A Tour of Wine Grapes: Carmenere

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.

A Tour of Wine Grapes: Carignan

Carignan 🍷

Carignan Grapes [Image from Wikimedia Commons (Sarah Stierch)]

Carignan (care-in-yen), also known as Carineña or Mazuelo, is a black-skinned wine grape variety, most likely native to Aragon, Spain.

It is largely grown in France with smaller production in Spain, Italy and the U.S.

The vine of this grape is known for having exceptionally tough, woody stems. This makes mechanical harvesting nearly impossible because the grape clusters won't easily detach from the vine. So, most high-quality Carignan is still being harvested by hand.

The Carignan grape is known for producing wines that are high in color, tannin and acid.

Carignan has moved from being used in mass-market "jug" wines in the U.S. to being recognized for its potential to produce nice medium-bodied wines.

Wines made from Carignan have tasting notes include cranberry, raspberry, and black fruit.

Because Carignan can have naturally high tannins, many winemakers use carbonic maceration—the same technique used for producing Beaujolais Nouveau. This process ferments the whole grape from the inside out, often giving the wine surprising aromas of bubblegum, banana, or cotton candy!

Carignan should be served in a red wine glass at 60-68 °F after decanting for 30 minutes.

It can be aged 5 to 10 years but is often best when served young.

A Tour of Wine Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon 🍷

Photo by Christophe Eyquem, Wikimedia Commons

Widely considered the “King of Red Wines,” Cabernet Sauvignon is the world’s most widely planted and renowned red wine grape. It originated in 17th-century France as a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It is considered the foundation for wine blends in the Bordeaux region of France.

Today, Cabernet Sauvignon is grown around the world including France, U.S., Chile, Australia, Italy, Spain, China, South Africa and Argentina.

Cabernet Sauvignon is a red wine grape known for producing full-bodied, rich, and flavorful wines. It’s been called the “rockstar” of the wine world—it’s bold, versatile, and often takes the lead role in wine lists around the globe.

The high tannin content and acidity make Cabernet Sauvignon particularly well-suited for aging.

Wines produced from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape have aromas that include red (Cherry, strawberry) and dark fruits (black cherry, blackberry, black currant, plum and fig), dried fruit (raisins and prunes) and cooked fruits (jam and compotes). In addition to the fruit aromas, there can also be floral notes of rose, violet and lavender. Herbal notes include tomato leaf and green bell pepper. Leather is another common aroma.

Common flavors of Cabernet Sauvignon include black currant, blackberry and plum, leather and tobacco leaf. When aged in oak barrels it can take on flavors of vanilla, black pepper and some smokiness. It can finish with flavors of chocolate.

Depending on the wine, it can evolve over many years, sometimes even decades, in the bottle and properly stored, gaining layers of secondary and tertiary flavors.

Young Cabernet Sauvignon wines should be decanted for 1 hour or more and then served in a red wine glass with a large bowl to capture the aromas, at 60-68 °F.

A Tour of Wine Grapes: Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc 🍷

Image from Wikimedia Commons (Ursula Brühl, Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI),

Cabernet Franc (often referred to as Cab Franc) is a lesser know grape, but it’s actually the parent grape for both Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon!

Nearly two-thirds of Cabernet Franc is grown in France, but Italy and the U.S. now have significant plantings.

Most famously, Cabernet Franc is used as the “third grape” in many Bordeaux blends.

While the Cabernet Franc grown in France tends to produce wines with lighter color, lighter body and higher acidity, Italy produces richer fruit flavors. The Sierra Foothills of northern California are producing fruit-forward, almost jammy wines with lower acidity.

Cabernet Franc’s adaptability and aromatic complexity make it both a standalone variety and a great blending component.

Generally, Cabernet Franc is medium-bodied, higher in acidity, and has softer tannins. Flavors attributed to Cabernet Franc include Raspberry, strawberry, red cherry and bell pepper.

The bell pepper notes come from methoxypyrazines in the grapes themselves, which are chemical compounds also found in green peppers. These chemical compounds are extracted from the grape skins during fermentation and maceration.

Serve a Cabernet Franc wine in a red wine glass at 60-68 °F after decanting for 30 minutes.

A Tour of Wine Grapes: Barbera

Barbera 🍷

Image by Giorgio Gallesiol on Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)

Barbera (Bar-BEAR-ah) is thought to have originated in the hills of central Piemonte (“peh-ah-MON-tey”) Italy, where it has been known from the 13th century. That’s significantly earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon that has only been around since the 17th century.

It is Italy’s third most grown grape behind Sangiovese (most notably known as the grape in Chianti) and Nebbiolo. In Italy, it’s known to produce inexpensive table wine that is enjoyed regularly with meals.

In California, the Barbera grape has also been used predominately in the past for production of mass-produced jug wines. So, it's no surprise that Barbera has gotten a bad reputation.

But, that's changed. Regions throughout California are now producing some very nice Barbera wines, especially the Sierra Foothills, Amador County, Shenandoah Valley and El Dorado Counties in northern California.

And, starting in the 1980s the quality of Barbera began to significantly improve in Italy. It started being planted in better sites, yields were limited for quality as opposed to quantity and more attention was given to aging in better barrels. This took Barbera from a common light-bodied wine to something more special with greater flavor and character.

Barbera is typically a medium-bodied wine with lighter tannins and higher acidity. Barbera wines are best known for flavors of sour cherry, blackberry, herbs and black pepper.

It is usually enjoyed young (two to four years after harvest) and should be served in a red wine glass at 60-68 °F.

The lightest versions of Barbera are generally not recommended for cellaring.