Garnacha
Definition - What does Garnacha mean?
The Spanish wine grape Garnacha is a very commonly planted red grape that is used in wines from all over the world. Known as "Grenache" in English and French, this grape is the key ingredient in many famous wines, as it has a bright berry flavor with a combination of raspberries and strawberries and hints of white pepper.
Believed to have originated in the Aragon region of Spain and spread throughout Spanish-reigned regions and France by the 18th century, the Garnacha grape is still used in Spanish vineyards to make affordable red wine that pairs great with spicy food.
WineFrog explains Garnacha
The Garnacha grape was originally used to make its own varietal wine and later blended to make other red wines. Aragon, being so close to the French border, led the Garnacha grape to be grown in the French region of Languedoc-Roussillon, which changed the name to Grenache.
The grape traveled further south to the Rhône region of France, and there it was blended with other wines because of its fruity, bold body that added depth to their wines. In Rhône, the most famous Garnacha blend was made, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which is highly coveted and collected by wine connoisseurs around the globe. The Garnacha grape is still used to make wines in Spain but there are regions in France, Italy, Australia and the United States who also use this friendly grape to make phenomenal reds.
