Grenache

As Jon Bonné aptly noted, “California never had a mental map for Grenache - the hoary Winkler scale that guided Cabernet to Napa and (perhaps wrongly) Syrah to even warmer spots barely acknowledged other Rhône-native grapes.” He could not have been more right. All initial efforts were earmarked to the hot and dry Central Valley—good for volume and grape sugars but not so great for wine quality. Over time, it has been increasingly embraced that one needs to take one’s foot off the accelerator—just a little. In other words, the finest expressions don't so much come from hot locations, while one does need warmth with this grape, as from slightly cooler microclimates in generally warmer places. 

Spoiler alert: when most of us use the term Grenache or Garnacha, we usually have Grenache Noir/Garnacha Tinta in mind -- the black version of the grape. But as mentioned earlier, there are also white, pink and grey mutations of the variety and even a mutation with distinctive furry undersides to the leaves. That is because Garnacha is an ancient variety and has undergone many mutations, some of which are stable. The main mutations have resulted in: Garnacha Blanca (white), Garnacha Roja ("red" in Spanish, though the grape is pinky-grey),  and Garnacha Peluda (the downy-leafed example). 

These translate to Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris and Lledoner Pelut in French. However, scientists tell us that all, including classic Garnacha Tinta, have the same DNA profile. There you go. But for our discussion and from the point of view of hectares planted, Garnacha Tinta/Grenache Noir is by far the most important, making up 94% of global plantings.

Working The Land:

Does soil influence the flavor of the final wine?

Traditionalists answer unequivocally “Yes!” Soil is a key element of terroir, the natural environment in which the vines grow, along with climate (temperature, rainfall), topography (altitude, drainage, slope, aspect) and sunlight.

A more unorthodox view holds that the influence of soil on what you taste in the glass is a myth. Maynard Amerine and Ann Noble, two famous names at UC Davis, California’s premier wine school and wine research facility, did a study on the topic. Though the study is based on Chardonnay grapes, they concluded that the following holds true for all wine grapes: “no outstanding sensory differences were observed in wines produced from different soil type locations.” The key word is “sensory” (sight, smell, taste). They are not saying that the soil doesn’t affect vine behavior (yield, growth cycle, etc.). 

The subject is most certainly up for further debate. That said, here is a brief review of how Grenache, according to the classic view, expresses itself in the glass based on the type of soil in which it is grown.

Most producers agree on the necessary levels of ripeness demanded from Grenache when searching for phenolically ripe grapes. Wines made from ripe Grenache are among some of the most sublime in the world. But when Grenache lacks ripeness, the red wines are not that interesting and the fruit better suited to rosé. Although a few very good pure-play 100% Grenaches are made in the Golden State, Grenache is more often used  as a role player in many Rhône-style reds or proprietary label red blends.

Clonal section with Grenache is largely mandated by the style of wine grapes a specific vineyard area/region will produce. It is said there are over 360 clones of Grenache, which are delineated by such features as color (or lack thereof), tannin, sugar potential, etc.  But you would never know that by looking at the official UC Davis FPS offerings, which list just three: 01, 03, and 214, the first two being Spanish, the latter Portuguese. That said, some California wineries who have been underwhelmed by the lack of options, including pioneering Tablas Creek, have gone to great lengths to import, quarantine, and propagate their own selections from France’s southern Rhône and other spots. Further, the diversity of planting stock in California has increased dramatically as Grenache Noir ENTAV-INRA® 70, 136, 362, 513, and 515 selections have started to become commercially available.

Grenache vines have strong wood and an upright growth. This makes the variety well-suited for bush vines (“gobelet”) in hot, dry, windy vineyards, e.g., the Southern Rhône with its Mistral wind. Grenache is naturally drought-resistant, a condition that can be enhanced by planting it on drought-resistant rootstock, while its proclivity for hot, dry conditions makes it an attractive option for the realities of global warming. Lastly, tannin levels in the skins and in the final wine depend on the ratio of water stress – higher stress equating to more tannins.