Believed to be native to Aragon in Northern Spain, Grenache is one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the world. Of the list of the most popular grapes, Grenache is currently listed as #7 and planted to about 371,000 acres worldwide (this according to the University of Adelaide in their 2020 publication, “Which Winegrape Varieties are Grown Where?”).

Grenache—also known as Grenache Noir (French)  or Garnacha Tinta (Spanish), is a red wine grape known for producing flavorful red wines and deeply hued, spicy rosé. Grenache thrives in warm areas—I call it a heat-seeking red grape—so it ripens with a good deal of sugar. In the wine production process, this sugar ferments (and ferments and ferments) into a high degree of alcohol. Don’t be surprised to find 14% alcohol by volume (or more) in your glass of Grenache.

Typical aromas and flavors of a Grenache-based wine include red fruit (strawberry, cherry, raspberry), blue/black fruit (plum, blackberry, raisin, fig), dried orange peel, herbs (rosemary, black tea, dried herbs), and spice (black pepper, juniper, clove, licorice). Grenache is thin-skinned, so oxidation sometimes helps the wine’s ruby/red color to fade to tawny or orange around the rim of the glass. Expect your Grenache to be rich in body (thanks to that alcohol), moderate in tannin, and refreshing in acidity.

Grenache is still grown in Spain—the grape’s native home—where it clocks in as the second most widely-grown red grape (behind Tempranillo). Priorat, produced in Catalonia, is (perhaps) Spain’s most prestigious Grenache-based wine. If you can get your hands on one, you are in for a full-bodied, richly textured red wine with aromas of blackberry, blueberry, ripe figs, and minerals (think wet gravel or wet stone…in a good way) . Grenache is also used in the renowned wines of Rioja, where it plays second (but still important) fiddle to Tempranillo.

These days, however, France is the largest producer of Grenache. While varietal Grenache is produced in many areas, the country’s most famous use of Grenache is in the Rhône Valley. In the Rhône, it stars in a myriad of blended wines, from regional sippers known as Côtes-du-Rhône to superstar wines such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas. These wines are typically based around Grenache in an assemblage colloquially referred to as the “Rhône Blend” and consisting of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and about a dozen other grapes. These wines are powerful, and flavorful…high in tannin and redolent with aromas and flavors of red and black fruit (raspberry, cherry, blackberry), baking spices (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg), herbs, dried orange peel, and a hint of floral (lavender).

Outside of France—where these blends are typically referred to as G-S-M (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre)—this style of wine has caught on in many places. Leading producers of G-S-M include Australia, California (especially in Paso Robles), and Washington State. Expect these wines to be even more powerful and spicier than their French brethren.

Not to be forgotten, varietal Grenache is produced all around the wine-making world. Leading areas include Southern France (Languedoc and Roussillon), California (all over), Washington State (where it is a rising star), South Africa, and Italy (where it often goes by the name Cannanou).

It is high time to grab a glass of Grenache. Serve it up with a bacon-blue cheeseburger, a charcuterie board, grilled pork loin, or your Sunday Roast. Let us know how you like it!

Jane A. Nickles, CWE—wine and spirits writer, educator, and entertainer—is the Director of Education and Certification for the Society of Wine Educators. You can find her on her blog, The Bubbly Professor. https://bubblyprofessor.com/