Carménère vs Merlot

Carménère and Merlot rate the same on all four of our scales.

Sweetness, body, tannin and acidity are our rating of a typical dry table wine from each grape.

Carménère

Red · Bordeaux (France)

dark berry, green pepper, soft

Merlot

Red · France, Italy

soft, plummy, round

Bone dry
Sweetness: Bone dry; Full
Body: Full; Medium
Tannin: Medium; Medium
Acidity: Medium; 13.5 to 15%
Alcohol: 13 to 14.5%; 16 to 18 °C
Serve at: 15 to 17 °C; Chile, Italy, Washington, California
Regions: Bordeaux, Long Island, Napa Valley, Sonoma County

Only Carménère

Roast and braised beef
Chili and spiced beans
Hard and aged cheese

Both pair with

Pork

Only Merlot

Chicken
Pasta with tomato sauce
Burgers

Sources

Style profiles, pairings and serving figures are our own assessment. Regions and origins: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); see the Carménère and Merlot pages.