Giving Grenache the Respect It Deserves

Grenache’s aromas and flavors are fascinating, with pomegranate and cranberry replacing the nearly ubiquitous black cherry and plum of cabernet and merlot.

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Twenty years ago, I was interviewed on a radio program in San Francisco where, with three minutes left in the show, the host asked, “If you had to take only one wine to a desert island, what would it be?”

With no time to elaborate, I said “grenache,” to which the host replied, “You can’t leave us there! You have to explain!”