xA new grape? I suspect by this point most of you have heard of the grape Garnacha (grenache). Found through out Spain, France and slowly the rest of world, Garnacha can be found producing wines of great depth and power. Its profile is often of ripe red fruit and hints of black pepper. If you’ve had a Cote-du-Rhone from France or a wine from the Navarra region in Spain you’ve most likely tasted this grape.

But what is Garnacha Blanc?

While from the same family as Garnacha, it is a separate varietal with a set of characteristics. Ampelography, or the study of grape varieties (yes there is a specific field just for this), has over time, traced the roots of both Garnacha and its white partner to the island of Sardinia. In Sardinia, it goes by the name Cannonau and is thought to have been brought to Spain between 1200 and 1700 A.D. While Spain was under Aragonian rule, it was planted widely mainly due to its hardiness and ability to withstand abuse from Spain’s sometimes temperamental climate. With time and having only the Pyrenees to contend with, it found itself a home in the Rhone valley in France, where some of the most famous example of it exists in both its white and red form.
(more…)

A new grape? I suspect by this point most of you have heard of the grape Garnacha (grenache). Found through out Spain, France and slowly the rest of world, Garnacha can be found producing wines of great depth and power. Its profile is often of ripe red fruit and hints of black pepper. If you’ve had a Cote-du-Rhone from France or a wine from the Navarra region in Spain you’ve most likely tasted this grape.

But what is Garnacha Blanc?

While from the same family as Garnacha, it is a separate varietal with a set of characteristics. Ampelography, or the study of grape varieties (yes there is a specific field just for this), has over time, traced the roots of both Garnacha and its white partner to the island of Sardinia. In Sardinia, it goes by the name Cannonau and is thought to have been brought to Spain between 1200 and 1700 A.D. While Spain was under Aragonian rule, it was planted widely mainly due to its hardiness and ability to withstand abuse from Spain’s sometimes temperamental climate. With time and having only the Pyrenees to contend with, it found itself a home in the Rhone valley in France, where some of the most famous example of it exists in both its white and red form.
(more…)