A Wine Lover's Weekly Guide To $10 Wines - A Carmeniere From Chili

Way back when, the red Carmenere grape was a major player in the vineyards of Bordeaux, France. Between disease and the Phylloxera louse, it virtually disappeared from France but did become Chili's signature grape. The word has it that Carmenere is now making a minor comeback in Bordeaux. This grape is softer with gentler tannins than the better-known and more expensive Cabernet Sauvignon. The Carmenere wine we review is produced in the Maipo Valley, the oldest and best-known Chilean wine region, just south of Santiago, the nation's capital.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review have been purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Santa Alicia Carmenere Reserve 2006 13.5% alcohol about $10

Let's start with the marketing materials. Tasting Note: Medium ruby/violet color; black cherry and plum aromas with spicy notes; dry, medium-full bodied with fruit flavors and light tannins on the finish. Serving Suggestions: Stuffed peppers, spicy sausage or firm cheese. And now for my review.

I started by sipping this wine alone. This mouth-filling wine tasted of plums, black plums - this is a big red. The first meal was a pepperoni, mushrooms, and Italian sausage pizza. The wine was well balanced. It realy brought out the pizza's spiciness. I tasted the oak.

The second meal involved beef stew with potatoes. The Carmenere was quite full-bodied but short. This wine was chewy and tasted of dark plums. The tannins were round. This is a big red and I won't be tasting it with an omelet. This wine did not do well with spicy salsa. I guess lime and plums aren't compatible.

The final meal consisted of grilled hamburgers with green beans in a tomato sauce. The wine was fruity and full-bodied. The meat was too salty and the wine was refreshing, a good way to deal with this problem. Then I added some hot jalapeno pepper sauce. The wine wasn't very affected by the sauce, except that it became oakier.

Now for the cheeses. With a Marbled Cheddar the plums were still there as were the round tannins. Then I paired it with a Havarti. Finally this cheese overpowered the plums but I still tasted its oak. The combination wasn't bad, if you like wine and cheese.

Final verdict. Despite the fact that the pairings were fairly good, I probably won't be buying this wine again. But if you want a big red at little red prices this might be a wine for you. I'll keep looking.