GRENACHE / GARNACHA Grape: The Wine World's Next Big Thing!

Grenache A.K.A. Garnacha is widely planted, yet little known gem among wine grapes. It is very much loved grape variety by wine professionals and sommeliers, and with Grenache's versatility and ability to withstand high temperatures and drought events, I believe it will only gain further popularity among winemakers in the near future.
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**CONTENTS OF THIS VIDEO:
0:00 Introduction
1:02 What does Grenache taste like?
1:52 Garnacha Styles
4:43 Winemaking
5:57 Where is Grenache grown?
7:26 Garnacha & food
8:12 Notable producers
#wineeducation #grenache #wine
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[@donharrold1375]

Garnacha - the back bone of Rioja. The most gorgeous red wine of all time!

[@NoSediment]

I think it is truly underrated grape variety!

[@welshtoro3256]

A well deserved recognition of Garnacha/Grenache. I think it's a wonderful grape for all the reasons you suggest and I've been witnessing it's development in Spain over many years. It's actually grown in fourteen of Spain's autonomous regions and extends into the dry interior of La Mancha and Madrid too. Indeed, 80% of the vines grown in the little known Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) region of Mentrida are Garnacha. Spain's relentless desertification make it an ideal variety in the face of drought events. Sadly, I have to report that the drought and unseasonable heat has been so bad recently that many vines might have perished.

[@NoSediment]

Thank You for the comment. It is indeed a great grape variety, however even it has its own limitations. And it is sad to read that it also dies in the pressure of increasing heat waves. 🙏🏻😢

[@TheAricko]

Back in 1998 I formed a wine club which is still going strong in 2023, and all of us are now the best of friends. How does Garnacha relate to this? I was the first in 1998 to present 6 wines. Among them was a wine of pure Garnacha (I think it was pure) and a wonderful Penfolds Grange. Our takeaway was the Garnacha was the loser that night (in a huge way). It seemed to literally negate flavor… it was the most peculiar wine that our club has ever opened… still to this day. The Grange was outstanding as you would expect! I hesitated to try any Grenache for several years, but since have bought many nice blends including Châteauneuf-du-Pape. You gave a nice presentation of the grape!

[@NoSediment]

Thank You for the comment and sorry for such a late reply. I do agree that Grenache might not be the grape that You fall in love with the first sip. But with wine knowledge also evolves our taste preferences, and I believe Grenache is great grape and definitely deserves to have more attention!

[@RenzoTentoni]

Wonderful in Roussillon are Mas Amiel and Château L'Ou.

[@MrFlorinC]

Some of my favorite wines come from Priorat and are garnacha based. However the prices there have exploded in the last decade. For those looking for the same style, but for more affordable prices, just move a little bit outside of Priorat... Namely Monsant DO ( which actually surrounds Priorat ) makes some excellent granacha wines for far more average consumer friendly prices. Highly recommend...

[@NoSediment]

Great tip, thank You for that! I agree, Priorat has become an expensive wine region as it has relatively limited production and overall high quality meant people were investing more in these wines. 🍷

[@duncanhenderson005]

I love Priorat wines (fantastic example of Grenache done right in my view). Thanks for the tip on Monstant DO, I wasn't aware 👍

[@BriansSpainDomain]

Agree 100%

[@maravedi09]

Try Campo de Borja wines

[@BriansSpainDomain]

Campo de Borja and Calatayud regions in Spain are making excellent garnachas from old vines and are worthy of mention. Thanks for the video.

[@NoSediment]

Thank You for additions to the list! Completely agree With You! 🥰

[@nghiale5410]

Thanks!

[@NoSediment]

😮😮😮😮 Wow, thank You! 🙏🏻

[@judistench2167]

Sol Rouge from California produces an exquisite Grenache for around $60 US. LOVE your Channel!!! ❤❤❤

[@NoSediment]

Thank You for sharing Your find. 🙏🏻 this is why I love wine community so much, we always want to share all the great wines with others. 🍷

[@judistench2167]

@@NoSediment My pleasure - I LOVE Grenache Noir AND Grenache Blanc and am always on the look-out for superior quality single varietal wines made from these grapes.

