"Working by Hand" (Winemaking)
Winemaking: Grenache Blanc At-A-Glance
- Most common styles
- Still. Sweet wine usage is in blends and quite rare
- Winemaker choices and options
- For dry wines, virtually all winemakers keep intervention to a minimum, preferring resulting wines to be all about purity of the fruit
- Aging
- Stainless steel, concrete, large oak (vats, foudres), small oak (combination of newer and older)
- Aging potential (yes/no). If “yes,” give range
- 2-5 years, pedigree-dependent; the best can live even longer
- Presented solo or frequently blended with
- Both, but most often in white blends with Viognier, Roussanne, and Marsanne. Single variety wines are more common in California and a couple of other New World locations.
For extended reading on Grenache Blanc, check out “What is Grenache Blanc Wine? All You Need to Know” by Wine Pros and Tablas Creek’s guide to Grenache Blanc.
Blending with other grapes:
- What it does: When classically mixed with its historic cousins, Roussanne and Viognier, Grenache Blanc is chiefly responsible for richness, texture, and a touch of added complexity.
- Comment: When Grenache Blanc plays a leading role, as in white wine blends of Languedoc-Roussillon and Southern Rhône, its contributions are subtle and mostly textural, adding volume. There are great examples made of Grenache Blanc in white Rhône style blends. Noteworthy stand-alone varietal examples can be found in New World spots, including California (Tablas Creek and Ridge).