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Orr
Varietal: Grenache
The purple skinned Grenache grapes have become, over the past few decades, one of the most widely planted grape varietals on earth, thanks to their unique characteristics and the fact that they are an ideal varietal for use in both single variety and blended wines. They tend to be very light in body, due to the fact that they have low tannin levels and not much acidity to them. However, they can add a boost of alcohol to any blended wine, and also offer their complex and spicy flavors of pepper and dark berries. Grenache grapes grow very well in dry and arid region, such as their native home of central Spain, and struggle with damp conditions in which they are prone to rot or develop mildew. Thankfully, modern techniques and technology has managed to overcome many of these problems, resulting in this varietal continuing to grow in use and popularity.
Region: Washington State
Since it began in the 1820s, wine-production in Washington state has gone from strength to strength, with many of the finest United States wines coming out over the past twenty years hailing from this region. Today, the state is the second largest US producer of wines, behind California, with over forty thousand acres under vine. The state itself is split into two distinct wine regions, separated by the Cascade Range, which casts an important rain shadow over much of the area. As such, the vast majority of vines are grown and cultivated in the dry, arid desert-like area in the eastern half of the state, with the western half producing less than one percent of the state's wines where it is considerably wetter. Washington state is famed for producing many of the most accessible wines of the country, with Merlot and Chardonnay varietal grapes leading the way, and much experimentation with other varietals characterizing the state's produce in the twenty-first century.
Country: United States
Whilst there are several strains of native grape varietals in the United States, it was the introduction of the European species which prompted the country to begin producing wines on a large scale. Over the past few centuries, experimentation and cross-breeding has produced great successes in regards to the quality and suitability of the fruit grown in states such as California, Oregon, Washington and New York, and the past few decades have seen New World wines from the United States reach much higher standards. Arguably the finest United States wines have always come out of California, where the climate and terrroir is most suitable for fine wine production. The masterful blending of classic grape varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, amongst others including Syrah and Chardonnay, have had world beating results in recent years, prompting many to suggest that there has never been a better time for buying and drinking United States wines.