Getting friendly with versatile Grenache grapes
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THIS is week three of our sensational summer varietal series and some readers may be thinking all great summer grapes must be white; well think again.
One of the best varietals for summertime is a red grape called Grenache. This grape is a summer champ not only because it makes delightfully fruity reds but also because it’s one of the best varietals for making rose wines. And a summer without rose wines is no fun at all.
Grenache is another one of those grapes with a disputed past. The Spanish refer to this grape as Grenacha and several other names. They claim it as their own with most Spanish ampelographers, a fancy word for those who identify and classify vines, believing the grape originated in or around the region of Aragon in the northeast of Spain. Others are not so sure.
The Mediterranean island of Sardinia also claims to be the land of origin for Grenache. They call the grape Cannonau.
By the 19th century the variety was well established in southern France and was moving to New World regions in Australia and California. Regardless of its origin the grape has been a resounding success. Today it is one of the most planted varieties in the world.
Hero blender
In the wine world, the word friendly is often used in a negative manner to describe a wine that’s simple and easy to understand, in other words not a serious or complex wine.
However, when I use friendly to describe the Grenache grape I’m referring to the celebrated ability of this grape to blend with other grapes and make delicious wines.
It’s fair to say Grenache is just about the most accommodating and friendly grape you’ll find anywhere. The variety is prized for adding both fruitiness and alcohol to blends along with a little spice or zestiness.
Some of the most popular grapes blended with Grenache include Syrah, Mourvendre, Carignan, Tempranillo and in some cases Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Another positive quality of Grenache is consistency. Year in and year out, the hearty vines ripen evenly and produce quality fruit. This contrasts sharply with more finicky varietals like Pinot Noir, where each new vintage is an adventure.
Rosy options abound
Winemakers around the world use Grenache to make excellent rose wines. The southern Rhone Valley in France is a hotbed of Grenache-based rose wines. Most famous is Tavel, a style of rose wine that’s been a favorite of legendary drinkers like French King Louis XIV and writer Ernest Hemingway.
Across the Rhone River from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the Tavel appellation exclusively makes rose wines. These wines tend to be quite dry and structured and therefore one of the very few rose wines anywhere that can be successfully cellared for a few years. Excellent Tavel roses are made by Guigal, Domaine de la Mordoree and Chateau d’Aqueria.
Other southern Rhone regions like Gigondas and Costieres de Nimes also make notable rose wines. A fine example of Grenache playing the senior partner in a successful rose blend is the Costieres de Nimes wine Chateau Mourgues du Gres Fleur d’Eglantine, an elegant rose that’s 50-percent Grenache with Mourvedre, Carignan and Syrah comprising the rest of the blend.
Made by star winemaker Francois Collard, who was formerly the winemaker at Chateau Lafite, this wine offers scintillating wild raspberry, red current and pear aromas and flavors with a mouth-puckering dry finish.
On a recent jaunt to Provence, I tasted some superb Grenache centric rose wines. My friends in Provence are quick to point out their region makes the best rose wines in the world and when you’re drinking with them it’s hard to disagree.
Personally I believe it’s more a matter of style with winemakers in Provence championing lighter colored more delicately rose wines in which Grenache is commonly blended with Cinsault, Mourvedre and Tibouren.
The Spanish, on the other hand, make a deeper-colored and more assertive style of rose wine called Rosado. Some even resemble a lightly colored red wine.
In these wines Grenache is sometimes a single variety or is blended with the popular Spanish Grape Tempranillo. A highly recommended Grenache-centric Spanish rose of note that you can find in Shanghai is Ramirez de la Piscina Rosado from Rioja.
Not every Grenache-based red wine is ideal for summer drinking. Some great wines like top Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the fabulous reds of Priorat, as well as some old vine Barrosa Grenache wines from Australia are too big and serious to be considered summer wines.
These behemoths benefit from hearty food more commonly enjoyed during the autumn and winter seasons. Conversely, the lighter side of Grenache is well represented in Cotes du Rhone blends that may comprise up to 23 different varieties. A good Cote du Rhone red is a fine summer wine especially when chilled to about 15 degrees Celsius.
Two other southern Rhone reds that heavily rely on Grenache are Gigondas and Vacqueyras. Both these wines are generally more weighty and structured than Cote du Rhone reds, but they still feature abundant fresh fruit qualities that qualify them as fine summer quenchers.
Pairing with food
Grenache isn’t only friendly with other grapes, it also partners remarkably well with a wide range of foods.
Lighter-colored rose wines from the south of France are especially nice with salads and stewed or grilled seafood. Darker, heavier Spanish rose wines pair well with a wide range of fish, white and even red meats.
I would also highly recommend both styles of Grenache rose wines with Chinese fish dishes like Shanghai style deep-fried yellow fish or Taiwan style sautéed red snapper.
Southern Rhone Grenache reds are the perfect wine for a summer barbecue or with moderately spicy Asian meat dishes. A personal favorite is a nice Gigondas with Hunan-style pig’s foot.
Grenache at a glance
Thin-skinned, light-colored, late-ripening and high-yield red wine grape
Color: Light ruby red, violet
Aromas & flavors: Black berries, black current, raspberry, exotic spices
Mouthfeel: Fresh, soft, round
Key descriptor: Sexy
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