Grenache, or Garnacha: Same Grape, 3 Ways
If you take a single variety and make wine in three distinct regions, how different will the wines be?
Credit.Tony Cenicola/The New York Times
How important is the choice of grape in determining the character of a wine?
Extremely important, obviously. But it is far from the sole factor. Soil and bedrock, climate, farming methods, altitude and inclination, intent of the winemaker all the elements of terroir can be just as important.
Sometimes they can be even more so. Chablis and Sancerre, though made of chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, occasionally can be mistaken for one another, especially if they were both made from grapes grown on Kimmeridgian limestone, which can be found in both regions.