Carménère

Carménère is a dry, medium to full-bodied red best known from Chile, packed with blackberry, black cherry and plum alongside herbs, pepper and warming spice. Smooth, fruity and savoury, it’s brilliant with steak, burgers, roast beef, lamb, BBQ food, sausages and smoky vegetable dishes.

Taste:

Dark fruit with a fresh, herbal streak.

Carménère is typically dry and medium to full-bodied, with moderate acidity and soft to moderate tannins. Expect blackberry, black cherry, plum and sometimes raspberry, often joined by black pepper, herbs and savoury spice.

One of Carménère’s signatures is its herbal character. Depending on ripeness and style, you might find flavours of green pepper, dried herbs or even a touch of tobacco alongside all that dark fruit.

Oak-aged versions can bring vanilla, chocolate, coffee or smoky notes into the mix.

It's rich without being too heavy, fruity without becoming a fruit bomb and herbal enough to keep things interesting. Nicely played.

Food Pairings:

Carménère’s combination of dark fruit, herbs and softer tannins makes it particularly good with smoky, grilled food.

Try it with steak, ribeye, burgers, roast beef, beef stew, slow-cooked beef, lamb chops, roast lamb or sausages.

It’s also a great BBQ wine. Pair it with BBQ ribs, grilled steak, burgers, smoky sausages, barbecued chicken or lamb kebabs.

The wine’s herbal side works beautifully with dishes containing peppers and herbs, including stuffed peppers, grilled peppers, roasted vegetables, grilled aubergine and herb-marinated meat.

For something Chilean-inspired, try it with beef empanadas or grilled steak with chimichurri.

Mushroom stew, lentil casserole and smoky bean dishes are great meat-free options.

For cheese, try mature Cheddar, Gouda or Manchego.

Similar Wines:

If you enjoy Carménère, Merlot is a great next move for another smooth red with plenty of plum and dark fruit.

Cabernet Franc shares Carménère’s combination of fruit and herbal flavours, while Cabernet Sauvignon offers more tannin and structure.

For another South American red packed with dark fruit, Malbec is well worth exploring.

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More About Carménère:

Carménère is now considered Chile’s signature red grape, but it actually originated in Bordeaux, France, where it was historically used alongside varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

After phylloxera devastated European vineyards in the 19th century, Carménère virtually disappeared from Bordeaux. Meanwhile, vines taken to Chile before the outbreak survived – although for years many were mistakenly believed to be Merlot.

In 1994, researchers confirmed that some of Chile’s supposed Merlot vines were actually Carménère.

Imagine spending more than a century being called the wrong name at work.

Chile eventually embraced the discovery, and Carménère went from mistaken identity to national wine star.

Quite the HR correction.