Parentage — White-berried mutation of Grenache (Garnacha), of Aragonese origin
green apple
fennel
white peach
saline
dried herbs
Budbreak
Early
Maturity
Late; high sugar, low acidity
Leaf
Medium, orbicular, five lobes; glossy green
Bunch
Medium-large, conical, compact
Berry
Medium, round, greenish-gold; thick skin
The white face of the Mediterranean's most-travelled red, Grenache Blanc brings body, alcohol and a broad, herb-scented palate to the white blends of the southern Rhône, Roussillon and north-eastern Spain. Low in acid but rich in texture, it is a blender by vocation — the flesh that Roussanne, Clairette or Macabeo then lift and freshen.
It thrives on the sun-baked, wind-swept terraces where few white grapes ripen cleanly, and it anchors both dry whites and the oxidative, sun-dried styles of the Roussillon. Unshowy alone, it is indispensable in the warm-country white blends it quietly holds together.
Family
Documented parentage — the nearer the ring, the closer the kinship
Dashed ties are mutations (the same variety, not a cross). Grey nodes are forebears without an article of their own.