[@tombouin4185]

Thank you for this very well articulated video! ⚓

[@NoSediment]

Thank You for Your support! 🙏🏻

[@paulwhitehead1190]

Great video ❤

[@NoSediment]

Thank You! 🙏🏻

[@shaunashton9744]

Recently I have been finding some small producers in Australia making great Grenache, as you said, we have some of the oldest vineyards. I wish that we would do more though as I think our climate suits this style, especially Great Western where I am from.

[@h10horseinfo]

There are some fine examples from WA in the Swan River area, also from SA in particular Clare Valley and McClaren Vale.

[@shaunashton9744]

@@h10horseinfo I hit the McLaren Vale this last January and was really happy

[@NoSediment]

Hopefully soon I will be able to taste some of those smaller artisan producers from Australia. Unfortunately usually only the big companies get exported. But have come to understand that in Australia old vines are respected and winemakers are going through great lengths to preserve them. 🙏🏻🍷

[@shaunashton9744]

@NoSediment good luck with your journey. I wish Europe and the USA would recognise that we are more than just the corporate conglomerates, but please don't ignore some of our older producers such as Tahbilk and Bests, etc even Seppelts will reward with some interesting wines.

[@duncanhenderson005]

Agree 👍

[@dognatious6153]

Whew!!! This beautiful genius pumped alot of amazing information in this video. 😢😅❤😮 At 9:00 the sardenia island/cannonau thing lost me. So i looked it up on City Vino for people: "The island of Sardinia, off the west coast of Italy, produces a red wine called "Cannonau." There is some debate over the exact nature and origin of Cannonau, especially among Sardinians, but it is generally accepted in the wine world that Cannonau is the same grape as Grenache.

[@NoSediment]

Indeed it has been already proven by dna testing. 🍷 Cheers!

[@-itkindaworks-]

Wow, again simple a great episode

[@NoSediment]

🤗🤗🤗🤗 You are so sweet! Thank You! 🙏🏻

[@-itkindaworks-]

@@NoSediment No, you are so sweet

[@-itkindaworks-]

Is your favourite spain or france - in grenache/garnache?

[@carlcadregari7768]

Nice grape Grenache……had an old vine one from Yalumba that we had with sushi rolls that really worked! Very versatile. Thank you for a great review.

[@NoSediment]

Wow, I would have never thought to match it with sushi! Thank You! 🙏🏻 Indeed it is a very versatile grape! 🍷

[@panaceiasuberes6464]

Very interesting but not just garnacha. With climate warming on its way even the most snobs of them all, the ones at the Union of Bordeaux AOC and Bordeaux Supérieur came to vote unanimously on approving a list of seven varietal that are since 2019 approved for adapting to climate change: Arinarnoa, Castets, Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Alvarinho, Liliorila and Petit Manseng. If that's not the canary in the mine, don't know what is it then. Alvarinho, funny enough, it on its way out of the Vinhos Verdes region in Portugal, moving north with every single year, on its way to meet the Cantabrian Sea.

[@NoSediment]

Yes, indeed. This was a very interesting and widely discussed topic for a while. While I applaud for taking an action, I think there are many more ways to tackle climate change that not necessarily involves changing authorised grape varieties. 🤔 Also, these will be allowed only small % of the blend and also only in Bordeaux AOC. 😅

[@Natashaz48]

I love Grenache ❤ it's so versatile!

[@NoSediment]

Yes, indeed it is. And I want to explore it more. 🤞🤞🤞

[@JorgexHernandez]

i would argue that Campo de Borja D.O. and Calatayud D.O. are two of the most important Garnacha regions in Spain.

[@NoSediment]

Thank You for this addition! 🍷

[@JorgexHernandez]

@@NoSediment You're welcome!

