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Pairing lasagne and wine: Quick guide
Merlot pairs beautifully with many foods—try it with pâtés or other charcuterie, pork or veal roasts, rich, cheesy gratins and even hamburgers. That’s because Merlot blends so well with other grapes, and also because of its fruity, easy-drinking character.
Merlot: Merlot will be softer than many other reds, featuring mellow fruity flavors like plum, black cherry, or orange. It’s also best paired with a red sauce. This is a very versatile wine within Italian cuisine that goes best with red sauces but won’t shy away from oils or creams.
Merlot. More fruitier and softer than Cabernet Sauvignon, this smooth wine goes well with tomato-based pastas. It has lesser tannin content and is a mild red wine variety. If you’re adding pancetta/ bacon or mushroom, a light-bodied Merlot is sure to complement the pasta dish well.
Merlot and malbec are similar easy-drinking reds and both are used in Bordeaux blends, but they have certain differences as well: Malbec is more tangy and fruity than merlot and therefore tastes thinner, where Merlot is more full-bodied and smooth. Malbec is more commonly paired with spicy foods.
The best way to pair with foods that have sweetness is to have a wine with sweetness too. On the more dry side, pick a Riesling, Chenin Blanc or White Zin/Merlot. On the sweeter side go for Moscato, Brachetto d’Acqui, Vin Santo and White Port.
The red wine: Baked ham often is matched with the local red wine in the Burgundy region of France. Therefore, lacking a graceful Cotes du Beaune in the cellar, the budget-conscious should consider an American pinot noir such as Saintsbury (Carneros) 1991 ($14.99).
Pinot Noir goes best with a smoked ham or ham with a cherry glaze. Pinot Noir from Oregon and Burgundy has an earthy component to it that will complement herbs and spices. Choose a Pinot Noir from New Zealand or California to bring out red fruit flavors in fruit glaze.
Pinot Noir and Syrah are one of our go to wine varietals to pair with a smoked or baked ham. Both can have bold flavor and earthy tones that mix well with the smoky salty flavor of the ham. Rieslings are also a good choice for a smoked ham, as well as Viognier and Gewurztraminer.
Overall, wine choices that make the best paring with ham include rose or white Zinfandel and a light, crisp and dry white wine such as a green apple Chardonnay, as the flavor of apples will greatly complement both smoked and baked hams and their glazes.
Sweet whites like Riesling or Moscato pair nicely with any sandwich with a spicy kick. Light to medium-bodied red, with reasonable acidity like a Pinot Noir or Merlot works well with any combination of Cheddar and turkey, ham or bacon sandwich. When in doubt go with a full-bodied white like Chardonnay.
Matching Carmenere with wine and food pairings is easy. Carmenere naturally matches well with smoked, grilled or roasted meats, chicken, pork, lamb, beef and veal. Due to its character, it also holds up with and matches perfectly with some spicy dishes and strong, hard cheeses.
Dry
Carménère is a half-sibling of Merlot, Hondarribi Beltza (from Basque Country), and Cabernet Sauvignon. The four grapes of Merlot, Carménère, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Hondarribi Beltza have the same parent, which is Cabernet Franc.
If the grapes are picked earlier when only the Merlot grapes have reached ripeness, the Carménère will have an aggressive green pepper flavor. Thus, although different, Merlot and Carménère were often confused but never thought to be identical.
I found Carmenere to be similar to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, in that it has a deep red color, with aromas of fruit and pepper. Carmenere doesn’t have as much tannin as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, which makes it a very nice red wine for summer.
Carménère is a dark-skinned grape variety originally from the vineyards of Bordeaux, and which has found a particularly suitable home in Chile. The first accent is omitted in some countries, including Chile, both are in others.
Cabernet Sauvignon – Carménère is a blend of two dark red grape varieties that are both native to Bordeaux in southwestern France. Cabernet Sauvignon has become one of the world’s most transplanted varieties, now found everywhere from California to Australia.
At first glance, many people have difficulty distinguishing between Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Merlot tends to have a “softer” flavor, with fewer tannins and a slightly less acidic profile. Cabernet Sauvignon is very rich and robust, while Merlot is a bit more delicate, and serves up a slightly fruitier flavor.
Known to be the signature red grape of Chile, Carmenere is a smoky and spicy wine filled with roasted pepper, mingled with bold fruit and earthiness. Carmenere is a great food wine, pairing perfectly with grilled meats, hearty stews and spicy Mexican and Latin flavors.