Carménère 🍷

Carmenere grapes grown at Equinox Vineyard, Olanesti, Moldova (Wikimedia Commons)

The name Carménère (kar-men-nair) comes from the French word carmin (meaning crimson). Unlike many grapes whose leaves turn yellow or brown, Carménère leaves turn a brilliant, fiery red in the fall, long before the grapes are even ready to harvest.

Carménère was one of the six original red Bordeaux grapes.

Known for its deep crimson color, it was historically used to add color and structure to Bordeaux blends. Then, it was nearly wiped out by the 19th-century phylloxera epidemic. It was thought to be extinct until it was discovered thriving in Chile in 1994 - it had been mistaken there for Merlot!

Today, three-quarters of the world’s Carménère production continues to be from Chile where it is considered to be their signature wine.

Wines made from Carménère grapes exhibit notes including red cherry, blackberry, black pepper and green bell pepper/herbaceous notes. With oak aging, the wines will develop notes of cocoa powder, tobacco and leather.

Carménère can be aged for 5-15 years. It should be decanted for 30 minutes before serving in a red wine glass at 60-68 °F.