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Grolleau is a traditional and highly refreshing grape variety from the Loire Valley in France. Although it also produces light red wines, it earned its greatest fame as the main component in popular rosé wines (e.g., Rosé d'Anjou). Smelling of strawberries, raspberries, and white pepper, these drinks are a perfect, easy-going choice for hot summer afternoons.
Read moreIn the Loire Valley, this variety is highly valued for its ability to provide wine with fruitiness and maintain a low alcohol content. When choosing, the most important thing is to decide what style of wine you are looking for.
If you want freshness and a touch of sweetness, look for wines from the Rosé d'Anjou appellation. Here, Grolleau is blended with other varieties, creating an off-dry, strawberry-scented rosé wine. For those seeking a drier and more serious option, Rosé de Loire is worth trying. Additionally, some artisans bottle 100% Grolleau as a red wine—this will be an extremely pale, low-tannin, crisp-acid drink that is recommended to be served slightly chilled.
Due to their unpretentious lightness and crisp acidity, Grolleau wines (both rosé and red) are highly versatile. They pair perfectly with summery vegetable salads, cold meat appetizers (charcuterie), pizza, and light poultry dishes. Slightly sweeter rosé variants also stand up wonderfully to mildly spicy Asian flavors.
The name is derived from the old French word "grolle," meaning crow. This name was given to the variety due to the very dark, black, and shiny grape skins, resembling crow feathers. Although the skin is dark, it is thin, which is why the wine's color remains pale.
No, the Grolleau variety is almost never aged in oak. The nature of this grape is lightness, crispness, and primary fresh berry aromas. The tannins and vanilla notes of oak barrels would completely overpower the fragile character of this variety, so winemakers ferment it exclusively in stainless steel tanks.
