Carménère Food Pairing Guide
Carménère is a Sommelier’s best kept secret because it pairs so well with foods that are often difficult matches with wine. Because of the abundant flavors of green bell pepper and herbs, Carménère pairs well with tomato salsas, chimichurri, and many vegetable based dishes. Carménère is also the best wine pairing with most Mexican food. I have found that Carménère is delightful with many traditional Greek dishes as well, like baked broad beans or gigantes, and stuffed vegetables or gemista. Keep reading for a complete Carménère food pairing guide.
What food pairs with Carmenere?
One word: Peppers. Unsurprisingly, the dominant green smell and flavor pair great with foods that contain them. The pepper flavors keep each other occupied so the fruit flavors of Carménère really shine. Carmenere has a good tannic structure which will make a great match with grilled meats as well. Carménère food pairing should also take into the weight of the wine. It is usually medium-bodied so pairs best with foods with similarly intense flavors. Avoid pairing Carménère with delicate foods like shellfish or salads.
List of Foods that Pair with Carmenere
- Buccatini all’Amatriciana
- Tri-tip sandwiches
- Mole sauce
- Chimichurri sauce
- Tex-Mex
- Stuffed Green Peppers or gemista
- Brisket or Chilean plateada
- Roasted lamb with Provençal herbs
- Italian sausage with grilled peppers
- Veggie lovers pizza
- Turkey burgers
- Spaghetti alla Putanesca
- Italian beef au jus
- Loaded nachos
- Grilled pork chops
- Tamales
- Ratatouille
- Jerk chicken
- Vegetarian chili
- Grilled beef and vegetable skewers
- Pepper jack cheese
A Brief History of Carménère
Carménère has regal blood line. It is one of the original red grapes of Bordeaux, France. One of its parents is Cabernet Franc and it’s half siblings are Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. As you can imagine, if you like any of those grapes, you have to try Carménère. Here’s the catch. There’s hardly any Carmenere planted in France anymore. Long story short, Carmenere used to rule the roost with Cab Franc until phylloxera struck. When farmers began planting again, they opted for the easier to care for grapes of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Carmenere didn’t take well to the new rootstock and basically disappeared.
A New Life in Chile
In 1851, the first Merlot grapes arrived in Chile. Except, about half of the vines they brought turned out to be Carménère. Oops! Being siblings, it’s not such a shocking mistake, I mean, I can barely tell my own kids apart. Carmenere takes much longer to ripen than Merlot which caused some confusion. However, it still took years and some DNA analysis to figure out that it was Carménère all along. Thankfully, instead of ripping it out, they embraced how well Carmenere grows in the long Chilean summers. Chilean winemakers take pride is rescuing this grape from extinction, even if it wasn’t on purpose. The best regions in Chile for Carménère are Cachapoal Valley, Colchagua Valley and Maipo Valley.
What does Carménère smell like?
Carménère smells very similar to its relatives. It smells like plum and chocolate like Merlot, green bell peppers like Cabernet Franc, and violets and blackberries like Cabernet Sauvginon. The dominant aroma is definitely green peppers and often basil and mint and even jalapeno. Where does wine get its smell?
What does Carménère taste like?
Carménère is medium to full bodied, medium acid, dry red wine. The herbal peppery character falls back on the pallet and the fruit comes forward. Carménère is a very easy drinking red wine.
November 24th is Carménère Day!
On November 24th of every year, Carménère Day is celebrated. Find your favorite Carménère food pairing and join in the fun! Use hashtag #carmenereday.
Frequently Asked Questions about Carmenere Food Pairing
How do you serve Carménère wine?
Carménère wine should be served slightly cooler than room temperature. Carmenere is a wine that can be consumed young though oak aged version can age up to 10 years. Carménère can be served in the same wine glass as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.
Is Carménère the same as Merlot?
For a long time, Chilean grape growers believed they were growing Merlot. Turns out, when they were sold the clippings from Bordeaux, at least 50% of them were Carménère. Merlot and Carménère are half siblings, they share the same parent grape, Cabernet Franc. The main difference is that Carménère take much longer to ripen.
Is Carménère sweet or dry?
Carménère has some nice fruit characteristics but is quite dry.
How do you pronounce Carménère?
Carménère is often written without the accent marks. It is pronounce car-men-air.
