Grenache is one of the world’s most planted grapes. Most of these vines are in France and Spain. In 1982, Rhône Valley enthusiast Randall Grahm at Bonny Doon Vineyards in California made his first Grenache wines. The term Rhone Rangers was coined to describe producers with a penchant for Rhône grapes. Grenache was on its way to stardom in California.
But inferior clones gave large grapes and diluted wines with weak colour. In the mid-1990s, Tablas Creek in Paso Robles imported better clones from Château de Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Today, grenache is still a promising grape variety in California, although it has not yet reached the top-ten list. The California Grenache wines are often powerful but still with good acidity and elegance. But the grape needs to become more famous, says the Grenache growers in California.
Read more about why they like grenache on winemag.com
