The Grape Marselan: Offspring of Cabernet Sauvignon & Grenache

I had a tipsy Tuesday thanks to a grape few people know: Marselan.

Photo credit: Jim Boyce

Marselan is a baby when it comes to grapes, just 60 years old, the child of two well-known parents that were crossed in France: Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache.

Marselan

Image credit: marselanselection.com

And, in a strange twist of fate, Marselan has become very important to China since being planted here 20 years ago. People in the alcohol trade increasingly call it “China’s grape” due to the delicious wines it has inspired across the country.

CHEERS is even looking at adding a Marselan to its portfolio!

Anyway, I like this grape and its story, so I created World Marselan Day in 2018. The goal is to get people together to share Marselan on April 27, birthday of Paul Truel, who created it in southern France in 1961. There were events in a dozen cities in China alone this year, including at The Merchants in Beijing.

Celebration of WMD in Beijing

World Marselan Day aka WMD – which also means Wines of Mass Deliciousness – is  about more than guzzling booze.

It’s about learning why Truel chose Cabernet (for its finesse and structure) and Grenache (for its color, heat tolerance and disease resistance). About regional Marselan styles: on Tuesday, I tried wines from Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi and Ningxia as well as Bulgaria! And about how the wines pair: we tried it at Jing-A Brewpub with American comfort foods, from Buffalo wings and racks of ribs to mozzarella sticks and sweet potato fries.

Different types of Marslean

Photo credit: Jim Boyce

It’s even about thinking what else was happening in 1961 when Truel was tinkering with his vines. Russian Yuri Gagarin was the first person into space. The movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s was released. A little-known musical band called The Beatles was playing small clubs and on the verge of becoming a global sensation.

This grape inspired a lot of learning!

GIF credit: giphy.com

And there are many other wine days we can celebrate, too. This month alone features Tannat on April 14, Malbec on April 17 and Cava on April 23. (Frankly, every day can be Cava Day as far as I’m concerned.) 

Tap the image above to celebrate Cava Day today

And if you want to look ahead, May 7 is International Sauvignon Blanc Day – grab a few bottles and enjoy them with friends.

Fun fact: Sauvignon Blanc is one of the parent grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon. I guess that makes it the grandparent of Marselan!?

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Original by Jim Boyce, Grape Wall of China 葡萄围城

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