[@narrowistheway77]

One question, is any Garnacha/Grenache the 7th highest planted wine grape in the world? Because you said it was rare and little known and that was confusing 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@NoSediment]

I don’t think I said it is rare. But I definitely think it is little known, and yet widely planted. It is because it rarely appears on the labels, and often is a part of the blend. Thus somehow often overlooked and overshadowed, and yet such a great grape variety. It can be the case, that grapes are widely planted, būt🥲but little known, for example Airen, if I am not mistaken it is the second most planted white grape variety in the world, and yet majority of people haven’t even tasted it 🤷‍♀️

[@raysp8026]

another region to consider are the Swartlands in South Africa. Eben Sadie makes a number of very good wines. His "Columella" is exceptional. It is a blend of many varieties with Granacha as the base. I recently shared a bottle of the 2014 vintage with friends and immediately went out and bought another 2014 and 2020 vintage. Mullineux, I believe, also make a GSM blend from their Swartland vineyards and while not having tried this wine myself, it gets highly rated. As a comparison, when drinking the Columella with our friends, our second bottle was a Troplong Mondot - very different styles but everyone favored the Columella. Give it a try if you get an opportunity. Cheers.

[@AnarchoKapital]

Swartland is really interesting!

[@NoSediment]

Yes, You are absolutely correct, I was considering mentioning it, but didn’t, even though day before I recorded that video I tasted some excellent examples. 😅 And anything from Sadie Family wines are worth trying! 🙌🙌🙌🍷 Cheers and thank You! 🥂

[@dognatious6153]

Who is rarely can find a South African wine in many cities in California. It's a shame because before all the chaos they were easier to get...and fantastic.

[@ray4sp]

@@dognatious6153 Southern Hemisphere wines is based in LA ( I believe ) and they carry a decent selection. Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa(?) also have some SA wines periodically. Currently have the Keermont Amphitheater 2015 ( first vintage ), a very nice Bordeaux blend - only vendor who I have found to carry that wine. Cheers.

[@ray4sp]

@@NoSediment 😃

[@greatprovider8198]

Excellent tutorial as always. Great job.

[@NoSediment]

Thank You! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@ericaqorhrh7480]

got to minute 4:14.....does she ever talk about the flavor profile?? or did I miss that in the first 4 minutes??

[@NoSediment]

I rarely will dive deep into specific flavour descriptors, it is for You to taste! I did however describe it in style part a little bit. The type of fruit, the spicy character, etc. Why I don’t go into a specific detail describing flavour? Because they are very versatile and also very subjective. If I will say it smells of Alpine violets, and You have never smelled them, it basically means nothing to You. This is why structural elements and type of fruit is more important for me.

[@ericaqorhrh7480]

@@NoSediment thanks for replying! I totally appreciate the history and the background info you provide. What's the time stamp frame for the style description? Would you describe this as a high tannin variety?

[@NoSediment]

@ericaqorhrh7480 no, me personally, I don’t think Grenache is a tannic grape variety. They provide some lovely structure to the wine, but are rarely the main features or focus in it. The same with acidity, which tends to be towards the medium or lower, at least for me.

[@ericaqorhrh7480]

@@NoSediment so like in between a heavy cab sav and merlot?

[@NoSediment]

@ericaqorhrh7480 tannin wise I would say lower than Merlot. But again, this is my perception of this grape. 😉

[@EmsThaBreaks441]

Torbrek yes but not Penfolds or the others you mentioned for Grenache 😊

[@NoSediment]

Well, okay. I have a feeling that large producers are not of liking, that is fine. Although GSM of Penfolds I do like quite a bit! 😉

[@EmsThaBreaks441]

@@NoSediment I have nothing against Bin 138 for Penfolds, or Johann's Garden I think for Henschke, all reasonable GSM blends, if you are paying slightly for the name. (I have never seen a single varietal from these producers - but I suppose you might have sampled a one off). And I realise if they say 100% Grenache, it means at least 85% with a little something of something to "improve" the profile. But if you are doing a Grenache video, the more purer examples are perhaps what is required, Les Amis from Torbrek perhaps better and better value than Chateau Rayas.

