Carmenère

noun

Car·​me·​nère ˌkär-mə-ˈner 

plural Carmenères

: a full-bodied red varietal wine produced especially in Chile

Cordova believes that Chile's wine industry will prosper even more as the world comes to recognize the unique characteristics of the varietal the country claims as its own, Carmenère.

—Chris Hardman, Americas, July/August 2004

also : the grape from which the wine is made

The Carmenère grape has a strange history in Chile, where until recently growers mistook it for a late-ripening Merlot. This largely forgotten variety from Bordeaux was transported to Chile before it was nearly wiped out by phylloxera in France in the mid-nineteenth century.

—Ruth Van Waerebeek, Food & Wine, June 2002

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French carmenère, "variety of red grape," borrowed from regional French (Médoc), probably alteration, by suffix substitution, of carmenet, variant of carbenet, cabernet, names for local grape varieties, of obscure origin

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!