By: Becky Garrison
Grenache has the distinction of being one of the world’s most widely planted wine grapes. Addi-tionally, this versatile wine pairs very effectively with food. Grenache wines have diverse levels of texture and depth with a slight spiciness that work well with a wide range of braised, grilled and stewed meats, as well as the milder styles of Asian cuisine.
As part of Feast Portland 2019, a regional food and drink festival with international appeal, Hoke Harden, SWE Certified Spirits Educator, offered an industry presentation into European Grena-che wine. He focused on those wines that range in cost from $10 to $20. At this reasonable price point, Harden describes the wines as “not wine you take home and save, but wine you take home and drink.”
Although lower priced Grenache may not be the sort of wine one ages in a cellar, these wines have a distinguished history that belies their price tag. Carbon dating of seeds and leaves discov-ered at archeological sites indicate Grenache was planted as early as 153 BCE. Most likely, Gre-nache originated in the region of Spain now known as Aragon, where it goes by the name Garna-cha. However, some have speculated the grape originated in Sardinia, where the grape is called Cannonau.
As these vines flourish best in hot, sunny and dry conditions, the Mediterranean climate proved to be ideal for growing them. Grenache vines were then planted in Catalonia and then in places outside of Spain that were under the Crown of Aragon, such as France, Corsica, Southern Italy, Sicily, Croatia and Greece.
The old vines currently growing in the region can be over one hundred years old. They tend to produce a finer and more complex wine than Grenache produced in areas where the vines are much younger.
The grape comes primarily in three versions: red—Grenache Noir, white—Grenache Blanc, and a version of white known as Grenache Gris. The Grenache Noir is round and smooth with notes of prunes, cherries and other red-pitted fruits. Conversely, Grenache Blanc has a combination of floral, fruity and herbaceous notes and fresh aniseed licorice flavors for a fleshy, mellow wine of medium intensity, a medium to high acidity and high levels of alcohol. The Grenache Gris pro-duces pale rosés and mineral-driven whites with copper hues and citrus notes that are fleshy, round and elegant.
Additionally, there are two less common Grenache grapes—the Lledoner Pelut (black) and Gar-nacha Peluda (hairy). The Lledoner Pelut, which is a cousin to the Grenache Noir, is very similar but has more structure and a bluer color. Garnacha Peluda, which gets its name from its hairy leaves, has a lower alcohol content, medium acidity, aromas of red fruits, and rapid oxidation.
From these varieties of grapes, winemakers can produce a vast array of wines ranging from light- to full-bodied red or white wines, as well as rosé wines, fortified wines, natural wines and spar-kling wines. Each of these varieties is highly sensitive to the growing conditions of a particular region. Depending on the soil, climate and elevation, wines produced from these grapes can vary dramatically from one appellation to another. For example, one appellation may yield full-bodied, black-fruited wines, while a nearby region produces a more light-bodied wine made with red fruits.
While Grenache can grow in a diverse range of soils, the vines respond best to the schist, lime-stone and clay soils abundantly found in Northeastern Spain and the Roussillon in southern France. Here the grapes’ tight clusters make it a perfect choice for these hot and dry soils. How-ever, the same tight grape clusters make Grenache prone to downy mildew and bunch rot when grown in humid or rainy locations. Also, as the grapes ripen relatively late, they work best in very warm regions.
Another positive attribute of these hardy and vigorous Grenache vines is that they use less natu-ral resources than many other vines. In fact, Grenache could be seen as the world’s most eco-friendly and sustainable grape. As this grape adapts to arid weather conditions, it can be grown using environmentally friendly vineyard practices. For instance, these vines are not dependent on rainwater because their roots can delve deep into subterranean water tables. In addition, the plant has a robust wooden frame that is drought and disease resistant. Often Grenache is grown as a free-standing bush with its strong, sturdy trunk able to survive in strong winds. In consideration of all these attributes, in 2011, the World Climate Change and Wine Conference with Kofi An-nan in Marbella, Spain recognized Grenache as a product well prepared for climate change.
Currently, over 90 percent of Grenache grows in Spain and France. The regions have been certi-fied in two European Union quality schemes: PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) and PDO (Protected Designation of Origin). The EU established these schemes in 2012 for agricultural commodities to ensure that the products originated in this particular region. Also, these schemes ensure that the product has been produced in accordance with European agricultural production methods that focus on nutrition and health, food safety, traceability, authenticity and labeling.
Five PDO vineyards in Spain specialize in the Grenache grape variety: Somontano, Terra Alta, Cariñena, Calatayud, and Campo de Borja. Within these regions exists 5,500 wine growers and 144 wineries, with Grenache repenting about 40% of their vineyards. (Other varieties are Tem-pranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah). Rosé and White Grenache is grown in the Terra Alta PDO, while Red Grenache is the main variety grown in the other four PDOs.
Roussillon in France houses 2,200 winemaker families, 25 co-ops and 350 private cellars. The varied topography of this region produces a wide variety of Grenache grapes that can create a range of wine styles, including dry still wines and fortified sweet wines.
Most of the reviews about Grenache wines tend to focus on blends such as the Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine blend from France’s southern Rhône Valley. French winemakers discovered this va-riety in their search for a grape that would add alcohol, body and fruity flavors to their existing wines. Other noted blends made using Grenache can be found in Gigondas, and in the Priorat reds produced in the Priorat county, situated in the southwest of Catalonia in the province of Tar-ragona. Many of these wines tend to carry a significantly higher price tag than the moderately priced wines highlighted by Harden, with select bottles garnering a price as high as $800.
