Carmenere
The last time we were at Bevmo, Diva and Deanna were perusing the California offerings. Bored with the usual suspects I decided to wander off (as I often do) into the imported wine section. Ya know, we are so spoiled here that it is easy (way too easy) to just relish in the local vines, there are so many and they are all so good. You could be happy and never really venture out. I was acutely aware of the tendency toward this blissful state. So, forcefully I set out to find some treasures as yet uncovered in the rows of Rioja, Temperanillo, Moueverde and Grenache (not from the foothills, but from Spain)! I knoooow!
There I happened upon a few Riojas at a value which we loved, and stumbled upon this Carmenere – Casillero del Diablo by Concha y Toro 2007. It was reasonable ($8) and boasted that it is Chile’s own varietal. Now I have had some meritage that used Camenere in the blend, but I had never tasted the varietal by itself. Chocolate coffee and spice followed by raspberry and blackberry were among the notes on the bottle. I served it up with a “snack feast”. A “snack feast” is a tradition in our home where Diva and I will put out a small buffet of snacks and call it dinner. Everything from cheeses to Trader Joe’s Spinach and artichoke dip (my fav), to chips, cold cuts, etc. They recommend winter stews or grilled summer barbeque. We were both pleasantly surprised by this wine. It is not in the class of some of the greats from California, but if you want to get an escape from the Zinfandel, Cabs and other local grapes, I would certainly give this a try. Perfect for a departure to the old world, and right for the pocket book!