International Grenache Day is celebrated on Friday 18 September and shines the spotlight on one of the wine world's most versatile grape varieties.
Grenache is known for fragrant red fruits, spice aromas and its ability to express the character of its origin. The grape has also found an increasingly interesting home in South Africa.
Dan Nicholl, presenter of Dan Really Likes Wine, has selected five South African Grenache wines that he believes are worth opening for Grenache Day.
Electric Mud until recently evoked memories of Muddy Waters' famous album of the same name. Now it is also the name of a new Grenache by Jean Smit.
Smit, the winemaker behind Damascene, takes this wine in a new direction with this wine. According to Nicholl, Electric Mud is rapidly acquiring cult status and is as good as anything Smit has delivered so far.
The David & Nadia Grenache Noir was recently featured by the glass at The Library, a renowned wine bar in Madrid. According to Nicholl, it says a lot when a South African Grenache attracts attention in Spain, where the grape already has deep roots.
The Swartland offers excellent conditions for Grenache, and David and Nadia Sadie's version shows according to Nicholl what the region can achieve with this grape.
Dryland bush vines from Piekenierskloof, where cool nights and warm days are part of the growing conditions, provide the fruit for Thief In The Night.
Duncan Savage speaks with particular enthusiasm about the fruit from which the wine is made. According to Nicholl, the end product shows why: skilled winemaking produces a Grenache that stands out even by the high standards of Savage Wines .
Paarl also gets its turn with Brookdale Estate. Tim Rudd's estate helps bring new attention to the region, while the winemaking team of Xander Sadie and Shanice du Preez are sparking interest in Grenache's potential in Paarl.
Nicholl believes the wine is further proof that Paarl can play a larger role in the South African Grenache story. He also points tongue-in-cheek to the possibility that Xander's famous father, Eben Sadie's, Soldier could face competition.
Pinotage had Beyers Truter, Chenin Blanc had Ken Forrester and Cap Classique had Pieter Ferreira. For Grenache, Marelise Niemann is according to Nicholl one of South Africa's great champions.
Her Momento Wines offers different Grenache expressions from Piekenierskloof, Riebeekberg, Paardeberg and Botrivier. This gives wine lovers the opportunity to see how origin can influence the character of the same grape.
Momento's range includes Grenache Noir from Paardeberg, Piekenierskloof, Riebeekberg and Botrivier, as well as Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris.
Grenache is attracting increasing attention
Together the five wines reflect the energy and interest currently surrounding South African Grenache – and offer them five reasons to open a bottle on International Grenache Day.
For more wine content, readers can follow Dan Really Likes Wine's podcast on YouTube , or follow him on Instagram and TikTok .
Source: Dan Nicholl & Dan Really Likes Wine
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
