The Cellar: Last Minute Thanksgiving Wine

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Steffen Rasch, GoLocalWorceser Wine Writer

Over the years I have featured a slew of different wines that I think pair well with the traditional Thanksgiving dinner table; everything from full-bodies Chardonnays, luscious Viogniers, to dry Rosés, Pinot Noirs and even Zinfandels. One of the reasons so many different wines pair so well is because of the diversity of foods traditionally served on this particular holiday. With so many different textures and flavors it is no wonder one could go on and on giving pairing suggestions. This year, I am bringing (among others) 2 GSMs to my Thanksgiving dinner tables.

GSM stands for Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre and is a commonly produced medium to full-bodied richly flavored and often spicy red blend. In the southern France’s historic Rhone Valley the red blend is particular popular making up the vast majority of red wines labeled Côtes du Rhône. If you’ve ever had a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Vacqueyras, Lirac or a Gigondas you’ve had a variation of a GSM also.

Australia is another big producer of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre blends. The Australians generally write the grape variety on the label. In cases where there is no indication of grape, and the bottle is red, there is a good chance it is a GSM of some kind. California is the third major producer of GSM based wines. With labeling laws requiring at least 75% of a particular grape to be in a varietal labeled wine (which is often not the case with GSMs), Californian winemakers often write GSM or opt to give their wines other names, like one of this week’s featured wines.

The main reason Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre are blended together so often is because they complement one another so well. Not only do they grow under the same climatic conditions, they all grow relatively easily. Grenache is usually the workhorse of the blend contributing much of the red fruit, spice and alcohol. Syrah contributes color, weight as well as many of the savory notes often found in good GSM. Finally, the Mourvèdre contributes much of the structure with its small berries adding much needed tannins to an otherwise fruit-forward blend.

Anaba Vineyards and Winery is located in California’s Sonoma Valley. Much of the energy used at the winery, as well as in the vineyards, is generated by the winery’s wind turbine, after which their GSM ‘Turbine Red’ is named. The grapes for this wine are sourced from two different vineyard sites; one sits by the low foothills of the Mayacamas and experiences warm days and cool nights. The other vineyard sits at much higher elevation, above the fog line, with cooler air temperatures and intense sunlight. The 42% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 28% Syrah were fermented and aged separately and only blended right before bottling.

The French example is a classic Côtes du Rhône; the 2013 ‘Cuvee Romaine’ from the 150+year old, family owned and operated Domaine La Garrigue. While the Anaba was aged in oak barrels (30% new) this French GSM (65/10/25) was aged in traditional concrete vats for about 18 months. Made from 60-90 year old vines, this medium-bodied Côtes du Rhône displays delicious plenty of red fruits with a lot of savory notes including those herbs and earth. The wine has a great textural grip with lingering acidity on the finish. The Anaba on the other hand is softer on the palate displaying darker (black and blue) fruits and a lot of delicious spice. Both of these wines are medium-plus bodied and need an hour of decanting.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Steffen Rasch is a Certified Sommelier and Specialist of Wine. Feel free to email him at [email protected] with any wine-related questions or learn about wine in person by signing up for one of his tastings at the Providence Wine Academy.

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