Grenache Day wine picks
Happy Grenache Day! If you aren’t attending the big shindig tonight at Suite D to celebrate the Rhone varietal, you can stop by girl & the fig in Sonoma, where winemakers will be pouring tastes of their Grenache wines (red, white and rose) to diners all day.
And if you can’t make it to the fig, we’ve got your back up plan. girl & the fig Wine Director Brian Casey (BC) and myself (SS) have gathered our top picks for Sonoma Valley Grenache wines that you can buy at local retailers, the girl & the fig to go, and local wineries. Cheers!
Matthes 2014 Grenache Blanc, Sonoma Valley ($60 exclusively at girl & the fig)
“The fruit itself rests on a third of that acre, down the street from Sonoma’s Best, numbering 680 vines — as Henry [Matthes] said, you can almost give each of them their own names!” – BC
Mathis 2012 Grenache, Sonoma Valley ($32)
“Winemaker Peter Mathis is a legend when it comes to producing Grenache in Sonoma Valley. If you haven’t had his Grenache, you’re missing out. Age worthy, with nice black fruit and black pepper, it’s dark, moody and a pure delight.” – SS
Dane Cellars 2014 Grenache, Justi Creek Vineyard ($52 at girl & the fig)
“Organically farmed fruit from the Justi Creek Vineyard, dark and delicious.” – BC
Westwood 2014 Estate Grenache ($46)
“A house known for Pinot Noir that produces a great estate Grenache. Currants, raspberry, cloves and ginger make this Grenache a great chilly night wine. Only 4 barrels produced.” -SS
Winery Sixteen 600 2012 Steel Plow Grenache ($42)
“With its rocky alluvial soil and warm days, tempered by the cool winds that funnel through the narrow northern end of Sonoma Valley, you could amlost picture the Steel Plow Vineyard being near the banks of the Rhone River.” – BC
