Why Garnacha deserves our attention

Hello again – Dmitry Kesadov here, your wine guide, with another instalment of our gastronomic notes, inviting you to discover the fascinating world of Spanish wine and food.

There are so many wineries and restaurants in our part of Spain that it is easy to feel overwhelmed. You might even be tempted to abandon all discrimination and simply eat and drink whatever comes your way, trusting that anything Spanish must be excellent.

There is some truth in that, but only some. There is plenty of good food and wine, certainly, but there is also the truly exceptional. And it is those exceptional discoveries that we try to share with you here.

For another journey through Spanish wine culture, read Dmitry Kesadov’s guide to Cava and how to choose a good Spanish sparkling wine.

We have already discussed Monastrell. Today, however, our subject is Garnacha – a grape that many believe could become the defining face of Spanish red wine.

Garnacha: a quick profile

• Names: Garnacha in Spain, Grenache in France.
• Climate: a heat-loving variety.
• Characteristics: relatively thin-skinned and not always easy to grow. It can be susceptible to disease and somewhat temperamental.
• Preferred growing conditions: dry soils and rocky hillsides, although it is by no means limited to these environments.
• Ripening: a late-ripening variety.
• Where it grows: Spain, France, the United States, parts of Africa and Australia.

The origins of Garnacha and its place in Spanish winemaking

Garnacha is generally considered a Spanish variety, although its birthplace might be more accurately described in terms of the territories once occupied by several great medieval kingdoms.

These included the Kingdom of Pamplona, which existed from the 11th century and extended across both sides of the Pyrenees; the Kingdom of Aragón, which at the height of its power controlled territories in what are now France, Catalonia and Valencia; the County of Castile; and the County of Roussillon. And, of course, the Kingdom of Navarre.

We can be reasonably confident that Garnacha was an important grape, perhaps even the most important, for the winemakers of these kingdoms, whose populations included Basques, Catalans, French and Spaniards.

Among Spanish wine aficionados today, one often hears the suggestion that Garnacha, rather than Tempranillo, is the truly indigenous grape that best expresses the authentic character and spirit of Spain.

Yet this is where things become slightly confusing.

For years, Spanish wine critics have been writing about the supposed new fashion for Garnacha. Not long ago, a friend of mine once again told me about an article in a wine magazine describing this allegedly underrated grape and the emergence of a new Spanish wine movement.

But hang on, I asked him. What about Priorat?

For some reason, many people still fail to make the obvious connection between Priorat and Garnacha.

Priorat and the wine revolution of the 1980s

We should pause here and make a short journey to Priorat – a region that certainly did not discover Garnacha, but unquestionably helped return it to the highest ranks of international winemaking.

Indeed, if we are going to discuss the revival of Garnacha and the beginnings of what might be called Garnacha fever, then, in my opinion, the story really begins in Priorat in the 1980s.

René Barbier, Álvaro Palacios, Daphne Glorian, José Luis Pérez and their followers played a crucial part in that transformation.

Today’s young stars of Garnacha, whom we will meet a little later, represent the second wave.

It would be impossible to tell the full story of Priorat’s extraordinary rise in a single article, but let us at least sketch the essentials.

During the 20th century, Priorat’s vineyards had fallen into decline. Phylloxera, wars and other difficulties made it increasingly impossible to earn a living from viticulture, and more than half the population moved towards the coast.

The D.O. Tarragona wine region produced good wines, but little more than that.

Then, in the 1980s, a group of people achieved what would later become known as the Priorat miracle – or the Priorat wine revolution.

These were not people who had stumbled upon success by accident. They knew exactly what they were doing when they went in search of exceptional vineyard sites. They understood Garnacha and recognised the value of the grape.

Álvaro Palacios came from a family of Rioja winemakers, where Garnacha has always been far from insignificant. Carlos Pastrana, René Barbier and José Luis Pérez were equally knowledgeable and experienced professionals.

They deliberately selected sites with old vines and embraced the principle of extremely low yields, among other things.

Geography also played its part. As I mentioned earlier, Priorat occupies a rather particular place in the cultural landscape. The French, Catalans and Spaniards can all, in different ways, regard it as part of their own world.

French wine lovers therefore embraced Priorat almost as one of their own regions, quickly recognised the quality of its wines and helped propel their prices and ratings upwards within just a few years.

Wines such as L’Ermita, Clos Martinet, Clos Erasmus and Clos Mogador broke the dominance of Rioja and Ribera del Duero and joined the international wine elite, apparently without having to wait their turn.

Of course, Spain has its own peculiar relationship with history and change.

It is not always easy to speak of sensations or revolutions here. Garnacha, for example, has been a supposed sensation for more than twenty years. Even after Priorat’s extraordinary achievements, people in Spain still occasionally speak of the variety as an emerging talent, almost an exotic local curiosity.

