Grenache
Sta. Rita hills (2023)
$48
The Grenache varietal
Grenache Noir, often shortened to just “Grenache", is a red grape varietal famous for its bold, spicy flavor.
It is the star of world-famous wines like Southern Rhone’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape or Spain’s Priorat. While those regions help Grenache shine with their searing hot temperatures, something special happens when Grenache is ripened in a cooler climate like the Sta. Rita Hills.
Grenache ripens later than most grapes, particularly in cooler climates. Our 2023 Sta. Rita Hills Grenache was harvested weeks after our other grapes after an unusually cool growing season. The extra hang time on the vine allowed for the grapes to achieve perfect phenolic ripeness, developing subtle complexities in the wine that are often overshadowed in bolder expressions of the grape.
We recommend serving VOON’s 2023 Sta. Rita Hills Grenache chilled like a white wine (50° - 55° F is ideal). It has vibrant acidity, red fruit, and a savory herbaceousness that will help it pair wonderfully with food, particularly Thanksgiving and other autumn dishes!
While Grenache is consumed all over the world under a range of different names (Garnacha in Spain or Cannonau in Sardinia), this cool-climate expression of Grenache is a hallmark of VOON, taking something traditional and spinning it on its head into something entirely new, exciting, and of course, delicious.
the vineyard
At the eastern edge of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, 500 feet above the ocean, sits the John Sebastiano vineyard.
Strong winds and a cool climate — combined with non-nutritious soils composed of diatomaceous earth and loam — stress the vines as they grow.
“Stressing the grapes” helps concentrate acid, phenols, and flavor into the grapes that do grow on the low-yielding vines. This concentration of flavor creates stunningly balanced wines with a healthy dose of acid. John Sebastiano vineyard is certified sustainable, but is farmed with organic practices.
The Sta. Rita Hills AVA
The Sta. Rita Hills (pronounced “Santa Rita Hills”) is an incredible AVA right off the Pacific Ocean near Santa Barbara, California.
Very young by wine standards, the Sta Rita Hills were first planted ~50 years ago, and only became an official AVA (American Viticultural Area) in 2001. However, it is very quickly gaining international recognition as one of the most exciting wine AVAs in the United States, which is why we chose it for VOON.
The region is so unique because it is framed by two transverse (east to west) mountain ranges that end at the Pacific Ocean. Cold air blows directly off the ocean and is funneled inland between the two ranges, dramatically cooling what would otherwise be a very warm mediterranean climate. The Sta Rita Hills AVA is the closest that grapes will grow to the ocean.
The soil is also perfect for wine, and very unique. Called diotomaceous earth, the soil in the Sta Rita Hills AVA is a marine soil with very little nutrients for wines, and elevated calcium levels (not unlike the limestone soils of other famous wine regions).
The combination of the moderating influence of the ocean climate, the poor nutrition of the marine soils, and the warm California sun which extends the growing period are what make the Sta Rita Hills the perfect AVA for cool-climate varietals.
Introducing wine drinkers to lesser-known wine regions that are making world-class wines is one of the raisons d’être for VOON, and we’re very excited to share our Grenache with you.
the winemaking
At VOON, we believe that the varietal (in this case Grenache) and the terroir should be the star. As a result, we intentionally take a minimal approach to winemaking.
In the case of our Sta. Rita Hills Grenache, we use native yeasts for fermentation and then aged the wine in 100% neutral French Oak barrels for 18 months before bottling without any filtering or fining. There are no additives other than sulfur, which we use exceedingly sparingly — only once while the wine is in barrel and once during bottling, and our free sulfur is <30 ppm.
Please serve VOON’s Sta. Rita Hills Grenache chilled (same chill as white wine) in a stemmed wine glass with a large bowl for the optimal nose, taste, and overall enjoyment. A 30 minute decant will bring out the optimal aromas and flavors.