Finding the great Grenache of interior California is fun and easy. By interior, I mean the area of the Sierra Foothills that offers some of California’s best Grenache vineyards. There are a number of wineries that like to specialize in Grenache as a varietal, but relatively little acreage is planted mostly in Amador and El Dorado Counties, AVAs known as Shenandoah, Fiddletown, Fair Play, and El Dorado.
My favorite local Grenache producing wineries are listed below, in no particular order, they all have wonderful estate Grenache at these properties. These wineries are well established and are close to the state of the art in exceptional Grenache production in these AVAs. With the regions of Sonoma, and Paso Robles also producing some amazing varietals from this grape, as I mention later.
To be fair I have not tasted every top tier winery that produces Grenache in the Foothills, there are a few more on my list to try to round out this list to a top ten or even top 12 wineries that have outstanding (interior) Grenache.
https://lamesavineyards.com/
https://skinnervineyards.com/
https://www.cedarvillevineyard.com
https://www.bellagracevineyards.com
https://davidgirardvineyards.com/
Why try Grenache? … you may ask, I am a Zinfandel, or Syrah hard core. Well if you like really deep ruby, power wines, it might not be for you.
Grenache when artfully made in California is an open fruit grape, with amazing complexity and acidity, with light and long spice on the finish if done correctly. It tends to be lighter since the skins hold less colors and thickness so the really best Grenache of the foothills will be picked at the peak of ripeness and offer a lighter color (than Syrah), yet lots of structure and layers of complexity. From that woody spice and anise, to raspberry, strawberry, pomegranate and black cherry fruit notes.
It can work as an aperitif, or a table wine, (it works great at Thanksgiving since it pairs super well with turkey). Traditionally in France, Grenache is used in blending wines that are of exceptional high end quality. My experience shows up to 5 years is about the max for getting the peak youthful fruit and acidity from this varietal at the wineries you see portrayed here. Opinions on aging Grenache vary, but if you are new to it, you won’t be setting it aside anyway. I prefer the vibrant nature of Grenache, so that means drink young! I love some lighter elegant Zinfandels young as well. And there are a few of those out there as well.
Grenache when it overproduces is less amazing than the lean years, I have found. It is good to ask the grower if he has a had a small harvest, and drought years and underproduction can be especially good for that exceptional Grenache vintage. Excellent Grenache is also grown in Sonoma County, and the Paso Robles region, so those are areas where the terroir is well suited. To try one of the truly exceptional Grenache’s of Paso Robles, please try, https://tablascreek.com/. I think Tablas Creek is some of the best Grenache I have ever tested. Neil Collins and his team, are masters at Grenache. And Neil himself has been at this for about 25 years and is highly recognized.
The grape does not do well with too much oak, so the masters of this wine, think Lewis Grace and Tablas Creek here, do not apply very much oak in their process. Grenache used to live in the shadow of bolder grapes, especially the venerable Syrah or the earthy Mourvedre, but in today’s market it is seeing a fan club all to itself. Producers are figuring it out, and that’s a wonderful thing.
As one long time French producer of wine once said:
“Grenache delivers what Pinot Noir promises…”
Before you heading out, maybe consume this deep dive to remember a few things before jumping into the car for the tastings.