Wine of the month - Carmenere

Pair Carmenere with a pan fried rump steak and fried onion rings

French for 'crimson' and thought to be a distant relative of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere is today one of Chile's great success stories.

For lovers of full bodied wines this one is worth a try.

Chile has made a reputation for making good to great wines at affordable prices.

Hailing originally from Bordeaux, Carmenere had been grown and blended for hundreds of years in France until phylloxera devastated vines throughout Europe in the 1860s.

Attempting to re-plant this grape proved to be too difficult in the damp maritime climate of Bordeaux and production ceased.

Fortunately, Chile had taken vines from the region prior to the epidemic where it quietly thrived in the hot temperatures of the Colchugua Valley.

In fact, it hid so far under the radar it was mistakenly thought to be a Merlot derivative and was sold as such until a professor in the 1990s identified it as being the long lost Carmenere grape.

Now that it has its identity back it was given special status as an important wine of Chile and is being cultivated as such.

A full bodied wine with blueberry, plum and cassis.

Usually accented with a touch of oak, which adds coffee and dark chocolate aromas however with lighter tannins than Cabernet Sauvignon.

These wines can be picked up from as little as £7.00 with truly excellent examples at £10-14.00.

Pair this wine with a pan fried rump steak and fried onion rings.

Food & Wine by Paul Sheerin
Pshearse@gmail.com