Garnacha Red Wines

The variety which we know, through the French, as Grenache is originally Spanish. Very widely grown, it often is used to make pleasantly fruity, off-dry rose wines - sometimes at the high end of the alcohol spectrum. Being low in phenolic material (usually), it is well-suited to producing pleasant raspberry-and-herb juice with nice acidity but little fruit tannin structure - ideal for rose, and café-quaffer light reds.

As elsewhere, low crop levels, dry growing and old vines can sometimes produce rather more affecting fruit, and there are a significant number of Spanish Garnachas which produce rich, dry-earthy wines with concentration, structure and length enough to handle some oak treatment and succeed as premium dry red table wines.