International Grenache Day celebrates the grapes

Friday marked the latest International Grenache Day, with organisers encouraging wine lovers to pop a cork of Grenache-based wine and share their experiences.

The world’s most widely-planted red variety gets a day all to itself, as winemakers and enthusiasts aim to raise the profile of this often under-rated grape, in an annual event being celebrated worldwide.

Last year’s International Grenache Day saw events in more than 30 countries, with producers, wine merchants, restaurants and wine enthusiasts aiming to put Grenache centre-stage.

Organisers feel that the importance of the Grenache noir grape is often forgotten as it hides in blends with other varieties, even in its heartland of the Rhone Valley. The Day also celebrates white Grenache as well, both Gris and Blanc.

International Grenache Day was founded after the first International Grenache Symposium in 2010, and is promoted by wine luminaries such as Chester Osborn of d’Arenberg, Nicole Rolet of Chene Bleu wines, and Dean Hewitson of Hewitson Wines.

Posting on Twitter, winemaker Randall Grahm said: “For me, Grenache has been a bit like the proverbial girl next door. Has taken yrs. to work out how beautiful she is.”

Worldwide events for the day have been posted on a dedicated Google Map, viewable here, and the Day was being promoted on Facebook and on Twitter using #GrenacheDay.