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One of the world's most widely planted red grapes, one of its most underrated, and one Friday in September set aside to make the case for it properly.
Every year on the third Friday of September, the wine world turns its attention to a grape that, by most measures, deserves it every week. Grenache, known as Garnacha in its native Spain, is one of the most widely planted red grape varieties on the planet. It is the backbone of some of the world's most celebrated wines. It grows on six continents. And yet, for all of that, it is consistently overlooked in favour of flashier varieties that get more column inches.
International Grenache Day exists to fix that. In 2026, it falls on Friday 18 September.
Here is everything you need to know about the grape, the day, and why both are worth paying attention to.
What Is International Grenache Day and When Is It?
International Grenache Day is held every year on the third Friday of September. In 2026, that is Friday 18 September.
It was born out of the first International Grenache Symposium, held in 2010 at La Verriere vineyard in southern France. The symposium was founded by the late wine writer and merchant Steven Spurrier, alongside wine critic Michel Bettane, Walter McKinlay of Domaine de Mourchon, and Nicole Rolet of Chene Bleu wines. More than 250 producers and wine professionals from 22 countries attended.
The aim was not to create a marketing campaign. It was to remind the wine world about a grape that, despite being one of the most planted varieties on earth, rarely receives the kind of serious attention it deserves. The International Grenache Association grew out of the same symposium, and the day has been observed every year since.
The way to celebrate is simple: open something made from Grenache. Which, as you will see below, gives you quite a lot of options.
Where Grenache Comes From
Grenache originated in Aragon, in northeastern Spain, where it has been known as Garnacha for centuries. The historical evidence is fairly clear: Aragon is the only region in the world where the full range of Grenache varieties, red, white, grey and peluda (meaning hairy), all grow together, which strongly suggests it is the grape's original home rather than simply a region it travelled to.
The grape spread from Aragon in two directions. During the 14th and 15th centuries, as the Crown of Aragon expanded its influence across the western Mediterranean, Grenache crossed the Pyrenees into southern France, arriving in what are now Languedoc-Roussillon and eventually the Rhone Valley. By the 18th and 19th centuries it was established throughout the southern Rhone, including Chateauneuf-du-Pape, where it would become the dominant variety.
It also travelled with the Aragonese to Sardinia, where it became so thoroughly embedded in the local viticulture that for a long time many Sardinians considered it a native variety. They call it Cannonau there. DNA testing has confirmed that Cannonau, Garnacha and Grenache are genetically identical.
From Europe it spread further during the colonial era, arriving in Australia in the 1830s and 40s, where it was among the first grape varieties planted. The combination of heat tolerance and drought resistance made it well suited to the South Australian climate, and some of the vines planted in McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley during that period are still producing fruit today.
Where Grenache Grows Best
Grenache is a warm-climate grape. It needs heat to ripen fully and is naturally drought-resistant, which makes it well suited to the dry, sun-baked growing conditions found across the Mediterranean and in parts of the Southern Hemisphere. It ripens late in the season and builds high sugar levels, which is why Grenache wines tend to have higher alcohol and a generous, full-bodied warmth.
The regions where it does best:
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Aragon, Spain: Grenache's heartland. The Cariñena DO, where Dominio de Longaz is based, and neighbouring Campo de Borja and Calatayud produce Garnacha in some of the variety's most concentrated forms. The stony clay soils, known locally as cascajo, and the dry continental climate produce wines with real structure and depth.
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Priorat, Spain: The other great Spanish Grenache region, where old vines on dramatic schist slopes (licorella) produce some of the most concentrated and mineral-driven Grenache in the world. Priorat wines were revived from near-abandonment in the 1980s by a small group of pioneering producers who recognised the quality hidden in the old, ungrafted vine material.
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Southern Rhone, France: Chateauneuf-du-Pape is the most famous Grenache wine in the world, typically Grenache-dominant (often 70 to 80% or more of the blend), grown on the region's famous galets roulés, large rounded stones that retain heat during the day and release it overnight. Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Cotes du Rhone all follow the same general formula.
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McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley, Australia: Australia is home to some of the oldest Grenache vines in the world, many dating back to the late 1800s and untouched by the phylloxera epidemic that devastated European vineyards. Old vine Grenache from these two South Australian regions has undergone a genuine quality revolution in the past decade, and in 2026 Grenache held more places in the Halliday Wine Companion Top Wines than any other variety.
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Sardinia, Italy: As Cannonau, Grenache produces some of the island's most characterful wines: rustic, earthy, deeply coloured and long-lived, with a savouriness that sets them apart from mainland Grenache styles.
There are around 200,000 hectares of Grenache planted globally, making it one of the most widely grown red varieties on earth.
What Grenache Tastes Like
Grenache has a distinctive flavour profile that makes it recognisable even in a blind tasting, but it is also a variety that shifts significantly depending on where it is grown and how it is made.
The core flavours are red fruit: raspberry, strawberry, fresh redcurrant, cherry. Young Grenache tends to be bright and forward, with a juicy, generous quality that makes it immediately approachable. There is usually a note of white pepper or dried herbs, and in warmer growing conditions a warmth and richness that can verge on the spiced or almost meaty.
