Grenache wines will likely never be wines that age for long periods of time.

October 12, 2010

Wine Style of The Month
Grenache

Grenache – The Grape That Is Second to None!

The life of the Grenache grape has always been about a serious of seconds.  It is the second most planted grapevine in the world.  I bet you didn’t know that.  In Rioja, Spain, where the grape is known as “Garnacha”, it is the second most important grape after Tempranillo.  In France, the grape is used by the French Vermouth industry along with
blended amounts of Muscat to make dry vermouth wines.  And of course these vermouth wines are added to martini’s where they play just a secondary role to the vodka or gin.  Yes, the Grenache grape has always been thought of by most winemakers throughout the world as an excellent blending grape to round off a blend in a wine where some other grape is the star.  Usually that grape is Syrah.  Grenache has throughout its life always been a bridesmaid and never a bride.  Until lately that is!

More and more countries are starting to experiment with Grenache as a stand-alone varietal wine.  Although Spain and France have been making Grenache wines for centuries, it really has been Australia that has been pushing Grenache wines into the spotlight.  The Aussies have been featuring them in their “GSM” blend wines (Grenache, Shiraz, Mouvedre) or even as stand alone Grenache wines and so far, they are really starting to catch on with the wine buying public.  Cult wineries like Two Hands, d’Arenberg and Torbreck are producing stellar versions of the grape and so far, the wine critics like what they are tasting.

In Europe Grenache has always played an important role in winemaking in both Spain and France.  And to a lesser extent it is used in Italy under the name “Cannonau”.  Although France seems to be the natural birthplace for most great grape varietals and the Grenache grape’s fame and notoriety was definitely spawned from the Southern Rhone wine region in France, this grape’s origin actually comes from Spain and
specifically from the Rioja and Catalonia regions.  France probably imported the Grenache grapevines into southern France from Spain after the Phyloxera louse destroyed most of their grapevines.  The Grenache grape seems to be more resistant to this pesky vine killer than the other grapevines that were fashionable in France for the day.

In Spain, there are a few wines made entirely from Grenache or Garnacha as it is called there, but by in large, they are mostly used as blending grapes with Tempranillo wines.  It is really the wines of France that have brought Grenache to light in the world stage.  In the Southern Rhone region of France, Grenache is the most widely planted grape and it is frequently the star or lead grape in such famous wine blends as Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas, Cote du Rhone Villages and even in some wines from Vacqueyras.  It is also planted in large quantities throughout the rest of Southern France and is the primary grape responsible for two of the most high quality and best known rose’ wines in the world, Tavel and Lirac.

Despite Grenache’s modest successes as a stand alone varietal, it really is well suited to be a blending grape.  For one, it buds early on the vine and if harvested late it reaches extremely high alcohol levels.  This allows a wine-maker to boost up the alcohol level in the Syrah, Mouvedre, etc… wines that they are making.  Another reason why many winemakers are hesitant to use it as a stand-alone varietal is because it is relatively low in pigment and malic acid, which translates into a red wine that oxidizes very rapidly.  Therefore, Grenache wines will likely never be wines that age for long periods of time.  But it is precisely this quality in Grenache wines that are needed to soften the harder, tannin-edged wines like Syrah.

Because Grenache is such a great blending grape it is easy to see why it is the second most planted grape in the world.  However, another reason might be due to the fact that it is a hearty grape and a breeze to grow compared to other finicky wine grapes.  Grenache can thrive in hot and dry conditions because it resists heat and can tolerate very limited rainfall.  It is a grape that thrives on harsh conditions.  This makes Grenache an easy choice for many winemakers that don’t live in the ideal climate and conditions for grapevines.  Are you listening to this all you Texas Winemakers?  This could be the ideal grape for the hot and arid climate of West Texas.  Who knows, with a little experimentation, it could be the grape that puts Texas wines on the wine world map.

Grenache wines typically showcase a wide canvas of flavors.  Dark fruits like black currant and blackberry.  Red fruits like cherry, plum, mulberry, raisin and strawberry.  Bold spices like black pepper, lavender, thyme, menthol or licorice.  Along with some short-term bottle aging comes some tobacco leaf, cigar box and dried apricot aromas and flavors.  All of these wonderful scents and tastes add up to a wine that is great with food.

Grenache is a dark horse grape that has a ways to go before it wins over the mass market, but many daring and adventurous winemakers are taking the right steps and making enormous strides to get the wine-buying public interested in this grape.  The Aussies are already hatching many clever bottle labels that are eye-catching hoping to trigger an impulse buy from a consumer that would not normally buy a wine made from a grape they have never heard of.  This strategy is working too!  Even California vintners are joining in on the Grenache fad that seems to be silently taking storm.  If you haven’t tried a Grenache wine yet, what are you waiting for?  Who knows?  It might even become your second favorite wine style!

Source: http://www.dallassecretwine.com/grenache.html

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