Garnacha

Garnacha is a dry, medium to full-bodied red grape from Spain, packed with ripe strawberry, raspberry and cherry alongside herbs, pepper and warming spice. Juicy, generous and made for big flavours, it’s brilliant with roast lamb, chorizo, BBQ food, pizza, sausages, tapas and Mediterranean dishes.

Taste:

Ripe, juicy and carrying a little Spanish heat.

Garnacha is typically dry and medium to full-bodied, with relatively soft tannins and plenty of red fruit. Expect strawberry, raspberry and red cherry, often joined by plum in richer styles.

You’ll also find black pepper, liquorice, dried herbs and warming spice, with older or oak-aged bottles developing more savoury flavours of leather, tobacco and earth.

Garnacha thrives in warm conditions and can reach fairly high levels of alcohol, giving the wine a generous, warming feel.

All that fruit and spice makes it very easy to like. All that alcohol can make the second glass surprisingly persuasive.

Food Pairings:

Garnacha is brilliant with Spanish, Mediterranean and BBQ food.

For a Spanish spread, pair it with chorizo, jamón, meatballs, patatas bravas, grilled meats or a tapas board with Manchego, roasted peppers and cured meats.

Lamb is another excellent match. Try roast lamb, lamb chops, lamb shank, lamb kebabs or slow-cooked lamb shoulder with rosemary, garlic or thyme.

At a BBQ, Garnacha works beautifully with burgers, BBQ ribs, grilled sausages, barbecued chicken, pulled pork and grilled lamb.

Pizza is an easy win too, particularly pepperoni, spicy salami, sausage, roasted vegetable or meat feast.

For meat-free options, try moussaka, grilled aubergine, roasted peppers, tomato and lentil stew or herb-roasted Mediterranean vegetables.

For cheese, Manchego, mature Cheddar and aged Gouda are all strong matches.

Similar Wines:

Grenache is exactly the same grape under its French name, so that's the obvious place to start if you want to see how different regions interpret it.

Garnacha plays a major role in Priorat, where old vines and rocky vineyards can produce particularly concentrated and powerful wines.

Cross the border into France and you'll find Grenache at the heart of wines such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas and Vacqueyras.

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More About Garnacha:

Garnacha is believed to have originated in northeastern Spain, most likely Aragón, before spreading across the Mediterranean and eventually becoming one of the world's most widely planted red grapes.

It loves hot, dry conditions and is particularly important in regions including Aragón, Navarra, Rioja and Priorat.

The grape's relatively thin skins mean its wines can be surprisingly pale considering how much body, fruit and alcohol they pack.

And yes, Garnacha and Grenache really are the same grape. Spain calls it Garnacha; France calls it Grenache.

Same person, different name in the group chat.