Winemaker Notes
The most famous Grenache growing vineyards in the world are in quite warm to hot growing areas such as Southern Rhone, Priorat, or even Paso Robles. The wines are usually big, ripe, almost syrupy ... Grenache can take it and excel in those conditions. Cool climate Grenache is very different, at least when harvested at reasonable sugar levels. This wine is elegant, layered, with a purity of fruit, and brilliant cherry red clarity. Light red plum and hibiscus aromas meet with sweet herbs and cinnamon spice on the nose. In structure it's more like Pinot Noir than it is to Chateauneuf du Pape! Serve slightly cool with foods that are appropriate for Pinot Noir.
Grenache thrives in any warm, Mediterranean climate where ample sunlight allows its clusters to achieve full phenolic ripeness. While Grenache's birthplace is Spain (there called Garnacha), today it is more recognized as the key player in the red blends of the Southern Rhône, namely Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône and its villages. Somm Secret—The Italian island of Sardinia produces bold, rustic, single varietal Grenache (there called Cannonau). California, Washington and Australia have achieved found success with Grenache, both flying solo and in blends.
California’s coolest wine growing area, Edna Valley excels in the production of high quality Central Coast wines like Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Rhône Blends and aromatic white wines. It has a cool Mediterranean climate and an incredibly long growing season, giving late-ripening varieties plenty of opportunity to develop great phenolic complexity.
Its northwest to southeast orientation creates a direct path for cool Pacific air and fog to penetrate the valley from the Los Osos and Morro Bay area inwards. Low hillsides of both calcareous and volcanic soils are home to much of the vineyard acreage of the Edna Valley.