Wines made from Carmenère grapes of Sao Paulo
Discover the best wines made with Carmenère as a single variety or as a blend of Sao Paulo.
Carménère is a grape variety of Bordeaux origin. It is the result of a cross between Cabernet Franc and Gros Cabernet. In France, it occupies only about ten hectares, but it is also grown in Chile, Peru, the Andes, California, Italy and Argentina. The leaves of the carmenere are shiny and revolute. Its berries are round and medium-sized. Carménère is susceptible to grey rot, especially in wet autumn. It can also be exposed to the risk of climatic coulure, which is why it is important to grow it on poor soil and in warm areas. Carménère is associated with an average second ripening period. This variety has only one approved clone, 1059. It can be vinified with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It produces a rich, highly coloured wine, which acquires character when combined with other grape varieties.
Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth-largest in the world. It has a sizable wine industry, but is probably best known in global markets for spirits, and in particular Cachaça. With roughly 83,000 hectares (205,000 acres) of Vineyard">Vineyard, it ranks just behind its near-neighbors Argentina and Chile in terms of acreage under vine. Only a small proportion (about 10 percent) of these acres are planted with Vitis vinifera vines, however this large acreage does not translate into large volumes of quality wine.