Grower's Corner
All About Grenache
by Ron Mansfield

 

 

Grenache.  From the vineyard to the bottle, the first vintage is here. 

Grenache, also known as Grenache Noir to distinguish it from its white counterpart Grenache Blanc, is the most widely planted variety in the southern Rhone Valley in France.  It is most often blended (with Syrah and Mourvedre in France and Australia, and with Tempranillo in Spain), but reaches its peak in the wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape.  The red wines of Chateauneuf may contain 35% to nearly 100% Grenache. 

Grenache appears to have originated in Spain, most likely in the northern province of Aragon.  From Aragon, it spread throughout the vineyards of Spain and much of the Mediterranean area.  By the early 18th century, the varietal had expanded into southern France.  Grenache was brought to California in the 1860’s, where its erect carriage, vigor and resistance to drought made it a popular planting choice.  It came to occupy second place in vineyard planting after Carignane and was an element in wine producers’ branded field blends. 

Our Grenache vines were planted in 2002.  The budwood for these vines was originally from two French sources, Chateau de Beaucastel and Chateau Rayas.  Grenache is a vigorous variety with upright shoots that lends itself to “head pruning”; it is widely cultivated in this manner in France and Spain.  At David Girard Vineyards we have structured the vines to be similar in form to a small tree, a central trunk with 7 to 9 fruiting spurs radiating from the upper 2/3rds of the trunk.  The varietals’ vigor gives it the potential to be a heavy producer.  Despite our spring and summer shoot thinning, we usually need to thin fruit to limit our crop to 14 to 18 clusters per vine.  This means we harvest 3 to 3.5 tons of fruit per acre of vines.

Grenache produces wines with good concentrations of fruit, tannins and acids.  At Girard Vineyards, our sandy hillside plantings produce a ruby red wine with smooth, ripe tannins.  This wine expresses uniquely floral aromas of strawberry and cherry.  Our Grenache has a flavor profile that ranges from bright strawberry, to currant, and to dark cherry.  Grenache is a very challenging grape to grow well.  We hope you enjoy the results of our efforts in the vineyard.