Friday, September 21 is International Grenache Day!
Maybe it doesn’t hold the same panache for you as perhaps, Cheeseburger Day (this past Tuesday) or Free Doughnut If You Act Like a Pirate Day (yesterday), but once you know a bit about the Grenache grape, you just may take this opportunity to light some candles, open a bottle, and pay homage to the most widely planted red wine grape in Spain, its country of origin.
Grenache is found in many countries around the world. In Spain, it’s an important grape in Rioja as well as Priorat where it produces amazingly powerful wines. The Southern Rhone in France, California, and South Australia cultivate Grenache and beautifully blended wines including Chateauneuf-du-Pape embrace this grape as a crucial constituent. The grape itself is thin skinned and produces wines with high alcohol, soft tannins, and a full body. Red fruit flavors such as strawberry and raspberry along with white pepper lead to more developed tastes such as leather and coffee as the wine ages. Grenache is also a blend in delicious Rose wines and lends a luscious red fruit taste and mouthfeel to the wine. As for the white grape, Grenache Blanc? Its peachy taste, full body, and low acidity make it a lovely grape for blending.
If you are considering the purchase of a wine with Grenache, you may want to go to your wine shop and ask for my five faves…all of which have been previously reviewed on this site!
**Esprit Chateau de Beaucastel Blanc 2010 – This is the wine I purchased after a tasting at Tablas Creek Winery in Paso Robles AVA in California. Consisting of 60% Roussanne, 35% Grenache Blanc, and 5% Picpoul (giving more tropical notes and minerality), this white blend showed tropical fruits such as mango and passion fruit, ginger, and pear on the nose as well as honey and more tropical fruit on the palate. Its long finish with a fair amount of minerality was magnifique~ This has 13.5% alcohol and will pair well with roasted vegetables, Asian stir fry, foods cooked with olive oil or garlic (ok-that means pretty much everything many of us enjoy!). Its structure and balance were just what I was looking for. Its cost was $40.00 and well worth it!
**2011 Envolve Rose Wine Sonoma Mountain – This wine is a tribute to the Envolve bachelors’ sisters for emotionally supporting them during the crazy times when they were building the business. The blend of 92% Syrah and 8% Grenache showed a lovely salmon pink color and medium intense aromas of pears, peaches, and raspberries. This Rose was mostly dry (thank you!) and balanced with high acidity, 12% alcohol, fresh fruity flavors, and maybe a hint of vanilla. It was refreshing on a warm summer day, but I’ll be enjoying this anytime! And so will your sisters…Cost is $24.00.
**Hecht and Bannier Languedoc Rose 2011 – Enjoyed at a Languedoc-Roussillon tasting in Chicago, this Rose is a blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Cinsault and is refreshing and floral. This is not a sweet Rose at all – yet tastes of cherry, pineapple, strawberry, even some watermelon can be found. Pair the wine with just about anything…but I’ll have mine with some quiche or soft cheese. (Imported by Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd.)
**Troublemaker Blend 3 – Hope Family Wines offers a multi-vintage blend of barrel aged wine from 2008 and 2009 with fresh and juicy wine from 2010! And the trouble? Winemaker Austin Hope writes that “I have no problem breaking the rules a little if it results in delicious wine.” The means definitely justify the end in this case! I loved the Rhone style combination of Syrah, Grenache, Petit Syrah, and Mourvedre. The grapes are from the Paso Robles AVA with 25% from the Hope Family Vineyards. Black cherry, licorice, and a bit of smoke were on the nose and tastes of red fruit and a little chocolate were quite nice! Paired with some grilled rib eye steaks? Yes! Alcohol content is 14.5% and the price is around $20.00.
**Beso de Vino 2009 – A delicious wine for $10.00? Yep! This wine is from Carenena D.O. west of Valencia and southeast of Madrid, Spain. Made from a blend of 85% Syrah and 15% Grenacha grapes, I enjoyed its intense aromas and the richness of blueberries, black cherries, strawberries, plum, and a little earth on the palate. This wine has a medium finish and alcohol content of 13.5% – such a fantastic value for a Spanish wine with some substance! This wine has potential for aging but you won’t let that happen!
Enjoy International Grenache Day with a wine you may not have tried…or pay homage with your own go-to choice!
Cheers to giving panache to your Grenache – whatever it is!! ~ Cindy
