Month: June 2025

Is Grenache, aka Grenache Noir, the next Pinot Noir?  That’s not as far-fetched as it may seem at first glance since the Grenache name has become highly visible with the growing popularity of Grenache Rose. But no, I don’t think there will be a follow up to “Sideways” with Miles dumping a bucket of Pinot and singing the praise of Grenache.

However, it has come a long way and Randall Grahm puts things in proper perspective when saying, “I never thought I’d see it but Grenache definitely seems to be having a moment.”

While Grenache is not about to replace Pinot Noir, I can’t count the times a recent conversation or comment about Grenache was somehow linked to Pinot Noir. Bill Easton of Terre Rouge Vineyards sees it as “sort of a warmer climate Pinot Noir. Delicate; less tannic; tends to be more complex when blended with a bit of Mourvèdre and Syrah” while Mike McCay of McCayCellars calls it “Lodi’s Pinot Noir.”

In El Dorado, Cedarville’s Jonathan Lachs told me “I introduce our Grenache as our middleweight wine, similar to a Pinot Noir, though equally regal, with less oak dependance and a tremendous sense of place.” 

I’ll return to a comment from Randall: “As someone far wittier than I once said, “Grenache is the grape that Pinot Noir drinkers are in fact looking for.”  My slight reformulation of that is:  “For my entire career I’ve been trying to make Burgundy in California.  It just took me a while to realize that the most successful “Burgundy” in California is not likely to be made from Pinot Noir.”

After several more winemakers emphasized the grape’s Pinot Noir like delicacy and sensitivity to site, that was enough for me to put on my deep diving gear and check out what’s going on with Grenache in California. 

A Little Background

The first step took me back to 1989 when the Rhone Rangers were making news and being the cover story of The Wine Spectator. That was also the year of Randall Grahm and Bonny Doon’s first vintage Grenache named “Clos de Gilroy.” There were only a few winemakers who viewed it positively and were aware of the importance of Grenache in Châteauneuf du Pape. The most  passionate voice was that of John Alban who admits today that “Grenache has been our unwavering obsession.”  From his first vintage onward, he says he  was “determined to figure out how to grow and produce a California Grenache that people might just respect.”  

He went on to clarify his position: “When I spoke of establishing respect for Grenache, it was breaking the paradigm and silly notion of noble varieties: nobility is in the wine, not in the variety.  I wanted to make a Grenache that people viewed as delicious and cellar worthy.”

Like many of his fellow Rangers, Alban knew Chateau Rayas was a rare Chateauneuf-du-Pape that was predominantly Grenache. Unlike them, he went to France and apprenticed in the cellars of Rayas. In a recent conversation, he explained what he and others were up against when he returned:  “The prevailing notion was that California Grenache was limp in color, texture, structure, and appeal. I have referred to these wines as ‘pinky dink picnic wines.’ These warm climate, deep soiled plantings pre-dated sincere efforts for a quality wine by many decades.” Starting out way back then, he adds, “you naturally have a consumer base that is imprinted with the perception and experience of Grenache as mass produced plonk.”

Unlike the other Rhone varieties, Grenache was not unknown. It just had a bad reputation. In the mid 1970s, there were 20,000 acres planted in California.  In 1990, there were still plenty planted, some 13,000 acres, but all but 1% was in the warm Central Valley. Overproduction was the main problem. Jason Hass of Tablas Creek recalls that when his dad, Robert Hass, was considering starting a winery in California, there was “a photo my dad sent me of him holding a Grenache cluster he’d found in the Central Valley. It was the size of a basketball and probably weighed 20 pounds!” 

Moving Inland

Today’s total acreage approaches 5,000 and the majority is in the Central Coast, not the hot Central Valley.The good news is that over half of the current acreage has been planted since 2000, and much of the newer vineyards were in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and  Paso Robles. On a smaller scale, but no less important, were new plantings of Grenache in the Amador and El Dorado counties since 2000.

As a silver lining,California’s  phylloxera epidemic in the 1990s opened the door for exploring clones, emphasizing matching rootstocks to clones and better farming practices: all of which eventually helped resuscitate Grenache. In 1989 Tablas Creek began importing cuttings from Beaucastel, and John Alban was focusing on clones from Rayas. With a new emphasis on sustainable farming and organic practices, he and others went to work on controlling Grenache. He adds, “My effort started from the ground up: careful selections of the variety that had demonstrated the ability to make profound wine, rootstocks that would limit vigor, and vineyard sites that had the potential for greatness.”

Leaving the question of greatness aside for now, Grenache has certainly come a long way and has responded especially well to today’s sustainable and or biodynamic farming approaches. Selecting vineyard sites is part of the story, and I discovered there are two opposing camps: the high elevation advocates and the cool-climate school.

