Goodbye summer and cheers to you, fall! As much as I enjoy all-things-summer, there’s something about this changing season with its chill in the air that prompts me to wear my favorite boots, whip up comfort food (think homemade soup), relax by the firepit with a cozy blanket, and… sip a glass of wine! Ah, but which wine am I pouring? In cool weather, I love a glass of Grenache Noir whether it is a rose, in a blend, or as a single varietal. (For the record, Grenache Blanc is a go-to choice no matter the season.) There are so many options, but I do have a few favorites (of course).
It’s time to pour a glass of your favorite Grenache or choose from my suggestions below while you enjoy Grape Experiences Autumn Happy Hour Playlist on Spotify.
Grenache is found in many countries around the world. In Spain, it is an important grape in Rioja as well as Priorat where it produces amazingly powerful wines. The Southern Rhone in France, California, and South Australia cultivate Grenache and beautifully blended wines, including Chateauneuf-du-Pape, embrace this grape as a crucial element. The grape is thin skinned and produces wines with high alcohol, soft tannins, and a full body. Red fruit flavors such as strawberry and raspberry along with white pepper lead to more developed tastes such as leather and coffee as the wine ages. Grenache is also a blend in delicious rose wines and lends a luscious red fruit taste and mouthfeel to the wine. As for the white grape, Grenache Blanc? Its peachy taste, full body, and moderate acidity make it a lovely grape for blending and for a single varietal beauty.
A Few Grenache Wines to Try Now
A few weeks ago, I attended the grand opening of the Ridge Vineyards tasting room in Paso Robles, California followed by dinner at Primal House located a few steps away. With our first course of seared buche de chevre with honey vinaigrette and local greens, pours of luscious Ridge 2023 Grenache Blanc 2023 ($38) were offered. A blend of grapes from three Paso Robles vineyards, Adelaida, Halter Ranch, and Dusi’s Fossil Creek, created a wine bursting with bright acidity, citrus and stone fruit aromas and flavors ending with a refreshing minerality and a touch of spice. This was a brilliant counterpoint to the texture and flavors of the dish.
Earlier this year, I stopped by Copia Vineyards in Paso Robles where I tasted a few wines with Varinder Sahi, winemaker and co-owner, along with his wife, co-owner Anita Sahi. After our tasting, he surprised me with a pour of another stellar wine, 2024 Jhoom ($45), their first chillable red offering of 100% Grenache produced using carbonic maceration. On the nose, I found aromas of rose petals, bright red cherries, and hint of savory herbs. Flavors on the palate offered more red fruit such as juicy strawberries and raspberries, a French garden of herbs, spice and floral notes, and a lingering finish all wrapped up with lip-smacking acidity and round tannic structure. Honestly, the well priced wine was relaxing to drink and offered joy with each sip.
Exposing the elegant side of volcanic terroir is Hamel Family Wines 2023 Estate Grenache ($80). The blend of 84% Grenache, 8% Mourvedre, 8% Zinfandel is from Nuns Canyon Vineyard, Hamel Family Ranch (soils are of Rhyolitic colluvium, and fractured basalt), and Rattlesnake Ridge. Whole cluster fermentation was in stainless steel tanks and neutral oak then aged in concrete eggs. Charming and ethereal, I noted savory herbs, lovely red fruit such as strawberries and raspberries, and florals lifted with bright acidity and soft tannins. Balanced with a lingering finish, the wine can certainly age.
If you haven’t tried wines from Saracina in Mendocino County, California, consider this your reminder to do so. Saracina Rosé of Grenache 2024 ($19.99) is an exceptional wine with Grenache grapes grown on an estate with sustainably farmed vineyards, vegetable gardens, olive groves, beehives and plenty of birds and wildlife. I appreciated each sip with its pure red berry aromas and flavors, breezy minerality, snappy acidity and lively finish.
Cheers to Autumn! ~ Cindy
