More on Rhone

Grapes made famous in the Rhone region are now making their way into the wine cultures of the rest of the world as well.  The well known Grenache and Mourvedre grapes were first cultivated in Spain, where they are known as Garnacha and Mataro or Monastrell.  Garnacha grapes are grown in Spain to create the cherry flavored reds of Priorat, while Mataro plays a large part in the wines of Spain’s eastern regions such as Alicante, Jumilla, Valencia, and Yecla.

Grenache grapes are also grown in Sardinia, where they are used for the lush reds known locally as Cannonnau.  Although both Spain and Sardinia grow these Rhone grapes, neither location actively attempts to produce a Rhone-style wine.  In contrast, both Australia and the United States have made a concentrated effort to cultivate Rhone grapes and create similar wines.

Australia, though best known for their Shiraz, is home to quite a few vines of Grenache and Mourvedre.  A common practice in Australian Grenache vineyards is to cultivate the grapes on “bush vines” where the grapes on not trained to a trellis but left to grow wild.  This “bush vine” designation often suggests an old vine, low yield product with concentrated flavor and a richer end product.  Australian vintners often produce single varietal wines, giving consumers the opportunity to enjoy the characteristics of Grenache or Mourvedre without blending to mask flavors.  These Australian versions of the Rhone wines are richer, bigger flavors with more intense wine personalities than anything produce in the Rhone Valley.  Price will give a good indication wine quality; simple versions sell for $8 to $16; more concentrated versions average $20 to $30, with a few that reach $65.

When you're looking for Rhone-style wines in the Australian wine aisle, you'll probably see wines marked GSM. GSM stands for Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre, the trinity of grapes that make up the majority of Southern Rhone reds. As with most Australian wines, the Australian versions typically outweigh the French versions, making Aussie GSMs the ones to reach for when you're looking for hearty red wines with lots of fruit flavors.

In the United States, both Grenache and Mourvedre have been purposefully cultivated.  Both grapes were originally planted in the US as large producers, but not focused on for quality wines.  As such, only small areas are still dedicated to these under-appreciated grapes.  Produced almost exclusively in California, these grapes create clean, fresh tasting American wines that echo the flavors of their French Rhone ancestors.

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