In a more commercially driven and fast-moving country such as the United States, twenty years would probably have been more than enough to establish Garnacha as a recognised classic.

The character of Garnacha and its role in blends

There are many ways to approach Garnacha.

For some people, myself included, it is a surprisingly difficult variety to pin down. I cannot always recognise it immediately, nor can I invariably find the right words to describe its sensory characteristics.

That elusiveness may be one of its virtues, although it can sometimes make the grape harder to understand and promote.

It is no coincidence that Garnacha is frequently used in blends, alongside varieties such as Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo.

The reasons vary from region to region, as do the desired results.

In Rioja, for example, producers sometimes make wines from 100% Garnacha, although it is more commonly blended with Tempranillo.

At the celebrated Château de Beaucastel in the Rhône Valley, Jacques Perrin worked with thirteen grape varieties, while Grenache accounted for only around 30% of the vineyard plantings.

In Australia, Grenache was once the country’s most widely planted grape variety, but it later lost considerable ground to Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Legendary Garnacha wines and critics’ scores

At the same time, there is absolutely no doubt that Garnacha has produced, and continues to produce, extraordinary single-varietal wines.

When it takes the leading role, the grape can be truly spectacular.

Álvaro Palacios once named Château Rayas as his favourite wine – indeed, in his view, the greatest wine in the world. Preferably the 2000 vintage.

Château Rayas comes from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where the Reynaud family produces an exceptional Garnacha-based wine from an estate of around thirteen hectares.

According to the story, the family business owes its beginnings to an unfortunate twist of fate. In 1880, Albert Reynaud, a notary, lost his hearing and was forced to change professions. So he bought a vineyard.

Wine enthusiasts will know that long before Bordeaux established its supremacy, the great wines of southern France – Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, Gigondas and Châteauneuf-du-Pape, among others – enjoyed an exceptional reputation.

Mourvèdre, Syrah and Grenache are among the leading grapes associated with these wines.

It is hardly surprising, then, that Robert Parker, whose influence helped establish Bordeaux’s global prestige, also became a great admirer of Rhône Valley wines and repeatedly emphasised the remarkable potential of Spanish Garnacha.

In 2009, he even made a special visit to Spain. Until then, he had reportedly visited the country only once during thirty years of his career.

On this occasion, he participated in a special Garnacha tasting at the Wine Future conference.

And we should not forget those famous 100-point scores.

Tempranillo-based wines have frequently received the highest marks: Artadi in 2004, Benjamín Romeo in 2004 and 2005, Ramírez de Ganuza in 2004, Numanthia in 2004, Pingus in 2004 and 2012, and Vega Sicilia in 1962, among others.

Yet Garnacha has hardly been left behind.

Consider L’Ermita in 2013, the long-aged Garnacha from Arrels del Priorat, Aragón’s Alto Moncayo on two occasions, and Priorat’s Clos Erasmus.

And Contador, the wine created by Benjamín Romeo – who sadly passed away in 2026 – is itself a blend that includes Garnacha.

We can also add the more recent and sensational 100-point wines Rumbo al Norte 2016 and 2021, made from Garnacha in Gredos by Comando G, as well as the same producer’s Tumba del Rey Moro 2023.

Álvaro Palacios has also produced an outstanding Garnacha in Rioja: Quiñón de Valmira 2023.

And then there is Priorat, of course: Clos Erasmus 2004, 2005, 2013 and 2020, Les Manyes 2024, and Nit de Nin Mas d’en Caçador 2020.

We are often talking about wines that are not made entirely from Garnacha, but in which the grape invariably plays a leading or otherwise significant part.

Garnacha beyond Spain

Garnacha has another advantage over Tempranillo: Grenache is a truly international variety, whereas Tempranillo remains much more closely associated with Spain.

Apart from the great Grenache wines of the Rhône Valley, outstanding examples can be found in the United States, including projects associated with John Alban and Sine Qua Non, and in Australia, where producers such as Torbreck have demonstrated the grape’s potential.

The new Garnacha: styles, producers and future prospects

Now let us turn to current trends and, more importantly, where to find some of the best Garnacha wines.

The traditional style of top Spanish wines from Rioja and Ribera del Duero, with their powerful fruit character and chocolate aromas, has now been joined by an increasingly distinctive new style of Garnacha.

Perhaps the variety will eventually occupy part of the territory associated with Pinot Noir, a grape that has relatively limited prospects for widespread cultivation in Spain.

It may become a favourite among those who appreciate subtlety, complexity, elusive nuances and intricately layered aromas.

A new generation from established winemaking families is already working enthusiastically with Garnacha.

René Barbier III and the Balaguer family created the celebrated Ca del Viudes in Priorat.

Daniel Jiménez-Landi left his family’s winery in 2012 and became involved in Comando G, a project dedicated to exploring and experimenting with Garnacha.

In Aragón, I would highlight Fagus from Bodegas Aragonesas and Clos de Baltasar from Bodegas San Alejandro.

