Wine Tasting Adventure: Root: 1 Carmenere

Root: 1 Carmenere ($9.77, Wal-Mart)

"Carme-huh?  Never heard of it!"  That's what I thought when I spotted this dark red in the local Wal-Mart's recently (and impressively) upgraded wine section.  My good friend and fellow wine lover, Keziah, had tried Root: 1 Cabernet Sauvignon and liked it; I was searching for some to try for myself when I accidentally stumbled across this.  It turned out to be a happy accident, not unlike the re-discovery of the grapes that it's made from.

Root: 1 Carmenere is a Chilean wine.  The grapes it is made from originated in Europe, and in the 1800's  they were exported to South America.  The European climate was all wrong for these grapes, and they eventually died out there.  They were thought to be extinct, but it turns out that for over a century, these grapes were growing happily in Chile and being mistaken for Merlot grapes due to their many similarities.  They were being mixed in right along with the Merlot grapes, and they are the reason that Chilean Merlot had a notably unique flavor.  In 1994  some smart fellow in a lab coat did some testing and discovered that these grapes were indeed the Carmenere variety, and since Chile has the perfect climate for growing them, Carmenere has become Chile's signature wine.

If you enjoy Merlot, you will undoubtedly like this one.  It is probably one of the deepest, purplest wines I've ever tried.  Dry, dark, smooth, slightly spicy and peppery. Delicious!  Probably not going to be a favorite for those who don't often venture beyond the White Zin, but any red-wine lover should give this one a try, as well as anyone who is looking to venture into the red-wine zone.  This would be great paired with smoky grilled meats and anything with a little spice.