Hey Marsanne, What's Your Grape?

The Hollies, a British rock group, wrote their 1960's hit song "Hey Carrie Ann, Now What's Your Game" about Marianne Faithfull, slightly changing her name.

The song lyrics included:

"You were always something special to me

Quite independent, never caring

You lost you're charm as you were aging

Where is your magic disappearing

Hey Carrie Anne, what's your game now, can anybody play?"

The beautiful teenaged girlfriend of Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, Marianne was also known for singing the pop hit "As Tears Go By".

MARIANNE vs MARSANNE:

A grape that makes fat, rich, full wines and one of the two major varieties used to produce the rare white wines of Hermitage and Chateauneuf-du-Pape. In the Rhone it is usually paired with Rousanne which adds finese and delicacy to balance Marsannes richness.

There has been renewed interest in Marsanne in Australia over the past decade. For many years the best known example was from Chateau Tahbilk in the Nagambie Lakes region of Central Victoria.

Wines made with this variety improve markedly with bottle age. Marsanne wine develops a beautiful golden color and the flavour rounds out to something resembling baked apples.

Synonyms: Grosse roussette, Ermitage blanc, Hermitage blanc.