Grenachistas will be celebrating the world over for International Grenache Day on Friday 16th September and the Mentzendorff portfolio has a plethora of Grenache styles for you to pick from to toast the grape we love the most!
Grenache was most likely to have originated in Spain but is now one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world and was one of the first varieties to take the treacherous voyage from Europe to Australia in the 18th century.

A robust grape that stands up well to both winds and lack of water, Grenache ripens late and suits the hot, dry conditions of the Barossa Valley. Turkey Flat Grenache vineyards tend to produce quite elegant wines for the Barossa, as their vineyards are protected from the heat by light breezes that roll in from the coast, similar to Grenache of the Clare Valley where high altitude and very cool nights give supple, elegant, velvety and smooth wines with generous fruit and body.

Grenache is also the main grape variety used in the blends of Chateauneuf-du-Pape and brings a natural sweetness to the blends giving the wines elegance, silky tannins and great finesse. Large stones in some Chateauneuf-du-Pape areas, called “Galets”, contribute to the quality of the wines by retaining the heat during the day and releasing it at night, helping the grapes to ripen at an even pace, try M.Chapoutier’s Châteauneuf du Pape La Bernardine 2014, fresh, fruity and easy to drink.

Something sweet to finish? Try a Banyuls! Spread out on narrow and steep terraces, the Banyuls Appellation overhangs the Mediterranean Sea and the stony schist soils coupled with a Mediterranean climate gives the wines a powerful balance between sumptuous black and stewed fruits and fine smooth tannins.