The variety is naturally low in tannin and moderate in acidity, which is part of why it is so easy to drink but also why it is often blended: without sufficient tannin structure, a pure Grenache can feel soft to the point of looseness. The softness is a feature in a well-made example, particularly when old vines add concentration and complexity, but winemakers often bring in Syrah and Mourvèdre (or Carignan or Tempranillo, depending on the region) to add backbone.
With age, Grenache develops into something more complex: leather, tar, dried fruit, tobacco and spice replacing the fresh red berry character of youth. Old vine Grenache aged in barrel for several years can produce wine of genuine depth and longevity.
Grenache also makes excellent rosé. Its naturally generous red fruit character and moderate tannin translate beautifully into the pale, dry rosé style, and it is one of the key varieties in Provence and Tavel rosé production.
Grenache in Famous Blends vs as a Single Variety
For most of its history, Grenache has been a team player. The most famous blending traditions using Grenache are:
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GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre): the dominant blending formula across the Southern Rhone and widely adopted in Australia and California. Grenache provides the fruit and warmth, Syrah adds dark fruit, structure and pepper, Mourvèdre contributes earthiness and tannin. The proportions vary by appellation and producer, but Grenache almost always leads.
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Chateauneuf-du-Pape: up to 13 grape varieties are permitted in the blend, but in practice most wines are predominantly Grenache, often 70 to 80% or more. The appellation's most famous estate, Chateau Rayas, makes its wine from 100% Grenache old vines.
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Rioja: Garnacha plays a supporting role alongside Tempranillo across many Rioja blends, adding roundness and fruit.
The shift worth paying attention to now is the move toward single variety Grenache. Producers in Priorat, Aragon, McLaren Vale and the Barossa are increasingly bottling Grenache on its own, often from old vine fruit that is concentrated enough to stand without blending partners. These single variety expressions tend to show off the grape's full range: the perfume, the red fruit, the warmth, and in the best examples a savoury earthiness that makes them genuinely compelling.
The Dominio de Longaz Garnacha in this month's Welcome to Spring Journey Pack is a 100% estate grown single variety expression from Cariñena in Aragon, which is exactly the region where Grenache tells its most direct and unfiltered story.
Food Pairings for Grenache
Grenache's generous red fruit, soft tannins and warmth make it one of the most food-friendly red varieties. It is broad enough to work across a wide range of dishes, and specific enough to elevate the right ones.
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Grilled and roasted lamb: the classic pairing in both Spain and the Southern Rhone. The juicy red fruit in Grenache cuts through the richness of lamb without fighting it, and the soft tannins sit comfortably with the meat's texture. Rack of lamb with herbs, slow-roasted shoulder, or a simple lamb cutlet off the grill all work well.
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Charcuterie and cured meats: the fruit and warmth in Grenache play nicely alongside the salt and fat of jamón, salami, chorizo or prosciutto. A simple charcuterie board and a glass of Grenache is a very good combination.
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Pizza and slow-cooked tomato dishes: Grenache's natural acidity (modest though it is) and red fruit make it a natural match for tomato-based dishes. A wood-fired pizza margherita, a slow-cooked ragu, or a Provencal-style slow-braised meat with olives and herbs all pair well.
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Tapas and mezze: the Spanish tradition of eating Garnacha alongside small shared plates, olives, patatas bravas, gambas, manchego, is one of the great low-effort ways to spend an evening. The wine's generosity and soft structure make it easy to pour and re-pour alongside multiple different flavours.
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Lightly spiced dishes: Grenache's inherent sweetness of fruit stands up well to mild spice. Moroccan tagine, mild chilli, a spiced pork or duck dish, all work. It is not a wine for intense heat, but it handles warmth better than most reds.
How to Celebrate International Grenache Day
The bar is refreshingly low. You need a bottle of Grenache and something to eat alongside it. But if you want to make the most of it:
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Try a single variety: if you normally drink Grenache in a GSM blend, find a 100% Grenache or Garnacha to try on its own. It is a different experience and a useful way to understand what the grape itself brings to the wines you already know.
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Try two regions side by side: Grenache tastes genuinely different depending on where it is grown. A Spanish Garnacha from Cariñena alongside a Southern Rhone Grenache or a McLaren Vale old vine expression is one of the most interesting comparative tastings you can do with any single variety.
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Serve it slightly cooler than you think: Grenache's generous fruit and warmth can feel heavy if the wine is served too warm. A 30-minute chill in the fridge before serving, targeting around 16 degrees Celsius, lifts the freshness and makes the red fruit feel brighter and more precise.
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Make it an occasion: the whole point of the day is to pay attention to a grape that usually plays a supporting role. Pull together a few small dishes, open a good bottle, and actually taste what is in the glass. Grenache rewards that kind of attention more than most.
Celebrate with the Dominio de Longaz Garnacha
Dominio de Longaz is based in the Cariñena DO in Aragon, the region that Grenache has called home for centuries. Their Garnacha is estate grown on the producer's own 70 hectares of vineyards, on the characteristic stony clay soils of the region, and was awarded a Silver Medal at Garnaches du Monde.
It is in this month's Welcome to Spring Journey Pack, which means there is no better way to mark Grenache Day this Friday than opening the pack.
Shop the Dominio de Longaz Garnacha
Shop the Welcome to Spring Journey Pack
