How to Pick a Carmenere Wine
You can pronounce Carmenere one of two ways: kar-ma-nair-uh or kar-ma-nair. No matter how it trips off your tongue, this red wine recalls a soft Cabernet Sauvignon mixed with a peppery Zinfandel. Consider a Carmenere for your next dinner party rather than the usual Cabernet and Merlot. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Study the history of Carmenere. The Carmenere grape was born in Bordeaux, France, and raised in South America. The French have all but stopped producing this wine but it is still considered to be one of the original six noble grapes of Bordeaux.
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2
Discover where Carmenere is produced. Most Carmenere produced today comes from Chile. Italy and the United States also produce Carmenere in small amounts.
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Understand how Carmenere is supposed to taste. This wine is medium bodied, with slight hints of dark red fruit flavors and a dash of black pepper spice.
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Know when to drink it. This wine should be consumed while young due to its naturally soft tannins.
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Learn Carmenere's aliases. When looking for a Carmenere from France, look for "Grand Vidure" on the label.
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Tips & Warnings
Only French Carmenere can be labeled "Grand Vidure." Chile cannot export its Carmenere to the European Union under the same name.
Carmenere will stand up to nearly any type of food, so don't feel as though you have to plan your meal around the wine.
Check the bottle for blends. Most Carmenere is blended with another grape, so read the label carefully to make sure the predominant grape is Carmenere.
It is not necessary to decant this wine. It is meant to be consumed while young and the tannin level is naturally low. Decanting will do little to nothing to the tastes and flavors of Carmenere.
