Tom and Melody's wine blog » Carménère

Santa Rita 120 Carmenere (2009)

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:16:59 +0000

We grilled burgers tonight and I made a salad with lettuce from our garden. Tom chose this Santa Rita 120 Carmenere 2009 from Chile to accompany our simple meal.

This was a good choice. The Carmenere has lots of fruit on the palate and spice on the finish. It complemented the burgers laden with spicy mustard and onions. I found this wine on sale for under $10.

Casillero del Diablo Carmenere (2008)

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 16:26:42 +0000

This is a momentous Friday night for us. This coming week my parents will be moving to our town to a retirement community. I have not lived near my mom since I was 16 years old. I am really looking forward to having my folks close. We are busy planning to ensure that their transition is joyful.

We are relaxing, reading the paper and listening to music. For dinner, I have made a chicken casserole with fresh mushrooms (from the food co-op), broccoli (food co-op) and a green salad (food co-op). Wow, I guess one of the great things about the food co-op is it forces me to prepare meals using the food!

This is a great wine. We have had many times before. I never buy this but Tom always does. I always forget how good it is. This is a spicy, fruity wine with a coffee and chocolate finish. Tom bought this on sale at our local grocery store for $9.99. A great value.

Don Manuel Carmenere (2009)

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 09:04:48 +0000

A very busy week and weekend in our household. We have so much going on it is really a challenge. But here we are having this delicious Chilean wine — Don Manuel Carmenere 2009 — with a scrumptious dinner.

What I most love about this wine is the luscious color (deep, dark, blackish red) and the finish (dark chocolate with a hint of coffee).

Love this. . .

Casa Donoso Bicentenario de Chile Carmenere (2006)

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:16:38 +0000

What an absolutely lovely day! The snowstorm closed the schools (including mine) and I had a mid-week surprise day off. It was a great day. I started my day with an extra cup of coffee (with Trigger on my lap) and then met my friend, Chris, for a 5-mile blustery, snow-blowing run. Thank goodness for Yak Trax! I put them on my running shoes and I don’t slip and slide on the snow. After my run, I settled in for a little crochet project (I am making a baby blanket for a friend who is expecting her first baby in April). It was a fun day from start to finish. Now, we are enjoying this Chilean Carmenere before our dinner of braised pork loin, mashed potatoes and gravy, spinach and salad.

We have a lot of fluffy snow; Tom used the snow blower and got our driveway and sidewalks clean. Now it is time to relax and enjoy the fruits of his labor!

P.K.N.T. Silver Collection Carmenere (2008)

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 01:00:07 +0000

I purchased this Chilean P.K.N.T. Carmenere today at our local grocery style while doing a major food shopping expedition. This was $8.99 and on sale today for around $6.

This is quite yummy! The nose has a fresh and spicy aroma and the palate is spicy and dry. I have no complaints, whatsoever, about this very reasonably priced Chilean wine.

I had some fresh mushrooms in the refrigerator so I sauteed them (along with ground beef and onions) and added spices, tomatoes and spinach for a spaghetti sauce that has been simmering for the last 3 hours. I also have some very dark, flat greens (that arrived as part of my vegetable food co-op share) and I am not sure whether this is spinach or kale or something else?), but i will saute in olive oil. And, I am going to make a fresh green salad. Should be a healthy and filling dinner. This wine will be a good choice for a strong-flavored spicy meal.

I have had a lovely day! I am home during this week between Christmas and New Year’s and loving every minute.

Carma Carmenere (2008)

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:15:14 +0000

It is Monday night after our Thanksgiving weekend. I was going to say that it was difficult to go back to work today, but after thinking about those people who are unemployed and how grateful I am for my position, I have to say that I was happy to be able to go back to work.

Nonetheless, it is nice to be home after a long day! We have our Christmas tree lit and music on the stereo and dinner in the oven. Very cozy!

Tom chose this Chilean wine for our evening cocktail hour and dinner. This is delicious and complex. The nose is fruity but not sweet. The taste . . .ooh la la! Lots of flavors: berries, coffee, chocolate and spices. Our kind of wine, for sure! The finish is tobacco and chocolate.

