DRINK DIFFERENT - MERLOT/CARMENERE

From everyday quaffing wines from the New World right up to the planet’s most expensive bottle – Chateau Petrus – Merlot is a grape which has built a huge popularity amongst wine drinkers.  Perhaps a victim of its own success, nowadays too many wines made from this grape can be dull and a little ‘green’.

A similar grape, worth trying if you like Merlot, is making waves in south America: Carmenère.  Originally a Bordeaux grape, it fell out of favour in its French heartland, but was rediscovered in Chile as recently as 1991.  Combining the accessibility of Merlot with the structure of Cabernet Sauvignon, and without the Petrus-like price tag, it’s a worthy alternative.