After years of making masses of wine nobody would thank you for, plus some pretty good stuff along with swankier grapes who stole the credit, downtrodden varietal Grenache is all set, at last, to grab a bit of overdue attention. Grenache is one of a number of "lesser" grape varieties which has begun to emerge as a wine star in its own right, its name boldly stamped on the front label, where before it might have been lucky to rate a passing, small-print mention on the back. We shouldn't really be surprised. Strange as it may seem (and it seems to me so strange that I've rummaged through references for days to confirm it), Grenache is the most widely-planted red grape in the world. More to the point now, in the dead of winter, it makes varietal wines full of lush, spicy fruit and warming alcohol for a pleasingly modest price.
Grenache's grandest incarnation is, of course, in Chateauneufdu-Pape, in the dense, red delights of the southern Rhone to which it contributes in varying degrees (right up to 100 per cent in the case of Chateau Rayas, often cited as Chateauneuf's best wine and hence distinctly immodest in price). It is also a significant element in most Cotes du Rhone, from the most delicious to the most wishy-washily dire. But Grenache's new status as a standalone grape is easier to grasp if you look further back into the viticultural past.
Spain is the first territory to comb. Garnacha, as it is in Spanish, seems to have originated in the northern Kingdom of Aragon and spread from there into Navarra, Rioja and many other adjacent parts of Spain before crossing the Pyrenees to arrive in the south of France. It was not just the southern Rhone that seized upon Grenache. Roussillon - under Aragon rule and influence for 400 years - planted it extensively. Here it became the main basis not only for dry reds and roses as in Spain, but also for sweet, red wines such as Banyuls, Rivesaltes and Maury. In both countries, its ability to withstand heat and drought, coupled with that propensity to produce heady wines, made it a long-standing favourite.
Grenache or Garnacha has clung tenaciously to its native patches in Spain and the south of France. Even though official policy has encouraged more "noble" grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, enough good growers and winemakers have championed it, that not only is its survival ensured, and now it has a new, high-quality identity.
Wine from the grapes of old Grenache vines, unirrigated and low-yielding, tastes more concentrated and altogether more impressive than the nondescript, dilute stuff of youthful, carelessly tended vineyards. That's why the words vinas viejas, vieilles vignes or plain English "old vines" feature so often on new-style Grenache labels.
In other parts of the world there have been signs of the same reversal of fortune - less Grenache, maybe, but more panache. It's difficult, now, to believe it was the most popular grape in Australia until the mid-1960s - used mainly in bulk blending. Now, only a tiny handful of producers bother with Grenache - but those who do, treat it like a star. Robert O'Callaghan and Charlie Melton in the Barossa Valley, with his Chateauneuf-inspired Nine Popes, Tim Gramp and D'Arenberg in McLaren Vale are some of the front-line troops in the battle to show how explosive good Grenache can be.
In California, too, the grape which was once an anonymous constituent in unquantifiable tankfuls of jug-wine has gone to ground only to re-emerge with a glitzier image. Its makeover is due mainly to Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon Vineyard and the rest of the group who call themselves the Rhone Rangers. The waffle on the back label of Grahm's Grenache, Clos de Gilroy, may be a bit hard to swallow, but at least he reminds us that what he calls its "wildly fruity, peppery, strawberryrhubarbity' is perfect with Mediterranean-style grilled food, "especially when anointed with olive oil". That's something we've grown to love in Ireland all year round (although it may be worth tucking into some corner of your memory the fact that Grenache roses are among the very best for summer picnics and barbecues).
Red Grenache, drunk while it's still youthful and juicy, is in fact an attractively flexible wine, often with a slightly rustic edge which makes it a natural partner for simple, unpretentious cooking. It will go with anything from vegetable couscous or moussaka (don't forget, 1970s food is supposed to be on the way back) to meaty casseroles and moderately gutsy pizza and pasta. And it's totally fab with the spicy Chorizo and Merguez sausages made by Hicks of Sallynoggin.
Grenache's glory
Agramont Garnacha de Vinas Viejas, Navarra 1995 (Dunnes Stores, £4.99): You'll hardly find a more budget-friendly starting point than this one, made by the quality-driven Principe de Viana bodega. It's in a fairly simple, rustic style dominated by warming alcohol, but a bottled-up strawberry and vanilla character emerges after a while. Great value.
DLC Original Grenache, Vieilles Vignes, 1996 (Roches Stores, many SuperValus, Bird Flanagan, Gibneys, Galvin's Cork, O Lorcain Balbriggan, Round House Limerick, Noble Rot Navan, McCarricks Tubbercurry, McKeoghs Killaloe and many other outlets, usually £5.29£5.49; also Direct Wine Shipments, Belfast): A real crowd pleaser, light and fruity with a pinch of herbs, a dash of spice and enough acidity to keep you sipping. Nicely balanced, nicely priced and easy to track down. See bottle of the week.
Marques de Aragon Old Vine Garnacha, Calatayud, 1996 (Searsons, DeVine Wine Shop Castleknock, Dublin Wine Co, Malahide, O'Keeffes Kilkenny, O'Donovans Cork, usually £5.50£6): From Aragon, where grape sleuths say the Garnacha cult began, an appealingly robust red with assertive, tangy flavours and plenty of oomph. Again the price is perfect for January penury.
Clos de Gilroy California Grenache, Bonny Doon, 1996 (McCabes, Pettitts, Dublin Wine Co Malahide, usually £8.99; also James Nicholson, Kildare and Crossgar): "This is our flagship. It represents everything we know and believe about red wine," said Randall Grahm, Calfornia's original Rhone Ranger, introducing the 1994 Clos de Gilroy in Dublin last summer. The 1996 is even fruitier, but with hints of darker, more exotic flavours coming through beneath. Fiercely attractive.
Yalumba Barossa Bush Vine Grenache 1996 (Foleys, McCabes, Grogans, Bennetts Howth, Spar Ballybrack and Monkstown, usually about £11.50; also available from James Nicholson in Crossgar): From Australia: luxurious and ultra-smooth but still robust. So much lush, ripe fruit that it's almost creamy, and the flavours linger deliciously.
Banyuls, Domaine de la Rectorie, 1994/5 (Terroirs, McCabes, Deveneys, Verlings, Kelleys Artane, half bottle usually about £7.15): Grenache in a completely different guise: here you have an outstanding example of Roussillon's unctuous, red dessert-wine from top producers Parce Freres. Predominantly Grenache Noir, with small percentages of Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris and Carignan. It tastes stupendous with chocolate desserts of all descriptions.