Why Temecula Wineries Like Wilson Creek Are Good For Creating Rose

Grenache Grapes Grown in Temecula

There are two main families of Grenache.  There is the French-style Grenache and then the Tinto Grenache out of Spain.  Both really like the heat, which makes them great for growing in Temecula.  Currently, we have about 3-4 acres of the more traditional Grenache out of France and we just planted 5 acres of Tinto Grenache, which will provide a bit more color and richness and ultimately allow us to create a true varietal Grenache.  Grenache is a very versatile grape that can be used as a great blending grape or varietal; it adds a nice essence to each wine it is blended with.  It is also a very plentiful grape where we get a lot of yield and that makes it great for creating a lot of exciting wines.

One of the unique aspects of Grenache is that it can be grown in all sorts of climates, but it only truly ripens and gets mature in warmer climates.  So, when you see an expression of Grenache in Temecula it is outside of the usual expectation of places where Grenache is harvested.  Much of the Grenache we know is from places like Provence where it is harvested when it is younger because many of the wine-growing regions in the world are much further North and it doesn’t have the climate to reach full maturity.  This has a lot to do with old world and modern day refrigeration.  Old world there were only so many places where you could actually store the wine by digging into the side of a hill and then storing your barrels essentially underground to keep them under the 62-degree threshold necessary to store wine.  With modern refrigeration you are now able to grow and preserve wines in varying climates, which allow them to fully mature in growing regions like Temecula.