[@tradeprosper5002]

Grenache for those on a budget, San Gregorio Las Martas and J. Navascues Cutio are decent. Good GSMs and other blends are too many to list.

[@NoSediment]

Thank You for adding Your suggestions! Yes, there are many great producers of GSM! 🙌🙌🙌 Which is a good thing! 😀

[@drmatthewhorkey]

Beat me to the release punch! I have already shot a blind tasting video of Grenache from around the world. It's one of my favorite red grapes and in general, I really like varietal bottlings from Australia and California.

[@NoSediment]

I am sorry for that! 😂😅 And sorry for not replying, I was working like crazy past two months, and finally have a break! 🍾

[@costillero2189]

even wine trends are cyclic uh. Spanish garnacha wines are, compared to other grenache wines, very affordable,at least in Spain! Tres picos, els pics, dido la universal, camins del priorat... If only cdp wines were as affordable haha

[@NoSediment]

Yes, wine trends indeed are also cyclic. That is why I am happy to see increase in popularity of Garnacha wines in Rioja. There was a moment, when it became increasingly popular to make monovarietal Tempranillo there. And Tres Picos is a nice example! Thank You and cheers! 🥂🙌

[@VektrumSimulacrum]

(insert me hyper focusing on Agnese's R-rolling and attempting to copy it - but doing it badly here)

[@NoSediment]

Hard R is part of my language, we use it a lot. Therefore it comes easy to me’ 😂🤔

[@jacobweber4234]

Great video. I would like to add, on the more expensive side, Comando G from Sierra de Gredos, west of Madrid. Also Jeff Carrel makes Grenache Noir blends on north-facing slopes, in Roussillion.

[@NoSediment]

Thank You for adding Your suggestions, I haven’t tried these wines, but am sure to add them to my list! 🙌🙌🙌

[@AnarchoKapital]

Since you mentioned Sardinia: Cannonau di Sardegna is actually Grenache as well. Definitely worth trying!

[@NoSediment]

This is why I mentioned it! 😉😉😉

[@mikegarwood8680]

Ah, the wine of terrorists (CRAV!). Not that it is a bad thing...a wine that can bite back.

[@NoSediment]

I hope there is a typo and Grenache doesn’t have a legend to be wine of a true terrorists! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻😂😂 Cheers! 🍷

[@mikegarwood8680]

​@@NoSediment Nope. It's no typo. CRAV is a thing. Wine Terrorists (as opposed to Terroir) do exist. Quite an interesting lot. Mainly they come out of the woodwork when there's a wine glut in the Languedoc, depressing the prices. Then there are heated words which end with France having to "emergency" distill said glut into industrial alcohol. If not, well, they're terrorists, after all...expect mayhem. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comit%C3%A9_R%C3%A9gional_d%27Action_Viticole

[@robertomangioni9272]

not familar with grenache, but not particularly interested. thanks for sharing

[@NoSediment]

I hope You get a possibility to taste some good ones! 💪

[@dognatious6153]

Practically no one in the rustic hillbilly 🤠 USA uses the word "grenache noir". So don't get confused, folks. It's GRENACHE. A.k.a., garnacha in Spain, and yes sometimes grenache noir in France, and cannonau in Italy (sardenia). Simple.

[@NoSediment]

In every day talk, I also only say Grenache, but since I only wanted to talk about the dark skinned grape, I chose to address the color! 😉

[@dognatious6153]

@@NoSediment We were thinking that this could confuse beginners. So many potential wine drinkers are confused and discouraged by all of the vernacular. Love the studious eye glasses look. Keep up the good work you're blowing the door off of Madeline the genius (lol) and the other KZbin wine people. Miquel is good too. Very succinct.