, since they can be high.
Tannin-wise, Grenache is more chill, with light or moderate tannins that can feel soft and diffuse. It doesn’t bring a lot of acidity to the table, though what it does bring can be plenty in the right winemaker’s hands. Flavor-wise, watch out for ripe red fruits like strawberries, cherries and red plums. I often taste blood oranges and strawberry fruit leather in Grenache-based wines. If you didn’t grow up eating fruit leather (or its more artificial counterpart, Fruit Roll-Ups), plain old dried strawberries are similar enough to make the point. Spices, actual leather and herbal flavors can also make an appearance thanks to Grenache in these wines.
