The word Grenache means Grapes in French. As the word suggests the Grenache wine is made from the red grapes. This wine is widely spread in France, Spain, Australia, and even United States. The professional wine tasters call it the wine for people with acquired taste. However, it’s wide spread popularity and many types tells a different story. The wine is made with the brewing process originated in the village farms of Italy hundreds of years ago. In Spain the Grenache Wine is more locally called Grenache. There are some other places where this wine has other names like Cannonau etc.
The Wines of the West
According to the earliest brewing recipes and records the Grenache wine recipe hails from the regions of Sardinia Islands which is a remote area in the country of Italy. This 14th century ancient recipe was taken to France after some wars, invasions, and conquest. Today, France is one of the most dominant consumers of Grenache wine in the world. In the regions of Spain the Grenache wine second most popular wine. In France some of the finer varieties of this wine are aged and fermented for a long time. There are types like rose, tavel, and lirac which are most commonly found fine wine collection in the red wine libraries.
It is believed that Grenache is one of the most dominantly produced and distributed type of wine. The reason being its versatile flavour and it’s easy to managed winery process. The recipe for making the Grenache wine is fairly flexible and leaves a lot of room for innovation and experimentation. During the 80s and 90s the wine was under danger of extinction due to various reasons. However, after surviving a tough battle the wine finally made it safely to the 21st century. Today, this wine has been spread to the new regions like China, Mexico, and Israel. All of these countries are a big consumer of this wine and do a bulk annual trade of it every year.
One important thing to note about this wine is that it can be pretty high in alcohol contents. Therefore, in wine bars and pubs it is served in moderation and under supervision. The original Grenache vine is resistant to windy farmlands and even to drought. This quality makes it ideal for cultivation even in places like USA and Australia. The ideal growing condition for Grenache wine is the hot and dry weather which is again a good sign for these western countries. The Grenache wine is dominantly a dry type of wine and it is served with hearty meals and main courses. Most people pair this wine with the serving of grilled meat based dishes such as roasted squab, spicy meatballs made from lamb, and traditional potato-beef stew.