Chile's Faux Merlot

In the 1990s, French scientists visiting Chile made a discovery about some of the country's award-winning merlot grapes—they weren’t merlot at all.

The grapes were actually carmenère, a variety that had been thought to be virtually extinct since the late 1800s, when much of the wine-growing world, especially European vineyards, was devastated by an aphid plague called phylloxera. Due to its distinct geography—the Andes to the east, Pacific to the west, desert to the north and the cold Antarctic waters to the south—Chile has remained surprisingly pest-free. Chilean wineries may have been embarrassed to have been selling faux merlot, but many realized that, after producing wine for more than four centuries, this was an opportunity to create a signature Chilean variety.

I first enjoyed carmenère while on a trip to Chile last fall while visiting Concha y Toro vineyard. The value-priced and very drinkable Casillero del Diablo Carmenere, with its dark and deep red color with fruit flavors of cherries, currants, berries and plums, is easily available in the U.S. for around $8 a bottle and pairs well with meats, pastas and cheeses. (The story of the brand name goes that in the 1800s, founder Don Melchor learned that his workers were sampling some of his best wines after hours. To discourage this, he spread the word that he was keeping them in his deepest, darkest cellars which he called the Casillero del Diablo (Cellar of the Devil), and if you made your way in there, you would meet its namesake.) —Susan Segrest

For some more options, the New York Times recently held a carmenère tasting. Here are some of the favorites and their ratings:
• Vina MontGras, Colchagua Valley Reserva 2005, $9 ***
• Casa Lapostolle Colchagua Valley, Clos Apalta Limited Release 2003, $70, **1/2
• Odfjell Maute Valley Orzada 2003, $18, **1/2
• Arboleda Colchagua Valley 2005, $14, **1/2

Learn more about Chile in our globaleats feature.