Get To Know Grenache Wines With Austin Wine & Food Foundation

Don’t miss Austin Wine & Food Foundation’s latest wine tasting and learning event, this one focused on Grenache—one of the world’s most planted yet “often misunderstood grape varieties,” known for wines of “remarkable depth, generosity, and distinctive character.” Trace Grenache’s journey “from Spain to the Southern Rhône,” including legendary regions like “Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas,” while also exploring “emerging regions where innovative winemakers are reimagining this versatile variety’s potential.” Taste Grenache “in its many incarnations—from vibrant reds to surprising whites, bubblies, or rosés,” and discover the “Pinot Noir of the South,” all under the tutelage of Austin’s very own wine guru, Mark Rashap, a Certified Wine Educator.

Get To Know The Grenache: It’s the grape that can taste “light, bright, and bold” in one glass—then show up somewhere else as something totally different. Here are four quick, non-overlapping reasons Grenache is such a cult-favorite.

• A Global Heavyweight: Grenache is “one of the most widely planted wine grape varieties in the world,” with “France and Spain being its largest principal wine regions.” And out of “195,896 worldwide hectares,” “92% remain in Europe.”

• Born In Aragon… Built For Heat: Evidence points to Grenache originating in “Aragon… Northern Spain,” then spreading across places like the Rhône, Priorat, Sicily, California, and South Australia. The vines are described as having “strong wood” that can “survive in windy climates,” and they’re prized for being “resilient to dry, high-temperature climates.”

• The “Tell” Flavor: Once you’ve had it, you’ll clock it: “unmistakable cinnamon and Fruit Roll-Up flavor”… often with “a deceptively lighter, semi-translucent color.” Depending on where it’s grown, you might also find “ruby-red grapefruit and orange rinds”… or Old World notes like “tobacco and dried oregano.”

• The Secret Backbone Of Famous Blends: Grenache is “a popular choice for blended wines,” especially the iconic “GSM blend (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre)” and is “the primary grape variety in the renowned French wine Châteauneuf-du-Pape.” It’s increasingly “building its reputation as being worthy of single varietal wine, not just a partner.”

When: Thursday, February 5 @ 4:30–6 PM or 6:30–8 PM | Where: AWFF Tasting Room | Tickets: Here.

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