Carmenere would also be delicious alongside a bowl of pasta with marinara sauce. Because Carmenere has less tannin than a Cab or Merlot, it pairs nicely with lighter grilled foods, such as chicken, burgers, portabella, veggies, pork loin or sausage.
Carmenere wines plus#
Another plus is that pairing food with Carmenere is easy. Carmenere doesn’t have as much tannin as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, which makes it a very nice red wine for summer. But, where Cabs and Merlots typically have dark fruit flavors, Carmenere offers more red fruit, such as cherry and raspberry, resulting in a very different flavor. I found Carmenere to be similar to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, in that it has a deep red color, with aromas of fruit and pepper. If you’ve never tasted Carmenere, you are in for a nice surprise! I tasted Carmenere for the first time about a year ago and loved it. In the Pacific Northwest, Carmenere is produced by Reininger Winery, located in Walla Walla, Washington. But, you will also find Carmenere vineyards in France, Italy, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Chile has adopted Carmenere as its country’s signature grape and is the world’s largest producer of Carmenere. Since being re-discovered in Chile, wineries around the world are eagerly establishing Carmenere vineyards. Specialists were called in and determined that the early ripening vines weren’t Merlot, they were Carmenere! These Carmenere vines, which had been planted over a century ago in Merlot vineyards, were from cuttings that originally came from Bordeaux. A number of Chilean vineyard owners were trying to determine why some of their Merlot vines were ripening much earlier than others. Then, in 1994, an amazing discovery was made in Chile. It was assumed that Carmenere was lost to history and for over 100 years, it was.
Unfortunately, in the mid 1800’s, a phylloxera epidemic in Europe killed every Carmenere vine across the continent.
For centuries, Carmenere was also used by French winemakers to create a Bordeaux blend. In a modern Bordeaux blend, the winemaker typically blends some combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Malbec and/or Cabernet Franc. As you probably know, Bordeaux is famous for its “red blends,” in which the winemaker carefully combines the fruit from several different grapes to achieve the desired aromas and flavors. Recently, I’ve tasted several unique and delicious wines and I want to share a new favorite, Carmenere.Ī relative of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere was one originally from the Bordeaux region of France. One of my “Wine Resolutions” is to venture into lesser known grape varietals and share my findings from time to time.
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