The Omaha Metro
JAN 2026
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Event Report: Rhone Rangers: Do You Know Your Grenache from Your Syrah?
Ate salad for dinner. Mostly croutons and tomatoes. Really just one big, round crouton covered with tomato sauce, and cheese. FINE, it was a pizza…OK, I ate a pizza! Are you happy now?
Story by Tom Murnan. Photos by Tom Murnan
The study of Rhȏne wines is fascinating. The AOC has two separate areas where the grape varietals differ. In the north, we find the Syrah grape has prominence, while in the south, Grenache is prevalent. In the north, the mixing of grape varietals for red wines is minimal. For a Cȏte Rȏtie red wine, only a small percentage (up to 20%) of Viognier, a white grape, is allowed. In Hermitage, French law allows for 15% of the white grapes Marsanne and Roussanne to be added, but in practice almost no one does it. In Cornas and St. Joseph, only Syrah is allowed in red wine. The Southern Rhone is another matter. They are mostly blends, and while they do allow Syrah, here Grenache is prominent. In Châteauneuf-du-Pape (CduP) up to 13 red grapes (and one white grape to make the total 14) are allowed. In order of prominence, we have Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Muscardin, Counoise, Vaccarese and Terret Noir as the main reds and Grenache blanc for the white blending grape in red wines.
Our mission was to distinguish Grenache from Syrah. But what are the characteristics of each? What are we looking for? Before our event, I happened to meet Antton Bastaniagi, M Chapoutier US Brand Ambassador who was in Omaha promoting Chapoutier wines. Grenache, he told me, is characterized by red fruits (strawberries, raspberries and regular red cherry), are medium bodied, higher in alcohol, and elegant. Syrah, however, tastes of dark fruits (black berry, blue berry, and dark cherry), medium body and spiciness. The color is darker from the thick skins of the grape. When the pair of glasses were poured blind for three courses, I had forgotten about Grenache’s lighter color making for easy identification… until we got to the last course where both wines came from France. Before, the Grenaches had all come from the USA, and the lighter color was a dead giveaway. But now, you had to use your tasting skills. The Domaine Courbis Cornas Champlerose 2015 was 100% Syrah, while the Roger Sabon Reserve CduP contained 80% Grenache, with the remainder comprised of Mourvèdres and Syrah. But if you applied the tasting guide tutorial, the Syrah was easily spotted. All the red wines were double decanted (Parker method) once on Tuesday and once on Wednesday, delivered Thursday, and drank without additional decanting on Friday evening. They all were showing quite well. We haven’t spoken much of the Rhȏne white wines, but the First Course found us comparing two Tablas Creek wines, the Cȏtes de Tablas Blanc 2018 and the higher end Esprit de Tablas Creek Blanc 2016. Between the two of them, we had a pretty full lineup of Rhȏne white grapes. The Esprit Blanc had 75% Roussanne (a major grape), 18% Grenache Blanc, and 7% Picpoul, which brings a bit of spiciness. The Cȏte de Tablas Blanc had 39% Viognier, 36% Grenache Blanc, 19% Marsanne (another major grape) and 6% Roussanne. Tablas Creeks’s microclimate of soil approximates the Famous CduP Château Beaucastel very closely, but it is a little warmer in Paso Robles, CA than France. The all-French menu was composed by Executive Chef owner Paul Kulik and executed by Chef du Cuisine Joel Walsh. Chef Paul is adept at matching French cuisine to wine, and I thought most of the courses were good matches. I did find the Beef Daub (braised) in the Fourth Course dry and a bit off-putting since it could have easily had a sauce to moisten it. And, for a bit of trivia, do you know what the French mean by Le Bouillon? In French, “le bouillon” literally means “broth” or “stock,” but it also refers to a specific type of historic, affordable Parisian restaurant serving traditional French comfort food, named for the simple broths they first offered to workers in the 19th century. Many thanks to Katie Hefeli who managed the reservation process, Server Robert who poured the wines and the tables, and our culinary staff. Our group of 20 proved to be a comfortable fit for our private Mirror room. I would classify the event as having a nice educational component for wines we do not much focus on, but are quite delicious and food friendly, deserving to be better known.
2026 UPCOMING OMAHA METRO EVENTS
JAN
08 FEB
17 MAR
29
MATT BROWN PICKS EVERYTHING 2 Matt Brown Picks Everything 2 Event Producers: Tom & Mary Murnan
MARDI GRAS THEME ON MARDI GRAS ITSELF
Joint Couples Event with the Omaha Branch Timber Wood Fire Bistro Event Producers: Mike & Rhonda Wilke
CIBO VINO
Event Producers: Tracy Tylkowski-Hughes & Stacy Hughes
HOSTING AN EVENT?
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