Move over, Merlot. In Walla Walla, a cohort of winemakers and wine pros are going all in on Grenache, an earthy, fruity red wine famous in the Rhône region of France, and more recently abroad. The second annual Grenache Fest takes place Friday, November 8th and Saturday, November 9th at the Marcus Whitman Hotel and The Motor Co. in downtown Walla Walla.
The passion for Grenache is strong.
“The people who love it are kind of fanatical about it,” said Carrie Alexander, who produces the festival with her husband, winemaker Todd Alexander.
The couple want to help others love the grape as much as they do. The festival includes seminars and tastings amid a casual backdrop of live music, easy conversations, and camaraderie.
That’s the point of Grenache Fest, Carrie says. “To get rid of the snobbery, and the off putting aspect“ that can often leave people feeling left out at traditional wine events.
Carrie explains her love for the variety started with a bottle over a meal—“a bottle of fairly reductive Châteauneuf-du-Pape,” she said. “The way that wine opened up and evolved in the glass over the span of a couple of hours was a mind-blowing experience and one we have never forgotten. Grenache quickly became a favorite.”
With Carrie leading brand and marketing activities, the Alexanders operate Atelier Freewater, a “wine studio” in Milton-Freewater where Todd’s many owned and shared wine projects, such as Force Majeure, WeatherEye, From the Sky Down, the Oregon-based Holocene, and a Châteauneuf-du-Pape named Beatus are on offer.
Todd said that Châteauneuf-du-Pape—both a region in the Rhône and the name of the area’s typically Grenache-dominated wine—“was one of the first places that inspired me. I was fascinated by the wine. I’ve always had an inclination toward Grenache.”
Naturally, Carrie explained, “it seemed inevitable that we would ultimately create an event to celebrate it.”
The Alexanders have drawn notable names to their cause.
Indie artists who have played arenas with crowd capacities larger than the entire population of Walla Walla like Ben Gibbard, frontman for Death Cab For Cutie and The Postal Service, and M. Ward, a singer-songwriter known for his collaborations with Zooey Deschanel and others, are scheduled to perform over the weekend.
Ward is a friend of the Alexanders and no stranger to the area. Not only did he perform at the inaugural Grenache Fest in 2023, he was once a student at Whitman College.
“When I’m back in Walla Walla, I love walking through the Whitman campus,” said Ward. “Visiting Eastern Washington always feels like coming home to me.”
MJ Towler, known as the “Black Wine Guy” and host of the Beats, Vines, and Life podcast, will lead a seminar with Wine Enthusiast’s Michael Alberty about Grenache from the Pacific Northwest.
Towler, whose program explores wine through the lens of sports, music, food, and pop culture, has Grenache fever himself.
“Grenache is a chameleon of a grape,” said Towler. “You can make some of the greatest roses; the best, most inexpensive wine—a Côtes du Rhône; there are amazing Grenache-based wines; and then Garnacha from Spain.”
He concluded, “Pinot Noir wants to be Grenache when it grows up.”
As the wine industry seeks to attract a new generation of wine lovers, wine festivals that incorporate elements of cuisine, music, and the arts offer additional reasons for those who may not—yet—be interested in wine to attend.
“What makes Grenache Fest great is that it’s promoting wine by reaching outside of its cultural niche and attracting a different audience, helping expand the base of wine devotees,” said Stacy Buchanan, Events and Facilities Manager of The Motor Co, where the fest’s Grand Tasting and music performances will take place Friday and Saturday. Buchanan knows this formula works—he produces Walla Walla’s Blood of Gods Merrymaking, an annual art, wine, and heavy metal music-focused festival.
With its casual and welcoming approach to wine, Grenache Fest works on the same principle.
“It doesn’t mean the wine can’t be serious,” Carrie said. “It just has to be something people can understand in their own language.”