A warm-climate red grape that makes juicy, perfumed wines, and the 'G' in Australia's GSM blends.
History
Grenache most likely originated in Spain, where it is called Garnacha, and spread around the Mediterranean as part of the Kingdom of Aragón; Sardinia knows it as Cannonau. It is the main grape of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and much of the southern Rhône, and is also used for rosé and fortified wines.
Tolerant of heat and drought, it was one of the world's most planted grapes for much of the 20th century.
Grenache in Australia
Grenache arrived in the early 1800s and was Australia's most planted red grape for decades, largely for fortified wine. When fortified wine fell out of fashion, many vineyards were pulled out in the 1980s vine-pull scheme.
Old bush vines that survived in McLaren Vale, the Barossa and the Clare Valley now make some of Australia's most celebrated reds, and a wave of lighter, fresher Grenache since the 2010s has brought it back into fashion, both on its own and in Grenache-Shiraz-Mataro blends.
Tasting notes
Medium-bodied and often quite high in alcohol, with soft to moderate tannins. Expect raspberry, strawberry, red cherry and plum, with white pepper, Asian spice, dried herbs (garrigue) and sometimes a musky or confectionery note. Old-vine wines add depth and a savoury, earthy edge.