The white grape variety originates from Spain and belongs to the group of Garnacha varieties (see there General and Ancestry). Synonyms grouped alphabetically by country are Grenache Blanc, Rool Grenache, Silla Blanc, Sillina Lanc (France); Alicant Belyi, Gkrenas Mplan, Grenash Beli, Grenash Belyi, Grenash Bjal (former Yugoslavia); Belan, Belon (Croatia, Northern Macedonia); Alicante Blanca, Bernacha Blanca, Garnacha, Garnacho Blanco, Garnatxa, Garnatxa Blanca, Lladanor Blanco, Sillina Lanc (Spain); Fehér Grenache (Hungary). It is a colour mutation of Garnacha Tinta with yellow-green berries. According to DNA analyses, it is not identical to the varieties Granaccia (synonym for Vernaccia di Oristano) and Cannonau Bianco (the red Cannonau is identical to Garnacha Tinta), which are found in Sardinia and are no longer cultivated.
The vine, which ripens slightly earlier than Garnacha Tinta, has similar characteristics but is less susceptible to trickling. The berries often have characteristic red colour tints. The variety yields white wines rich in extract and alcohol, with low acidity and floral notes that tend to oxidise. In Spain, it is mainly permitted in the northeast in the DO areas of Alella, Calatayud, Costers del Segre, Navarra, Priorato, Rioja, Tarragona and Terra Alta. The Spanish cultivated area totals 2,061 hectares of vines, with a strong downward trend (in 2000 it was 4,333 hectares).
In France, it is represented as Grenache Blanc in the south of the Mediterranean coast, especially in Roussillon up to the southern Rhône. Here it is approved for the production of Vin doux naturels in the areas of Banyuls, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Maury, Rasteau and Rivesaltes. The French cultivation area is 5,130 hectares. Smaller holdings also exist in Argentina (2 ha), South Africa (110 ha) and the USA (106 ha). In 2016, a total of 7,409 hectares of vineyards were designated. This puts it in 91st place in the global grape variety ranking (Kym Anderson statistics).
Source: Wine Grapes / J. Robinson, J. Harding, J. Vouillamoz / Penguin Books Ltd. 2012
Images: Ursula Brühl, Doris Schneider, Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI)
