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History
Native to Spain, apparently without any Greek or Roman ancestors, Grenache Noir is planted throughout the Mediterranean basin. The vine is believed to have originated in the Aragón province of northern Spain, where it is known as Garnacha Tinta, and then spread to Rioja and across the Pyrenees into southern France, eventually reaching the Rhône Valley. Though Grenache vines outnumber those of any other red variety in the world, most are planted in Spain.
Growing
Grenache thrives in the harsh, hot, arid, windy climate and stony, baking soils prevalent in these Mediterranean zones. Such stressful conditions help restrict its inherently high vigor and productivity, which, unbridled, result in thin, pale wines. Capable of producing deep purple, sugar-rich, burly ripe fruit which can approach 18 percent natural alcohol, it is low in acid, moderately low in tannin and susceptible to mildew, rot and coulure, or the failure of the flowers to develop into berries. For these reasons, Grenache is often blended with other varieties for structure and balance, though it makes exceptional, vibrantly heady rosés on its own.
In the Rioja and much of the rest of Spain, Grenache is teamed principally with Tempranillo. In Priorato, an ancient region of Cataluña resurrected in the 1990s by by a band of talented young winemakers, Grenache may have found its highest expression. The unique, black-gold striated slate and quartz soils, called “llicorella,” combined with drip irrigation and finely-tuned winemaking, result in dense, black, enormously powerful wines which have risen to cult status in the blink of an eye.
In the southern Rhône Valley, blended with Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and ten other possible varieties, Grenache constitutes the backbone of numerous red wines, including Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Vaqueyras, Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages and Côtes-du-Rhône; and it is the principal grape in the sublime rosés of Tavel and Lirac.
Deftly cultivated and vinified on its own, Grenache offers a cornucopia of dense, lusty aromas and flavors of black cherry, blackcurrant, jam, pepper and licorice with an explosively mouthfilling texture and deceptively heady alcohol. Also grown in Italy, Tunisia, Australia, California, Greece, Chile and North and South Africa.
Alternate Names
Lladoner, Tinto Aragónes, Roussillon Tinto, Uva di Spagna, Alicante, Carignane Rousse, Bois Jaune, Sans Pareil, Rivesaltes, Cannonau
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