Grape Varietal – Grenache
The
Grenache grape is the second most widely planted varietal in the world and
covers approximately 100,000 hectacres worldwide. This varietal has been said
to have originated from the region of Aragon in Spain and has branched out far
and wide since then due to the disperse along the vineyards of spain and
throughout the Mediterranean. Grenache is grown in California, Austrailia,
Israel, North Africa, and many other areas. It has become one of the most
famous red wine producing grapes in the world.
The Grenache
varietal is typically planted towards the end of September and are considered
to be in full completion by the middle of October, which is considered to be a
late ripening. The late ripening season helps for it to be grown only in
relatively warmer regions. It thrives in hot, windy areas but can be at a
disadvantage because it is smaller. One of the most common features, if not the
most distinguishing characteristic, of the Grenache grape is that it reaches an
extraordinary sweet, ripeness level and holds an equally interesting tannin
level. Grenache is grown upright with a strong and sturdy trunk and known to be
a water seeking grape.
This varietal is
described as having shoots that are either ‘gobelet’ or ‘head pruned’. Many of
the vineyards that are home to the Grenache grape fruit-prune the varietal
during growing seasons in order to allowed about ten to twelve clusters per
vine. At harvest it is easy to identify that this varietal has high acidity and
high sugar levels. The varietal itself is low in flavor, which explains why it
is commonly used as the backbone for other notorious wines. It has a high
alcohol content and develop relatively fast compared to other grapes.
One
of the problems that Grenache faces is that it is so widely planted and has
become underappreciated. It became widely planted in the 19th
century due to the phylloxera epidemic. When the phylloxera epidemic came
through and sweeped out a majority of the vineyards grapes of the regions, they
began to plant Grenache because it is capable of withstanding the rough
conditions compared to the other grape species that had been planted prior and
proven unsuccessful. Grenache has also proven successful in the cases in
California during series of droughts.
Recently what has
helped to revive some of Grenache’s reputation in Spain has been the
compatibility with natural minerals in the soil when the grape is grown. This
compatibility provides a unique feature for the grape itself and then in turn
provides a special and unique feature for the wine that it produces, which in
terms of the Grenache grape is usually the backbone of many of the greatest
wines. The Grenache grapes skin color is normally a blue-black tint. It is
common to see three different colors of the Grenache vine which deciphers which
type of Grenache you are handling; for example the purple-skinned Grenache
Noir, pale crimson-skinned Grenache Gris, and green-skinned Grenache Blanc.
Grenache
typically produces darker wines. The common flavors of this grape varietal are
black pepper, menthol, licorice, current, cherry, and raisins. In Calirfornia,
the production of this grape varietal causes for a lighter, paler colored wine
with simple fruit flavor. In Europe, particularly in France, this varietal
produces a beautiful ruby red wine that holds and alcohol percentage of around
15% and has strong, full fruit and spice flavors.
Grenache
makes very small quantities of serious wine, but it attributes to an abundance
of the backbones of many of the big time, well-known wines. This wine is best
paired with roasted meats, stew, and macaroni and cheese. There is a wide
variety of cheeses that are also highly suggested to be paired with this wine
due to it’s velvety character, such as cheddar, fontina, gouda, jarlsberg, and
swiss.
Sources:
http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/jrs03408.html
Drink Now!
http://www.frenchwinesfood.com/AolAuRaisin/Cepages.aspx
http://wine-tasting-reviews.com/wine-types-varieties-grapes/red-wine-types/52-grenache-wine-flavor-aroma-characteristics.html
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