
With it's origins in Bordeaux, Carménère was mistaken for a long time as Merlot. It's still grown in Bordeaux but it has made it's home in Chile where brilliant examples are being produced.
WHAT:
Red grape variety producing ruby red wines with medium tannin, med/high acidity and medium body.
Carménère makes interesting fruit forward wines with a twist, a herbaceous tendency similar to bell pepper.
WHERE:
France - Bordeaux
Chile
China
Italy - Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia
USA - California, Washington
Australia, New Zealand
FLAVOURS / TASTES:
Red fruit - raspberry, cherries, plums,
Cocoa, leather, tobacco, smoky
Green bell pepper
OTHER NAMES:
Cabernet Gernischt, carmenelle, cabernelle, bouton blanc, carbouet; carbonet
FOOD PAIRINGS:
Like Merlot, Carmenere is super easy to pair with food.
Think about where it thrives (Chile) and think of dishes with a little bit of extra flavour thrown in - such as a molé sauce.
This wine does well with both red and white meats and likes a bit of spice or charring to bring out the smokiness that it can sometimes have. The same also goes for cheese - smoked cheeses.
Because of it's herby tendencies this wine pairs really well with vegetables - especially peppers, stuffed, roasted, in a stir fry - it love them.
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