.
Today we have a preview of a session to be presented during SWE’s 42nd Annual Conference, to be held on August 15–17, 2018 in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. Our guest author is Hoke Harden, CSS, CSE, who tells us about his upcoming session entitled The Great Big Wide Wonderful World of Garnacha/Grenache
So…you think you know Grenache?
You might be surprised. Any variety that can range from the soft perfumed elegance of quaffable fruity delight to the magnificent brooding power of Chateauneuf-du-Pape is a force to be reckoned with.
Grenache vineyards in the Languedoc
Despite being abused, maligned, and over cropped, Grenache has maintained its presence and spread around the world from its humble origins in Spain and Southern France. Grenache is typically seen as a consummate blending variety, and yet it has always managed to catch the affection of dedicated growers and winemakers as a single variety as well. Garnacha/Grenache can make white, gris, rose’, light red, full-bodied red, sweet and rancio sec.
In this session, we will focus on the distinctive areas of Garnacha/Grenache production, their unique terroir, and the styles of wine produced using Grenache. We’ll explore Grenache from its homelands in Spain and France, then journey to some other climes–California? Australia? We’ll go where the Grenache grows. You’ll taste Grenache as table wine, as dessert wine…and even as the legendary and difficult to find Grenache Dry Rancio, one of the ultimate geek wines of the world.
.
About the speaker:
An enthusiastic lover of wine and spirits, Hoke Harden left a career in academia to follow his other muse for the last 35 years, trekking around the world to the great producing regions of wine and spirits. Recently referred to as a veritable walking omnibus of wine and spirits knowledge, he has experienced every possible facet of the world of wine and spirits as a retailer, restaurateur, bartender, buyer, wholesaler, supplier, marketer, critic, writer, competition judge and an educator. He is currently with Elixir Vitae Wine & Spirits Consultants, the Taste & Compare Academy of Wine, Spirits, and Food in Portland Oregon.
Hoke holds a CSS and CSE designation from the Society of Wine Educators and is a prolific writer and blogger. In his “free” time, Hoke serves as a Wine & Spirits Instructor at Mt. Hood Community College, a B.N.I.C. Certified Cognac Educator, and Pineau des Charentes Ambassador.
Hoke’s session, The Great Big Wide Wonderful World of Garnacha/Grenache, will be offered on Friday, August 17, 2018 at 1:15 pm as part of the 42nd Annual Conference of the Society of Wine Educators to be held in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State.