RARE GRAPE VARIETAL RESOURCE

Widespread in Chile and China

http://www.vivc.de/index.php?r=passport%2Fview&id=2109

Parentage: Cabernet Franc & Gros Cabernet

The name betrays its origin; indeed, Carménère is one of the grapes cultivated in the Bordeaux region, especially in the Medoc. But like all Bordeaux grapes, Carménère's journey starts from much further away. We can reconstruct it by following the itinerary outlined by Columella, a Latin writer from the 1st century AD, author of "De Re Rustica." Carménère would indeed be an ancestor of vitis balisca, a grape that crossed the Adriatic from the coasts of what is now Albania, arriving in Rome. From here, it would have been taken first to Spain and then to France, where it would have happily taken root among the Bituriges, a population living in the Bordeaux district. From here, it would have changed its name and become vitis biturica, the ancestor of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec.

The Carménère vineyards in Bordeaux were almost completely destroyed by phylloxera, but in the meantime, the grape had found a new home in Chile, where it is currently one of the most cultivated grape varieties.

Recent genetic studies tell us that Carménère is a "child" of cabernet franc, with which it has indeed often been confused.

(https://www.gamberorossointernational.com/news/the-4-carmenere-with-the-best-value-for-money-selected-by-gambero-rosso/?utm_term=81873+-+The+4+Carm%C3%A9n%C3%A8re+with+the+best+value+for+money+selected+by+Gambero+Rosso&utm_campaign=NL+DAILY+ENG&utm_medium=email&utm_source=MagNews&utm_content=8718+-+3798+%282024-04-09%29)

(As there are numerous producers, we have only listed those in countries where numbers are low - see below)