Mountain High

 I was surprised to find Grenache thriving alongside Zinfandel in the Sierra Foothills. So I asked around and Nolan Jones of Lava Cap has this to say when asked how it compares to Zinfandel:

“Grenache is considerably easier to grow and manage both in the vineyard and in the cellar. We rarely see problems with mold or mildew in our Grenache, whereas Zinfandel requires significantly more attention to prevent these issues. The ripening process also differs, with Zinfandel often needing 2-3 passes in a block due to unevenness. Grenache, on the other hand, ripens uniformly. Grenache also demonstrates good resilience to both heat and rain, unlike Zinfandel, which tends to raisin in heat and mold in rain.”

Lava Cap, family owned since 1986, has been making Grenache since 2000. Founded by a geologist, the family established vineyards at elevations high above the valley and coastal fog belt, ranging from 2,400f-2,700ft. The more I looked into the success of Grenache today, high elevation sites are one of the keys.  Basically, Jones explains, “the elevation and the resulting cool air, play a key role in limiting elevated temperatures during extreme heat spikes.” 

In recent years, Argentinian Malbec has dominated the link between elevation and wine quality, but now Grenache is adding a voice. When talking about it as a “mountain wine,” Jones explains, by that “I mean the fruit is fresh and vibrant as opposed to bulky and heavy, the acid is bright, and phenolics show a firm structure that is unique to high elevation sites.”  

Not far away is Cedarville Vineyards and its organically farmed estate at 2,500 feet in the Fair Play and El Dorado AVA. Delfino Farm’s Estate Grenache sits on granite soils at the 2,800 ft level. Also in El Dorado County, Madrona which also makes an excellent Grenache is situated at 3,000 feet in the El Dorado County Appellation. Madroña consists of three family-owned vineyards, and its 2019 Grenache, reviewed earlier, is a real bell-ringer.

In Amador County, Bill Easton of Terre Rouge has been making wines from Grenache since 1985. For his top of the line L’Autre he sources fruit from The Duarte-Georgetown Vineyard, located at 2,500 feet near the town of the same name. Another of my favorite discoveries is Weisinger Winery in Southern Oregon whose attractive Grenache is from the Avra Vineyard, elevation 2221 feet.

Cool Climate Grenache

However exciting those Mountain grown Grenache may be, the major hub of activity is the Central Coast where winemakers in Santa Barbara are promoting cool climate Grenache. Ironically, it was at the Hitching Post Restaurant in Santa Barbara where Miles in Sideways cursed Merlot and started the big push for Pinot Noir. 

In describing its 2023 Santa Barbara Grenache, Stolpman Vineyards, one of my favorite wineries, offers this tidy summary: “Light hued, cool climate Grenache has proven itself as one of the most compelling success stories out of Santa Barbara County.  When we nail the harvest date, the Grenache varietal naturally gives a ripe, fleshy red-fruit profile while retaining bright verve and balance.” And the Santa Barbara Winery adds this overview:: Grenache grown in cooler climates tends to develop spicier components than in warmer climes, …Cool climate Grenache has a long hang time for flavor development.”

When Bob Lindquist, an original Rhone Ranger, made his first Grenache at Qupe in 2001, he sourced the grapes from the  Purisima Mountain Vyd in Ballard Canyon. He is now making Grenache from the Reeves Vineyard in the San Luis Obispo Coast AVA under his own label. Here’s his take: “Cool climate Grenache is quite different from most of the great Grenache wines of the world, which are normally grown in warm climates such as: Châteauneuf du Pape; Priorat; Barossa or even Paso Robles.  This Grenache is grown in an area where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay dominate and excel.  The unique climate and geography of this part of the Central Coast allow Grenache to ripen fully, 4-6 weeks after Pinot Noir ripens! 

A few years ago I was blown away by the 2018 Amor Fati Grenache from Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara. It was so lively and complex that it remains one of my highest rated wines. At the time it seemed odd that the Tooth & Nail winery in Paso had developed the cool-climate Murmur Vineyard for Grenache. Now, nothing surprises me about Grenache.

News from Paso

As for Paso Robles, Tablas Creek Vineyards is a major part of the Grenache story. From its vineyards in the Adelaida District planted to the Beaucastel clones, many wineries have obtained cuttings from its nursery, and the winery now cultivates 18 acres of Grenache. When asked for his thoughts on Grenache today, Jason Hass said, “As for Grenache, yes, we find it versatile and rewarding. It’s relatively vigorous, productive, and easy to grow. It’s great as a lead player in a blend, as a supporting player, and (most years) as a varietal wine. It has fruit, spice, and acid.”

