November 27, 2015 — It is rare when a wine grape actually has a birthday! The ancient grape from Bordeaux known as Carmenère (car-men-yair) turned 21 on November 24. For 150 years it flourished in the Colchagua Valley of Chile, and was confused with Merlot. Thought to be extinct, the Carmenère grape variety was rediscovered exactly 21 years ago in the vineyards of Viña Carmen by French ampelographer Jean Michel Boursiquot. (An ampelographer is an expert in the study and classification of cultivated varieties of grape.)
To read more about the story of Carmenère and how you can be involved via Twitter when it turns 22, check out http://www.wineandspirits.com/carmenere-red-wine-grape-turns-21-in-chile/ You have a whole year to study the wine and as we always say, the best way to learn about wine is to taste it. So have at it! By the way, there is a small amount of Carmenère grown in Washington and California. It might be fun to compare our domestic wines against those from Chile.
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