Why wine lovers should give grenache a fair go

The grenache grape - sometimes called garnacha, or grenache noir - can be found all lover the world of wine, but flourishes in warm, dry conditions.

Every year on the third Friday in September, International Grenache Day aims to create awareness of one of the most widely planted grape varieties.

In Australia, grenache naturally thrives in regions like the Barossa and McLaren Vale, and was once the backbone of the fortified wine industry.

It stars in southern France, in Spain, where the grape is believed to have originated, in Sardinia, and in warmer regions of California.

Often red fruited and best when made with moderate alcohol levels, grenache can be made in a range of styles, as was evident at a recent Hill Smith Family  Estates tasting of several of that producer's grenache wines.

The growing of grenache in Australia dates back to 1832, when it was one of the original varieties brought into the country by industry pioneer James Busby.

It was hugely popular in Australia from the 1920s to the late 1960s, when the bulk of wine production was of the fortified wines that used to dominate the industry.

Now just over 1% of all vines in Australia are grenache, with many having been pulled out in the 1980s.

Many of those that survived are untrellised bush vines (below) and the variety is now enjoying increased popularity and renewed enthusiasm.

Hill Smith Family Estates and Yalumba senior winemaker Sam Wigan says the grenache grape is among the most versatile.and has a log history in South Australia, with plantings in McLaren Vale in the late 1830s and the Barossa in the early 1840s.

"Grenache continues to thrive today, producing vibrant and aromatic wines which are ideal with food," Wigan says.

"Grenache is so nimble and versatile and can even be served chilled on warmer days. These days winemaking can play an even bigger role than where the grapes were grown."

The wines we tasted were:

Yalumba The Tri-Centenary Grenache 2021 $65

Yalumba Vine Vale Grenache 2022 $40

Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache 2021 $28

Running with Bulls Barossa Garnacha 2021 $25

Rogers & Rufus Grenache Rosé 2022 $27

While the appeal of the bigger wines was obvious, my preference was for the pale, dry delicate and fresh appeal of the rosé, and the bright, vibrancy and food friendliness of the Spanish-style Running with Bulls and the lighter-framed Bush Vine example.

The bigger, gruntier Vine Vale wine needs to be matched with red meat dishes to be seen at its best, while the deeper, darker Tri-Centenary was a bold wine that mellowed after being open for 24 hours. Some of the grapes in this wine come from bush vines that are over 130 years old.

For anyone who hasn't tried the variety for a while, buy a bottle of Friday and give grenache a go. 

It remains a relatively affordable treat. 

The secrets of grenache with panache

Grenache is perhaps Australia's most under-rated wine grape variety.

It is such a pity that a juicy, fruity, delicious grape is ignored by many consumers, perhaps because they are not sure what to expect stylistically.

This Friday, September 16, is International Grenache Day and the perfect excuse to get your laughing gear around some grenache with panache.

Yalumba, who produce several fine examples of grenache, combined with Andrew Hardy and his Ox Hardy label for a recent media tasting to showcase the variety and I've also tasted some excellent recent examples from producers including Willunga 500 and Oliver's Taranga.



Other leading producers include Chalk Hill, Chapel Hill, Yangarra Estate, d’Arenberg, Varney Wines and SC Pannell.

In Australia, particularly, grenache seems to be at its best in warmer climes like the Barossa and McLaren Vale.

It is dominant variety in many Southern Rhone wines, particularly in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Grenache, also known as garnacha in Spain, used to be the backbone of many of Australia's best fortified wines; back in the day when we had wines labelled as sherries, ports and tokays.

It is one of the most widely planted red wine varieties in the world but it needs careful work in the vineyard to make sure it is not too high-yielding, given its tendency to become overblown.

Grenache was one of the first varieties planted in South Australia, with plantings in McLaren Vale in the late 1830s and the Barossa in the early 1840s

Here, it is most often seen in GSM blends with shiraz and mourvedre (mataro), but many of the vines have been pulled out. Those that remain are often old and produce intense fruit. Handled correctly, the vines produce wines that are vibrant, aromatic and food friendly.

Yalumba senior winemaker Kevin Glastonbury, and Ox Hardy Wines boss Andrew Hardy agree that grenache is currently riding the success wave of the “the Pinot Noir revolution” with many drinkers looking for red wines of substance that are not too big, or oaky.

One of the keys to "new generation" grenache is picking the fruit before it goes to full ripeness, going for “red fruit rather than towards the black fruit spectrum,” Glastonbury says. "If you lose the fresh acid in grenache, then you lose the magic, because acid is the key.

"There is no doubt that grenache's time has come, particularly when it is made as a more elegant style of wine that is so friendly and drinkable."

Hardy agrees, hailing "lighter, fresher, aromatic and lifted" styles.

Wines tasted were the Yalumba Tri-Centenary Grenache 2019 ($65), Yalumba Vine Vale Grenache 2021 ($40), and two brilliant "value" offerings in Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache 2020 ($28) and Ox Hardy McLaren Vale Grenache 2021 ($38).

Willunga 100 winemaker Skye Salter - who makes outstanding individual vineyard examples from the Trott and Smart vineyards in McLaren Vale - says grenache is "undervalued and underutilised as a stand-alone variety in Australia", adding it is "a variety that never ceases to give me joy."

The Willunga 100 wines are made in tiny quantities and the 2021 wines retail for $55 with the Trott the more elegant style and the Smart a tad more assertive. 

Meanwhile, McLaren Vale’s inaugural Grenache & Gourmet kicks off this month.

The two week-long celebration of the region’s world-class grenache and grenache-blends launches on International Grenache Day and runs through to the Labour Day Long Weekend (1-3 October) with experiences at several wineries and restaurants.

See www.grenacheandgourmet.com.au for details.