Wine show judges have been ignoring Barossa reds for decades but Grenache is coming to the region’s rescue. At the four major shows (Sydney, Melbourne Adelaide and Canberra) in 2022 Grenache and Grenache blends from the Barossa scooped the pool being awarded a total of nine trophies.
This was in marked contrast to the region’s performance in the trophy contests for Shiraz and Cabernet where the awards drought continues. Judges continue to mark down the rich and flavoursome Barossans that ordinary drinkers clearly like.
The legacy of Brian Croser and James Halliday with their obsession with “cool climate elegance” still lingers on the Royal Agricultural Show circuit. That Grenache wines do not meet the same fate from judges is not a sign of a change of heart. Rather it reflects the simple truth that Grenache needs a warmer temperature to thrive than cool climates can provide.
For an understanding of how the prejudice against warm climate wines came to dominate the show establishment, have a read of James Halliday on Monstrous Red Wines.
Glug has been in the vanguard of promoting Grenache along with Shiraz and Mataro – the two other heritage varieties of the Barossa Valley. When blended together they produce a style of warm climate red that has steadily grown in popularity.
Three Different GSM blends
With the 2020 vintage we created three different blends. They create positive changes to the role of each variety in the three. These are currently available on the site.
