Say It Ain't Carménère!

Apologies for the audio issues at the beginning of the episode!This week, we enjoyed Los Pasos 2024 Carménère, a wine that really leans into approachability and balance. 🍷Carménère, originally from Bordeaux but now mostly famously grown in Chile, is known for its softer structure - and this bottle absolutely delivered on that promise. On the palate, this wine was smooth and easygoing, with low tannins that made it incredibly drinkable from the first sip. It didn’t overwhelm - it complemented. And honestly, that’s exactly what you want when you’re pairing with a dish that already has a lot going on. We paired it with pork steaks rubbed with mint, rosemary, and paprika, served alongside a homemade honey mustard sauce, roasted potatoes, caramelized onions, and green beans - and it worked beautifully. The herbal notes in the rub played nicely with the subtle green, slightly peppery character that Carménère is known for, while the richness of the pork and sweetness from the sauce were balanced out by the wine‘s smooth, mellow profile.And a quick note - decanting was absolutely the right move here. Even though this is a lighter, low-tannins red, giving it a bit of air helped open it up and made those flavors feel more expensive and integrated.Overall, this was one of those pairings where nothing competed… everything just clicked… or did it clique? It certainly seemed to be drawn together naturally.😉💜🍷Cheers,B & D