Grenache
The key flavors of Grenache are licorice, raspberry, smoke and herbs. It is usually high in alcohol and has low acidity. Grenache is usually grown in the Southern Rhône in France (Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Côtes du Rhône). In France, it blends with Syrah and Mourvèdre. Grenache is also known as Garnacha in Spain where it blends with Tempranillo.
Grenache is good with cheddar, Crottin, Dry Jack, Fontina, hard sheep's milk cheese, and washed rind cheeses.
Also included are Grenach/Syrah blends.
Artazuri 2001 (Tasted in 2004) $8.75 at Austin Wine Merchant. 100% Garnacha. 13% alcohol. This is from Navarra, just east of Rioja heading towards southwestern France. This wine is made by a Juan Carlos Lopez from Artadi. This wine is supposed to show the full potential of the Garnacha grape. Intense red berry flavors. Medium-full Bodied and dry. I bought this to try with some Spanish cheeses like Idiazabal and maybe also a Cheddar.
Château Sainte-Jeanne
(Grenache/Syrah) with Fol Epi emmenthal. The
cheese and wine blend fairly well, but if you eat a bite of cheese and then
drink the wine, the tannins come out a little too strong.
It gets a little bitter, but overall it’s good.
The wine makes the cheese taste really sweet and nutty.
The cheese is probably too mild for the wine, but it’s still ok.
Château Sainte-Jeanne
(Grenache/Syrah) with pecorino con peperoncino. This cheese has mild peppers in it and it stands up nicely to
the wine, though it makes the wine a little bit bitter. I like the strong wine and the strong sheep/pepper taste
together.
Château Sainte-Jeanne
(Grenache/Syrah) and Bourdin fresh goat’s cheese from France.
It was like drinking vinegar and eating Tums.
Château Sainte-Jeanne
(Grenache/Syrah) with Winchester sharp gouda.
I thought this would go ok with the wine, but no.
They kind of fight each other even though they stand up to each other
well. The cheese makes the wine taste bitter, and the wine makes the cheese
taste metallic.
Côtes du Rhône Les
Violettes 2001 with French Munster. This
was ok. The cheese made the wine
taste a little sour, though.
Côtes du Rhône 2000 (Tasted in 2004) "Selected by Kermit Lynch." $10.59 at Homegrown Special Foods in Birmingham, AL. 13.5% alcohol. It is made by the Vignerons des Coteaux d'Avignon, so I guess it is a mixtures of a lot of different people's grapes. It says that it is bottled on the property. I hope it is good. This wine is really light tasting, though very dense in color. It smells very ripe. This wine tastes very light, floral, and a little herbaceous. This wine had a lot of sediment in it.
Côtes du Rhône 2000 Kermit Lynch with Gouda 2 year with black wax. This cheese is really nutty and butterscotchy. This isn't so great together. I think that the wine has a little too much acidity for the cheese. The wine really washes out the good, full flavor of the cheese. The Cab was really much better than this wine was with the aged Gouda because the Cab felt much fuller. This wine needs an herbier cheese, like maybe a Spanish hard sheep cheese or a British Cheddar, but neither that is too aged.
Grenache Noir Galhaud and
Neal’s Yard Keen’s Cheddar. Yummy!
It has a bitter fruitiness that works well with the aggressive Cheddar.
Las Rocas Viñas Viejas de San Alejandro 2001 (Tasted in 2004) $9.99 at Austin Wine Merchant. 14% alcohol. Old vines. This is supposed to go well with steaks and also possibly some Spanish cheeses like Manchego. It is dark and thick with a purple rim. It is very thick and spicy, like a big fat Syrah.
Las Rocas Viñas Viejas de San Alejandro with P'tit Basque. This is really good with the creamy nutty cheese and the thick fruit, but the wine way overpowers the cheese.