Grenache
Also known as Garnacha, Cannonau
Probably Aragón, Spain
A sun-loving, high-alcohol red grape central to Southern Rhône blends like Châteauneuf-du-Pape, offering ripe red fruit and a soft, generous texture.
Sensory profile
Characteristics
Flavor & aroma
At a glance
Production facts
Prevalence
Widely planted
Climate
Warm climate
Ripening
Late season
Wine styles
Still, Dessert, Fortified
Where it's grown
Geography
Shaded areas are the state, province or département(s) containing each region, so they run wider than the appellations themselves.
Spain
Aragón (Priorat, Campo de Borja)
As Garnacha, the grape's likely homeland, producing everything from everyday reds to intense, mineral Priorat.
France
Southern Rhône (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
The dominant grape in the region's classic GSM (Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre) blends.
France
Roussillon (Banyuls)
Fortified into rich, sweet Vin Doux Naturel dessert wines.
Australia
McLaren Vale
Old bush vines, especially on the pale sands of Blewitt Springs, make fine-grained, perfumed wines.
Background
Origin & History
Grenache is widely believed to have originated on the Iberian Peninsula, in the Aragón region of Spain, where it's known as Garnacha, before spreading across the Mediterranean, likely aided by the medieval Crown of Aragón, which for a time ruled Sardinia — where the grape is still grown today as Cannonau. It thrives in hot, dry, windy conditions that would stress many other varieties.
It became a cornerstone of Southern Rhône blends, most famously Châteauneuf-du-Pape, typically partnered with Syrah and Mourvèdre in the classic "GSM" combination. Its naturally high sugar accumulation and comparatively low tannin also suit it to fortified sweet wines, such as France's Banyuls and Rasteau Vin Doux Naturel, and today it ranks among the most widely planted red grapes in the world.
Lineage
Family tree
Parentage not recorded — Grenache is an old variety of unknown origin. Click a related grape to explore its own lineage.