Grolleau is one of the lesser known Loire valley grape varieties.
It has big juicy berries, much bigger than those you find on a bunch of Cabernet Franc or Gamay.
Although it was originally widely planted in Touraine, these days you’re more likely to find it in Anjou where it’s one of the principal grape varieties in the famous Rosé d’Anjou.
Perfectly suited to the production of rosé, did you know that it makes a fabulous red too?
We’re increasingly seeing some fabulous reds made from Grolleau. The key is restricting yield and keeping a close eye on it in the vineyard.
You can see why growers would favour large volumes of juicy, big grapes for the production for rosé wine but these days the boutique growers have realised that they can make something really interesting by limiting its yield and making a delightful light style red.
Do look out for it. Grolleau takes kindly to being served lightly chilled, is a great crossover wine when you’re looking for a red to serve with fish and is a perfect late summer red.
The picture shows a bunch of ripe Grolleau on the day of harvest here in the Loire close to Vouvray. This particular bunch will go into the production of a sparkling rosé produced by Domaine Vincent Carême. It’s name is Fizzy Pink!
