Grape variety and grafted vine plant Garnacha Blanca: all the secrets

Garnacha Blanca

Garnacha Blanca is a mutation of Garnacha. It shares the very same ampelographic and oenological characteristics, except for colour and berries. As it derives from the Garnacha, it is considered that both share the same Aragonese origin. It is widely distributed in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula and in the French region of the Eastern Pyrenees, where it is known as Grenache Blanc or, sometimes, Silla Blanc. It is grown mainly in the Bajo Aragón area. Spreading to the west, reaching Navarre and La Rioja, it gains importance towards the East, as it reaches the Catalan vineyards. In the province of Tarragona, in Terra Alta, wines made with this variety dominate. It is the main variety in the D.O. Alella, Tarragona and Terra Alta; secondary in Cariñena, Somontano, Priorato and Rioja.

CULTIVATED AREA IN SPAIN

YEAR	1990	1999	2009
HECTARES	16.344	6.399	2.256

CULTIVATED AREA IN FRANCE

YEAR	1958	1968	1979	1988	2000	2006
HECTARES	8.652*	9.362*	16.286*	12.083*	6.843	8.405

* Grenache blanc and Grenache Gris

Budburst period: medium-early.
Ripening period: medium (3rd epoch).
Yield: average.

Ampelographic characters:

green apex bud with no anthocyanin pigmentation, hairless. The leaf flap is medium-sized and smooth. The petiolar sinus is open and lyre shaped. The medium-sized cluster is compact, with very short stems. The berries are medium in size, spherical and have a thin skin.

Cultural aptitude:

vigorous vine with a strong upright growth habit, rustic, very resistant to drought. Adaptable to less fertile and stony soils.

Training system and pruning:

adaptable to different pruning systems, favouring those of average expansion. It accepts well short pruning on account of its good fertility.

Susceptibility to diseases and adverse conditions:

little susceptible to powdery mildew and susceptible to dead arm, downy mildew, botrytis and bacterial necrosis. Susceptible to cluster mould. Very little susceptible to mites. Susceptible to excess of moisture and waterlogging conditions. Susceptible to millerandage, but to a lesser extent than Garnacha Tinta. Quite resistant to wind. It easily shows signs of magnesium deficiency.

Enological potential:

this variety produces alcoholic wines with medium acidity and rich in extract. It has a high content of oxidases, for this reason careful processing is recommended to avoid early oxidation. It produces straw-yellow wines, fresh and quite structured. It has also undergone wood aging and barrel fermentation, with good results. The colour is predominantly yellow, with aromas of ripe fruit and broom background that give it originality, the mouthfeel reveals its high alcohol content and low acidity.