About Grenache & Grenache blends
Grenache is grown around the world and it is mostly known as a blending partner with other grape varieties. However, when it is made into a varietal wine on it's own, Grenache can produce a richly flavoured red wine that shows an abundance of red berries and delicious peppery spices. Some of the finest wines from Chateauneuf du Pape, in the Southern Rhone, are made from 100% Grenache. Other great wines from this region are made from Grenache blended with Syrah and Mourvedre. These iconic wines are also full-bodied, rich and textural with a concentration of spicy red fruit aromas and flavours. In Spain, Grenache is known as Garnacha and it is used in blends with Tempranillo, from regions such as Priorat and Rioja. Outside of Europe, some of the world's highest quality Grenache wines are made in the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale, as well as other Australian regions. Made from old bush vines, these wines are known for their impressive concentration of ripe fruit flavours and their overall approachability. Being a late ripening grape, Grenache needs to be planted in warm or hot climates.
About Rhone wines & Rhone style blends
The Rhone Valley is one of France's most spectacular wine regions. Set on the banks of the River Rhone, this incredible wine region features The Northern Rhone and The Southern Rhone. In the The Northern Rhone, the only permitted red wine grape is Syrah (Shiraz), whereas The Southern Rhone is mostly known for producing Grenache, with Shiraz and Mourvedre playing a supporting role. Syrah from the Northern Rhone is deeply coloured with high levels of tannin and ripe aromas and flavours of blackberry, blackcurrant and black pepper. Grenache from the Southern Rhone can be full-bodied, quite ripe and show spiced red fruit flavours such as cranberry and red plum. It also blends beautifully with Syrah and Mourvedre. Both regions also make beautiful white wines such as Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne, as well as dry Rosé. However, the red wines from the Rhone Valley are distinctively powerful and they underpin the reputation of the Rhone Valley, around the world. So too, are the Rhone style red wines that produced in Australia, in regions such as The Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. The Rhone Valley has been a significant source of inspiration to Australian winemakers, who are also known around the world for making powerful Shiraz, Grenache or Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre (GSM) blends.
About Southern Rhone
The Southern Rhone is a very significant wine region in France, second only to Bordeaux, in terms of the quality and the volume of the wine it produces. Most of the Southern Rhone wines are complex blends that involve Grenache whereas the Northern Rhone wines feature Shiraz blends more predominantly. The Cotes du Rhone is a large wine growing appellation that sits within the Southern Rhone wine region. This is where the 'entry level' AOC wines (Appellation d'Origine Controlee), of the region are made, providing delightful and approachable red wines that are sold around the world. The climate in the Southern Rhone is classified as moderate to warm 'Mediterranean' due to the warmer winters and long, dry Summers. Grenache is the main red grape variety, comprising 2/3 of production in the Southern Rhone mostly because it is so hardy and it can withstand the drier conditions. In general, Grenache displays spiced red fruit such as raspberry, cherry, clove, white pepper and cardamom. The more sophisticated wines, from Chateauneuf du Pape, show aromas and flavours of licorice, leather, earth and garrigue. Historically, the region was also known for the number of Popes who were 'seated' in the region, hence the term 'Pape' in Chateauneuf du Pape.
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