To blend, or not to blend? That is the question Vancouver’s Housewine Girls Michaela Morris and Michelle Bouffard aimed to answer through a delicious Grenache-themed thirteen wine flight as part of this year’s Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival’s final act. Not often bottled all on its own, Grenache usually requires a partner in crime such as Tempranillo or Syrah to bump up the colour, complexity and oomph.
With so many countries, varietal blends, regions and multi-lingual labels featuring Grenache/Garnacha, what’s a girl (or guy) to choose? But do not fret, dear reader, I have narrowed it down to a cool four picks. Let’s get right to it.
In the Spanish corner, the always festive 2010 Miguel Torres de Casta Penedes Garnacha Cariñena rosado blend with its stone fruit bouquet, dry palate and scrumptious acidity. Think tapas and paella on the porch at aperitivo hour. A steal at $14.99.
In the slightly more refined French corner, the Grenache granddaddy of them all, the 2008 Chapoutier La Bernadine Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Weighing in at $48.99, this mouthful of spice, licorice and blackcurrant will have you knocking it back.
Speaking of 2008, back to the Spanish side with the introduction of the Bodegas Valdemar Conde de Valdemar Rioja Garnacha. “Now this is a grape that likes it hot,” quips Bouffard, referencing the arid climate of the Rioja region. With classic sweet and succulent notes, and a rich colour enhanced by its Tempranillo partnership, you’ll be amazed to find this blend priced at $25.00.
But you haven’t heard the last of France as Chapoutier pulls another 1-2 punch with the country’s answer to Port, its 2008 Banyuls fortified wine. Tasty sweet red fruits and wild blueberries float like a butterfly atop your taste buds, and at $25.99, you won’t give a darn if it stings like a bee.
