GRENACHE: A JEWEL HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT
ANDREA PRITZKER MW
Grenache. From wine bars to fine-dining establishments, it seems grenache is the ‘in’ red. So, what’s fuelling this new-found love of grenache amongst Australian wine drinkers? Part of the answer lies in the new wave of grenaches that are perfumed, translucent, and light on their feet, neatly aligning with the global trend towards lighter, fresher reds. The other part lies in a wholesale change in perspective in Australia of what grenache is as a wine, and what it is capable of, both in the vineyard and the winery. Nowhere is this more apparent than in McLaren Vale. With all the buzz surrounding grenache, it’s important to note that the variety currently represents just 0.8% of the total grape crush in Australia. Even in McLaren Vale, where it’s highly prized, it represents just 6% of the total crush. How can this be? After all, grenache was Australia’s most important variety up until the 1960s. To understand this, it’s important to take a brief look back at history. Grenache may be experiencing a renaissance in Australia, but for the better part of the past 50-plus years, it has been a victim of vinous discrimination. Cuttings of grenache first arrived in South Australia in the 1830s. It thrived in the state’s warm, dry climate and quickly became popular among the early settlers for its ability to attain high sugar levels whilst also cropping at high volumes. It was a key variety in the first two waves of Australian wine exports, first as part of the robust high-alcohol GSM blends that could withstand the long journey to the UK, and then later, in the early 20th century as an important variety for fortified wine production. The UK’s huge thirst for fortified wine ensured that grenache was the most planted variety in McLaren Vale well into the 1960s. With the table wine boom of the late 1960s, however, grenache’s fortunes began to free-fall. Considered almost a weed by many in the
McLaren Vale
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