For dinner, I have a casserole that is a bit like a meatloaf with sliced potatoes (and other vegetables & some cheese) on top. . .smells good. . .and some baked acorn squash and a salad.

P.K.N.T. Silver Collection Carmenere 2007

Mon, 25 May 2009 23:13:48 +0000

This P.K.N.T. Silver Collection Carmenere 2007 (on sale for way under $10 at our local grocery store) is an interesting find.

Somewhat alcoholic, mild in flavor, some dark fruit, and some sweet, caramel-ish notes.

It doesn’t taste particularly like a carmenere, but it’s interesting and different, and has served as our table wine the last night or two.

We’ve done a ton of yard and house work over the holiday weekend and are feeling virtuous and enjoying this cocktail hour…

Chiñigue Andes Collection Carmenere (2006)

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:24:48 +0000

We have had this Andes Collection Carmenere 2006 before but it has been a long time. I remember that I liked this very much the last time we had it, and I like it very much now.

We chose this Chilean Carmenere for this Sunday evening. It has been snowing all day and the ground is white. It is 31 degrees outside, but cozy inside. I have a dinner of chicken and potatoes in a heavy cast-iron skillet. I started by browning the chicken in hot olive oil for about 15 minutes, turning the chicken every minute or so. Once it was very brown, I added cubed red potatoes and then a mixture of chicken broth, thickener, and mushrooms. This has been simmering for the last 90 minutes so I know it will be tender and savory when we sit down for dinner.

The wine has a lovely, dark-red color in the glass. The nose is quite fruity with hints of vanilla and spice. In the mouth the taste is predominantly caramel and chocolate with firm tannins. The finish tastes like oak and it lasts a long time.

This is delicious. We both love it!

Panilonco Carmenere (2006)

Sun, 11 May 2008 23:38:06 +0000

Tony brought this Panilonco Carmenere 2006 from Chile for Mother’s Day. Both Tommy and Tony are visiting for the afternoon. I was going to grill tonight, but it is cold and rainy in Michigan so I changed my plan to make a pot of spicy chili, whole wheat bread with white cheddar cheese, and oatmeal-chocolate-chip cookies for dessert. I am just waiting for the bread to come out of the oven right now.

Tom and I just returned from a trip up to Northern Michigan for a long weekend. We stayed at the beautiful Homestead Resort in Maple City, Michigan. We had a wonderful long weekend together and we will be posting more about our dinners and wines from the weekend.

For now, though, it is Mother’s Day and I am thrilled to have our sons, Tommy and Tony, with us. We will enjoy a cozy dinner together.

The bread is out of the oven and will cool for a few minutes. Dinner will be delicious.

This wine that Tony brought us is delicious and perfect for tonight. It is deep maroon in the glass. The aroma is a minty fruit. . . the taste is lovely with lustrous tannins. Tony loves South America and their wines! I know his friend George Royce who spent 99 days with Tony traveling around South American, would also enjoy this wine.

Happy Mother’s Day to my mom, Delight Fagan, and to my mother-in-law, Mary Werner, and to all the other mothers out there who love and care for their children. Cheers, Mom!

Agustinos Carmenere (2006)

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 23:30:27 +0000

I have purchased three more bottles of the Agustinos Carmenère 2006 from Chile and that was a very good decision. I opened a bottle last night to celebrate with our two sons, Tommy and Tony. Tony graduates Magna Cum Laude tomorrow with a double major in International Business and Management. Tony is very fond of South America and is fluent in Spanish (hence the Chilean wine)! For dinner, I grilled a pork tenderloin. The tenderloin spent the day in a marinade of chopped garlic, white wine vinegar and szechuan sauce. Along with the tenderloin, I had red potatoes, which I had quartered and mixed with olive oil, rosemary, coarse salt and pepper. Those went into a skillet and cooked until crispy. I also grilled asparagus and made a salad with my homemade vinaigrette of olive oil, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, spicy brown mustard, basil, oregano, savory, thyme, rosemary and pepper.

We had a lovely celebratory dinner. The wine was fantastic. There wasn’t a morsel of food leftover! Congratulations Tony. . .we love you!