In Rioja, tempranillo reigns supreme with 80% of the vineyard area. But perhaps not for much longer. It is getting warmer and drier and that is where tempranillo shows its limitations.
Garnacha (grenache in France), on the other hand, although it has long played second fiddle in Rioja, can handle the drought. It is planted mainly in Rioja Oriental (ex-Baja) where it is warmest.
It still rains around 450 mm in Rioja but less and less during the growing season itself. There are long summers without rain. Historically, garnacha was a faithful servant in the region.
When the phylloxera arrived in Rioja at the end of the 19th century, the vineyard area was around 80,000 hectares compared to today’s 65,000 ha. After the advance of phylloxera, it had dropped to 15,000 hectares. When replanting with grafted vines began, it was mainly garnacha.
But in the 1970s, new replantings took place, this time with tempranillo. The area under garnacha has declined, perhaps in part because the grape is more susceptible to coulure (uneven fruit set).
Perhaps this can be food for thought for those who insist that “this is how the wine should taste” to be “typical”’ The style of the wines has varied dramatically over the years, in Rioja as elsewhere.
Garnacha is likely to increase, Rodolfo Bastida, head winemaker at Ramón Bilbao, said in an interview. Growers are now replacing vineyards planted in the 1970s with garnacha in the drier areas, and also with more unknown Rioja grapes such as graciano and mazuelo.
Read more: thedrinksbusiness
Read:
- Read our grape profile on grenache/garnacha here: Grenache, hard-working and discreet, but brilliant | Grape Variety Profile.
- Or the shorter version published on Forbes.com: Grenache, An Unsung Hero In The Vineyards.
