One of the world’s most widely planted grapes, Grenache is a quintessentially Mediterranean red variety which does best as a low yielding bush vine. It produces powerful, warming, raspberryish reds whose greatest expression, from old, low-yielding vines, is to be found in Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Château Rayas) in France and in Australia‘s Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale.
SEE ALSO: Spanish Garnacha: panel tasting results | Decanter travel guide to Southern Rhone
It also makes good fortified reds as in Banyuls, Rivesaltes and Maury. Known in Spain as Garnacha tinta, where it’s widely planted, particularly in Rioja and Priorat, it fleshes out the tempranillo. It’s grown in California and in Italy too.
Food matching with Grenache: Rolled pig’s head | Wild garlic and ricotta ravioli with lamb soup | Michel Roux Jr: Rabbit Pâté en Croute – Recipe | Michel Roux Jr: Stuffed Courgettes | Leg of Lamb Slow Cooked in Red Wine with Figs, Walnuts and Grapes
One of the world's most widely planted grapes, Grenache is a quintessentially Mediterranean red variety which does best as a low yielding bush vine. It produces powerful, warming, raspberryish reds whose greatest expression, from old, low-yielding vines, is to be found in Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Château Rayas) in France and in Australia's Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale.
Eighteen months ago, I was asked by two producers in the southern Rhône – Nicole Rolet of Domaine de la Verrière (which makes the Chêne Bleu brand) at Vaison-la-Romaine and Walter McKinlay of Domaine de Mourchon at Seguret – how the region’s wines could better be recognised and I agreed with the former that the key was the Grenache grape. Thus it transpired that in early June I co-chaired, with French wine critic Michel Bettane, an extraordinary three days devoted to what has been described as the unsung hero of the wine world.
Provence has long built a reputation abroad based on its summer sun rosés.
JOHN RADFORD looks at a region which has, on the brink of the 21st century, virtually reinvented itself within the last two decades
