Autumn is just a whisper away, listen to this wine
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Isacs is the founder and CEO of EnjoyGourmet, a leading gourmet digital (www.enjoygourmet.com.cn) and print media company in China. He has authored over a dozen wine and food books including the awarded ISACS Guides and other gourmet books and is a wine consultant to governments, wine regions and organizations. He also hosts wine events for leading organizations and companies throughout China. Contact John via jcolumn@enjoygourmet.com.
On the ingredient side of things today’s iDEAL feature story examines seasonal ingredients, so I thought I’d pen a seasonal wine story. Summer is still very much with us but the advent of autumn is but a whisper away. What wine or wine style is most suitable for the slowly shortening days and gradual fading of the summer heat? Many answers may be adequate but certainly one of the best is Garnacha red and rose wines.
Garnacha in Spain and Grenache in France makes delightfully fruity and spicy reds as well as fragrant roses. Claimed by Spain as its own, this is still a grape with a somewhat disputed past. Spanish ampelographers, just a fancy word for those who identify and classify vines, believe the grape originated in or around the region of Aragon in the northeast of Spain. Others are not so sure. The Mediterranean island of Sardinia also claims to be the land of origin for Grenache grape where they refer to the grape as Cannonau.
By the 19th century the variety was well-established in southern France, making superb wines in the southern Rhone, and was starting to migrate to New World regions in Australia and California. Regardless of its origin, the grape has been a resounding success and today is one of the most planted varieties in the world, making wines increasingly sought-after by beginners and connoisseurs alike.
In the higher echelons of the wine world, the word friendly is often used in a negative manner to describe a wine that’s quite simple and easy to understand, in other words not a serious or complex wine. However, when I use friendly to describe the Grenache grape, I’m referring to the celebrated ability of this grape to blend with other grapes and make delicious wines.
It’s fair to say that Grenache is just about the most accommodating and friendly grape you’ll find anywhere. The variety is prized for adding both fruitiness and alcohol to blends along with a little spice and zestiness. Another positive quality of Grenache is its consistency. Year in and year out, the hearty vines ripen evenly and produce quality fruit. This contrasts sharply with more finicky varietals like Pinot Noir, where each new vintage is an adventure. This week I delve more deeply into the Garnacha wines of a region where the variety arguably originated.
Aragon
One of the ideal growing areas for the Garnacha variety lies in the northeast of Spain, along the Ebro Valley and to the south of the Pyrenees Mountains. The climate in Aragon varies drastically from near dessert heat in the south to winter subzero temperatures in the north.
The region is a little off the beaten track and not especially popular with tourists, yet it boasts some of Spain’s best cooking and of course a host of yet mostly undiscovered fine wines.
The vast expanse of vineyards in Aragon are planted with Carinena, Juan Ibanez Parraleta, Macabeo, Alcanan, Moscatel, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Gewürztraminer.
Our summer friendly Garnacha is only the third most planted variety but it makes many of the best red and rose wines.
Aragon has three DO regions. The most acclaimed is Somontano DO, a small region at the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains that has an ideal climate for red and rose wines. Many of the vineyards in this DO are terraced and difficult to cultivate but acclaimed wines have been produced here since Roman times.
The oldest DO in Aragon is Carinena, the same name as the most planted variety. Granted DO status in 1932, the wines of Carinena are quite traditional in style. Use of native varieties and long aging during the winemaking process results in rustic and robust wines. The newest Aragon DO is Calatayud, established in 1989. This region features a hot and dry climate with good diurnal temperature differences that combine to make intense wines with good balance.
Campo de Borja DO is a small region principally known for old vine Garnacha wines. A-hundred-year-old vines are not uncommon and while they yield less fruit they make deep-colored, concentrated and intense wines.
All the four Aragon DO regions make excellent Garnacha red and rose wines that because of their relative obscurity outside of Spain remain remarkably affordable.
One of my favorite Aragon wine producers is El Escoces Volante, a Garnacha specialist in the Calatayud DO. La Multa Garnacha is a full-bodied red wine featuring raspberry and wild berry sensations along with a silky tannin mouthfeel and a long clean finish. The bodega also makes a fine Grenache blend named La Manga del Brujo that’s mostly Garnacha with some Tempranillo, Syrah and Mazuelo in the blend.
Other Aragon Garnacha specialist producers worth to note with lovely wines available in Shanghai include Atteca and Fuego.
Remember, Garnacha wines are meant to be experienced fresh — so it’s best served at about 16-18 degrees Celsius.
Where to buy in Shanghai
Varieties: The most popular red grape in Aragon in terms of planting is Cariñena, but Garnacha is an important variety for some of the region’s best red and rose wines.
Key term: Skin contact means the time a wine spends in contact with the skin.
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