Garnacha: Spanish Grenache

The Twitterverse is full of virtual wine tasting events that are out there for your enjoyment, as well as your edification. Wineries stage them to promote their new releases and wine regions sponsor them to elevate their name recognition. Sometimes, it’s all about a grape.

The recent “Twitter Tasting” put on through Sopexa brought wine lovers together for the sake of Garnacha. That’s what the Grenache grape is called in Spain, and I’m always up for some Spanish wine. I was invited to play along and was provided with samples for that purpose. Over the next couple of weeks we will examine some of the great Garnachas that were sampled.

Beso de Vino Old Vine Garnacha

From Aragon's Cariñena region, these old vines grown rocky soil. So rocky is it, and the minerality so pronounced, they call it the wine of the rocks. It clocks a 13.5% abv and sells for about ten bucks.
Bottle poetry features a silly snippet about a bull that kissed the wine and now runs around the world telling everyone how great it is. Hey, they should have thought of that in the Toro region.

There is a very pronounced earthy streak running through this one. The cherry aromas and flavors are there, for sure, but they are struggling to burst through a heavy layer of earthy sediment. I think of it as "dirty cherry." The rustic nature actually makes me think of rusty, as in a piece of metal covered in iron oxide.The structure is a little weak, but that makes it very sippable. The minerals will go nicely with a piece of lean beef or pork.


Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter