Vibrant and spirited reds can be fun for the season of heat

• Published date: 24 June 2022
• Publication title: Shanghai Daily

Week two in our sensational summer wine series features one of my favorite red varieties. While I'll be the first to admit that a plurality of the best wines for summer are white or rose, a select number of reds also feature an abundance of summer-friendly qualities. Before revealing our next summer beauty, let's first take a quick look at what makes a wine suitable for the season of heat.

First and foremost all great summer wines have an abundance of freshness, technically speaking this means good acidity. Other desirable attributes are vibrancy, fruitiness and purity. All these qualities help assuage the heat and make wines good companions to popular seasonal foods like salads, seafood pastas and pizzas, cheese-centric dishes and grilled meats. One increasingly popular variety fits perfectly in this realm.

renache is one of several popular grapes with a disputed origin. The Spanish, who refer to this grape as Garnacha and several other names, claim it as their own with most Spanish ampelographers believing the grape originated in or around the region of Aragon in the northeast of Spain. Others are not so sure. The Mediterranean island of Sardinia that was part of Spain and now is part of Italy also claims to be the land of origin for the grape. On the island the grape is widely planted and called Cannonau.

By the 19th century the variety was well-established in Southern France and plantings in New World regions like Australia and California were growing. Regardless of its origin and many names, the grape has been a resounding success and today is one of the most planted varieties in the world.

One factor in the success of Grenache is the celebrated ability of this grape to blend with other grapes and make delicious wines. It's fair to say that Grenache is one of the most accommodating and friendly grapes you'll find anywhere. The variety is prized for adding both fruitiness and alcohol to blends along with some spice and zestiness. Some of the most popular grapes to blend with Grenache include Syrah, Mourvendre, Carignan, Tempranillo and in some cases Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

nother positive quality of Grenache is the ease and consistency of cultivation. Year in and year out the hearty vines ripen evenly more often than not producing quality fruit. This contrasts sharply with more finicky varietals like Pinot Noir where each new vintage is an adventure.

Earlier this year I write about Cotes du Rhone, the most prolific and affordable of southern Rhone...