The latter winery has repeatedly received gold and silver medals at the international Grenache competition, the Grenaches du Monde.

It is a substantial competition with a large number of participants: on many occasions, more than sixty gold medals are awarded.

French and Spanish producers are among the leading contenders, but Italy – particularly Sardinia – Australia and other countries also take part.

There is enormous promise in wines from Toledo, Madrid, Cariñena, Campo de Borja, Navarra and Montsant.

Even now, these regions offer remarkable combinations of quality and value. I encourage everyone to follow the emergence of the next Garnacha stars in these places.

I have little doubt that they will appear.

Alto Moncayo and Garnacha from Aragón

We certainly cannot overlook Alto Moncayo.

The project brings together Bodegas Borsao from Campo de Borja, Jorge Ordóñez, Dan Philips and winemaker Chris Ringland.

Ringland, an Australian, achieved something extraordinary for the third time in his remarkable career.

After his own celebrated Shiraz wines and the El Nido project, which transformed Monastrell from Spain’s Mediterranean east into an international superstar, it was Garnacha’s turn.

Ringland created Alto Moncayo, which went on to receive 100 points from Parker for both the 2007 and 2009 vintages.

Gredos: the heart of modern Garnacha

Perhaps the best-known region for contemporary Garnacha is Gredos.

Alongside the already mentioned Comando G, there are plenty of other excellent projects worth discovering.

Prices for Comando G wines are increasingly moving into three-figure territory, but very good Garnacha from Soto Manrique, for example, remains considerably more affordable.

I would also mention 4 Monos, Bernabeleva and Pegaso, the project associated with Telmo Rodríguez.

These are distinctive wines, relatively light in body yet so full of energy and aromatic intensity that their delicacy becomes an advantage rather than a weakness.

They are wines worth seeking out and enjoying now.

Garnacha in Alicante, Murcia and Mediterranean Spain

By now, some readers may well be wondering why we have travelled so far from home.

After all, these gastronomic notes are primarily devoted to our own corner of Spain, highlighting interesting aspects of local wine and food culture.

And Aragón, Priorat and Gredos are some distance from our Mediterranean coast.

Indeed, Garnacha is not one of the dominant grape varieties in our part of south-eastern Spain.

In our article on the southern style of Spanish wines and our guide to Monastrell, we discussed the principal grapes of the Mediterranean region: Monastrell, Moscatel, Garnacha Tintorera, Giró and Bobal, among others.

Nevertheless, we do have Garnacha here – and some very good Garnacha at that.

Casa Castillo, for example, makes El Molar.

At the long-established Bodega Castaño, there is GMS, made from the famous combination of Garnacha, Monastrell and Syrah – a blend that has almost become a classic category in its own right.

Bullas: an emerging home for Garnacha

And now it seems that our Mediterranean Garnacha may even be developing a distinctive territory of its own within D.O. Bullas.

Incidentally, Bullas is well worth a visit for at least three reasons.

First, it is a remarkable high-altitude area with its own landscape, cuisine, history and culture.

Winemaking here has a surprisingly long and distinguished history stretching back thousands of years. The region remembers the Phoenician era and Roman rule.

According to local legend, the Knights Templar helped establish the population’s enthusiasm for wine in the 13th century, encouraging people to drink it instead of water, which was considered unsafe.

Second, Bullas has an excellent Wine Museum – the sort of discovery you might hardly expect in a place like this.

And third, of course, there is the wine itself.

It has a character all its own. Alongside Monastrell, local winemakers appear to be making increasingly serious progress with Garnacha.

For more about the region’s principal red grape, read Dmitry Kesadov’s article The Past and Future of Monastrell.

Almost simultaneously, in 2015 and 2016, Madrid-born cellist Julia Casado and the Saura family began working with Garnacha vineyards in the Bullas area.

Today, alongside their Monastrell wines, their ranges include flagship Garnacha bottlings: Cauro Ventum and Raigón from Bodega Saura, and El Ninja de las Uvas from Vinos de Sur Salvaje, Julia Casado’s project.

Add the Garnacha produced by Paraísos Perdidos, particularly its Vida Salvaje, and it becomes difficult to see this as a mere coincidence.

The high-altitude, dry and warm landscapes of Bullas and Caravaca de la Cruz may well become another recognised home for Garnacha, joining the regions we have explored throughout this article.

Final thoughts

So, there you have it.

Do make the effort to venture into the mountainous inland areas of our region. Taste the wines mentioned here, discover new Garnacha producers, catch a little of that Garnacha fever and join the growing community of enthusiasts.

There is a great deal still to discover, and the journey promises to be a very enjoyable one.

Last updated: 20 October 2026. This article explores wine culture and is intended for adults of legal drinking age. Please drink responsibly. The information is provided for general interest and does not constitute a commercial offer.

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