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The house grapes · red

Grenache: the Spanish grape that reigns in southern France

Grenache is a red grape with ripe red fruit, a touch of pepper and generous alcohol. In Spain, where it was born, it's called Garnacha; in Sardinia, Cannonau. It's the most planted grape in the Rhône Valley appellations, it's one of the trio behind Provence rosés and it's the G in the famous Australian GSM. If you've ever had a red from the south of France, chances are it was in the bottle.

Where it comes from

Grenache is Spanish. In VIVC, the international grape catalog, its main name is Garnacha Tinta, with Spain as its country of origin. The OIV, the world organization of vine and wine, calls it an old red grape from Spain that probably reached France in the Middle Ages. In 2015, Spain and France together had 87% of all the Grenache planted in the world.

In Aragon, in northeastern Spain, the regional government treats Garnacha as a native grape. It's the majority in the Campo de Borja denomination, which calls itself the Empire of Garnacha, and it's the base of Calatayud Superior, which requires at least 85% Garnacha from vines more than 50 years old. The rules of Cariñena, right next door, still keep the account of an 1809 traveler praising a wine known by the name of garnacha.

What it's like in the glass

Red fruit up front. Rioja's Regulatory Council describes great intensity of red fruit and prunes, a touch of violet and pepper; in a young wine, freshly ground pepper with raspberry and blackberry. The grape builds up a lot of sugar, and sugar turns into alcohol: that's why a Grenache red is usually warm and round. In Campo de Borja, the government of Aragon even speaks of a sense of sweetness at the end of the sip.

Climate changes its style. According to Rioja, the warm areas give its typical red; the cooler ones, a balanced wine, great for rosé. In Provence, the Côtes de Provence appellation rules say Grenache brings alcohol and roundness to the blend. That's why it lives in a blend, the mix of several grapes in the same wine: the OIV notes that it's usually combined with others to reach balance.

What it pairs with

The red fruit and the warmth of the alcohol call for well-seasoned food. It goes well with grilled linguiça sausage, pork ribs, roast chicken with paprika, lamb, calabresa sausage pizza and a good pot roast with potatoes. Grenache rosé goes with garlic shrimp, summer salad, pastel de feira (a street-market fried pastry) and Middle Eastern food. And the natural sweet wines of Roussillon, made from it, pair with chocolate cake, brigadeiro (a Brazilian chocolate fudge ball) and blue cheese. All suggestions: liked another pairing? Go with that one.

Where it shines today

In France, it was the third most planted grape in 2015, with 81,000 hectares by the OIV's count. Its home is the southern Rhône: in the Rhône Valley appellations there were 35,671 hectares of Grenache in 2023, more than any other grape, according to Inter Rhône. In Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the rules authorize 18 grapes, but state in no uncertain terms that Grenache is the dominant grape of the vineyard.

In Spain, there were 62,000 hectares in 2015, according to the OIV. In Priorat, in Catalonia, it and Cariñena are the two red grapes recommended by the denomination. There the vines climb steep slopes and struggle with the soil and the climate: on average, they give less than a kilo of grapes per vine. In Sardinia, under the name Cannonau, it covers about 30% of the island's vineyards, some 7,500 hectares, and the Cannonau di Sardegna denomination requires at least 85% of it.

In Australia, Grenache teams up with Shiraz and Mataro (Mourvèdre) in the blend known as GSM, which Wine Australia names as the country's most exported Grenache wine. In the Barossa, it also goes solo, with ripe raspberry and pepper. In South Africa, WOSA, which represents the country's wines, highlights a grape that stands up to drought, wind and sun.

Its other names

VIVC records 154 synonyms. The ones that show up on labels: Garnacha or Garnacha Tinta in Spain, Garnatxa in Catalonia, Grenache or Grenache Noir in France, Cannonau in Sardinia, and Lladoner, a name the OIV records in Spain. The list also includes Alicante. Just don't confuse it with Alicante Bouschet, a red-fleshed grape that the OIV counts as a separate variety, with its own acreage in Spain.

A doctor, a still and the wine that stops halfway

In Roussillon, right up against the Pyrenees, Grenache becomes a natural sweet wine. The Rivesaltes appellation rules credit the technique to Arnau de Vilanova, a doctor who lived from 1238 to 1311 and brought distillation to wine: halfway through fermentation, neutral grape spirit goes in, the yeast stops working and the fruit's sugar stays in the glass. It's called mutage, the same principle as Port wine.

Today the Rivesaltes rules require adding grape spirit of at least 96%, at 5% to 10% of the volume of the must. The grenat version is made only from Grenache Noir, usually with the mutage done while the skins are still in the tank, which gives a purple color and aromas of red fruit, dark fruit and spice. In neighboring Maury, the INAO also registers a grenat, with Grenache as the base grape.

Top rated with Grenache

Average rating from the people who drank it (X-Wines), from 1 to 5. Tap to see the wine's page.

• Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-PapeFrance · red · Grenacherating ★ 4.8
• Álvaro Palacios L'Ermita Velles Vinyes PrioratSpain · red · Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignonrating ★ 4.8
• Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des CélestinsFrance · red · Grenacherating ★ 4.7
• Alto Moncayo Aquilon GarnachaSpain · red · Grenacherating ★ 4.7
• Pegau Cuvée Da Capo Châteauneuf-du-PapeFrance · red · Grenacherating ★ 4.7
• Waterford Estate The JemSouth Africa · red · Grenache, Barberarating ★ 4.7
• Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pignan RougeFrance · red · Grenacherating ★ 4.6
• Gérard Bertrand Clos d'OraFrance · red · Grenache, Syrah/Shirazrating ★ 4.6

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