Anyone interested in Grenache and all Rhone grapes should subscribe to the Tablas Creek blog. There you’ll find a detailed history of all the varieties. If you really want to go deep, a recent post evaluated  20 different blocks of Grenache made by Tablas Creek in the 2024 vintage. 

Also, as part of its single vineyard line, Tablas Creek recently added a Grenache from

the Hook Vineyard, part of the Hahn property in the Santa Lucia Highlands, in Monterey County. The cool, coastal-influenced 122-acre vineyard includes 21 acres of Grenache Noir from Tablas Creek clones. “The climate, quite different from Paso Robles and on the coolest edge of where Grenache will ripen, leads to very long hang times, dark colors, and thick skins, making this 100% Grenache a fun contrast to our higher-toned expression of the grape.”

Yes, there are new and fun Grenache wines to explore. My conversation with Jason ended on this note: I also love that it’s a great rosé grape and (I think) a lovely grape to make a chillable red from. That gives growers flexibility to respond to a changing marketplace. And of course there’s the white variant Grenache Blanc, which has proven to be a superstar here in California.”

Of the many other wineries making Grenache in Paso, I was intrigued by the way Calcareous Vineyard introduced its 2023 Grenache with these words: Grenache has found a home in Paso Robles as not only a key contributor to our Rhone blends but as a standout single varietal as well. Known for its elegant texture, lively fresh fruit, and great balance, our Grenache is easily one of our best food pairing wines.”

Yes indeed, from Paso we hear Grenache is “a chillable red” and “one of the best food pairing wines.”

For anyone considering jumping on the Grenache bandwagon, one winery, A Tribute to Grace, is a Grenache specialist.  No kidding.  At its tasting room in Los Alamos, it offers nine different Grenache bottlings.

 And now for the last word, I yield to Paul Bush of Madrona, “Approachable in nature for sipping on the deck, but serious enough for the table. This is Grenache!” 

 Wines that reinforce the notion that Grenache offers a wide range of styles.

Delfino Farms Edio Vineyards El Dorado Grenache 2023 $40

Delfino’s high elevation vineyard was planted primarily to the Alban clone of Grenache. In 2023, the wine was 100% Grenache, whereas previous vintages were blended with Syrah. Aged for 10 months in neutral French oak and bottles unfined and unfiltered, this is a super example of pure vibrant, mountain grown Grenache. The color is a lively red, and the aroma is all about cranberry and cherry with light spices. Medium bodied, sleek and structured, it has fresh flavors of cherry and plum, with a slight tannic edge in the finish. The acidity lengthens the finish and leaves you thinking of serving it with light cheese or summer fare. 92

Lava Cap Winery El Dorado AVA, Sierra Foothills (California) Grenache 2023 $32

Deep red in color, it immediately offers an effusive aroma of baking spices with cranberry and light floral. The palate is smooth with vibrant flavors of black fruit, mostly plum and hint of dried herbs. Finishes with light, gentle tannin and a lingering note of plum. It was aged for 9 months in neutral French oak. Overall, it showcases youthful fruit and spice and you’d never know when tasting it that the alcohol is 14%. Drink now but will hold up well over time.  450 cases made. 93

 Lindquist Family Wines San Luis Obispo Coast, Reeves Vineyard  Grenache 2022  $45

From the cool-climate SLO region, this Grenache is blended with 20% Syrah. Each variety is fermented separately and aged for 11 months in oak. Then, once combined, the wine ages an additional 5 months. Dark in color, it has an aroma of black cherry and cranberry with plenty of spice. Solid and concentrated in flavors, it remains vibrant on the palate with a hint of herbs. Savory overall, it can be slightly chilled without losing its core appeal. As attractive as it is now, it will age with grace for another 5 years, probably longer. 94

 Terre Rouge Grenache “L’Autre”, Sierra Foothills 2016 $35

(78% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre & 7% Syrah)

L’Autre means “the other one, “ it is now the winery’s top Rhône varietal blend. From the 2016 vintage, this confirms that Grenache based wines do indeed develop with cellaring. The Grenache is from Duarte-Georgetown Vineyard located at 2,500 feet and the budwood is from Chateau Rayas, Beaucastel, and Remelluri in Rioja. The wine opens immediately and is full of ripe plum, light spice and herbs on the nose. On the palate, it is amazingly rich and round yet elegant with black fruit flavors and just a hint of gaminess. Finishing soft with a velvety texture, it is so inviting to drink now but has the balance to continue to please over the next several years. 

The winery says it “is a dead ringer for a top Gigondas,” and that is an understatement.  95