[1] Carménère has become a flagship grape in Chile (photo © Dziana Hasanbekava| Pexels).

[2] The wine pairs very well with aged cheeses—in this photo, it’s Parmigiano-Reggiano (photo © Luigi Giordano | Dreamstime).

[3] Serve it with steak and most other meats (photo © Organic Beef Company| Facebook).

November 24th is National Carmenénère Day. Many people will say, understandably, “What’s that?”

People looking for a good value in red wine should take a look. Many bottles are available in the $10 to $20 range, with the crème de la crème going for $100 and more.

> The History Of Wine.

> The Year’s 25+ Red Wine Holidays.

> Pairing Wine & Cake.

> Pairing Wine & Chocolate.

> Pairing Wine & Desserts.

> Pairing Wine With Ice Cream & Sorbet.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF CARMÈNÉRE

Carmenénère is a red wine grape variety that originated in the Bordeaux region of France, a natural crossing of Cabernet Franc and Gros Cabernet. It was traditionally used in blending with other grape varieties, particularly Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The grape was thought to have been largely extinct in Europe due to the phylloxera epidemic* in the 19th century, but it was rediscovered in Chile in the mid-1990s.

It was then that Chilean winemakers discovered that some of the Merlot vines they were cultivating were actually Carménère. This led to the realization that Carménère had unknowingly been grown in Chile for decades, masquerading as Merlot.

With a focus on the Carménère varietal achieved great success in Chile, where it found a particularly suitable environment for cultivation†.

Carménère has become a flagship grape for Chilean winemakers, and it has gained popularity both domestically and internationally.
 
 
WHAT DOES CARMÈNÉRE TASTE LIKE?
  
Carménère wines are medium-bodied and known for their deep red color, often with a purplish hue, and a rich, full-bodied flavor profile.

They exhibit dark fruit notes such as blackberry, black cherry, plum, and raspberry, along with hints of green bell pepper, herbal, black pepper, and other spicy notes.

Some expressions may also showcase chocolate, tobacco, or vanilla notes.

The tannins in Carménère can be moderate to high, contributing to the wine’s structure, and the acidity is generally moderate. These make the wines well-suited for aging.

With age, the wine can develop additional complexity and time will smooth out its tannins.

As with all wines, the characteristics of Carménère can vary depending on terroir (the region where it’s grown, the climate, etc.) and the wine-making techniques employed.
 
 
PAIRING CARMÈNÉRE WITH FOOD
  
Carménère is easy to enjoy on its own and to pair with food, particularly with hearty dishes. Serve it with:

 
The wine’s herbal and spicy notes can also work well with dishes that incorporate herbs and spices, making it a versatile choice for pairing.

†The majority of Chilean Carménère is grown in the Central Valley. In the Central Valley, in the Maipo Valley and Rapel Valley, and in the sub-regions of Colchagua Valley and Cachapoal Valley, among other areas.

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From the first spoonful, we’ve been huge fans of Tipsy Scoop, super-premium artisan ice cream imbued with alcohol.

It’s an easy way to get into the holiday spirit in your own home, and it’s a wonderful gift for any lover of ice cream and spirits.

This holiday season, Tipsy Scoop has a four-pack of limited-edition boozy ice cream that is perfect for everyone on your naughty and nice lists (yes, naughty people need ice cream, too).
 
 
TIPSY SCOOP HOLIDAY 4-PACK

All flavors contain up to 5% alcohol by volume and are meant to be consumed by those 21 and over.

The holiday gift pack includes four 16-ounce pints of liquor-infused ice cream and sorbet with festive flavors:

 
 
GET YOUR TIPSY SCOOP!

Nationwide delivery is available to all 50 states through Goldbelly.com for $99, including shipping.

It’s worth it!

Please note that an adult signature is required upon delivery.

Scoop this gift pack up quickly (pun intended) before the holidays because the limited-edition holiday flavors will only be available—while supplies last—through New Year’s Eve.

Beyond the holidays, Tipsy Scoop’s boozy ice cream is a memorable gift for anniversaries, birthdays, other celebrations, and client gifting.

Check out the wonderful flavors on TipsyScoop.com.

And if you’d like to have your own ice cream shop, check out Tipsy Scoop franchising.
 
 
> The history of ice cream.

> A glossary of frozen desserts with pictures.

> The year’s 50+ ice cream and frozen dessert holidays.

> The different types of whiskey.

> The different types of rum.

> The year’s 100+ cocktail and spirit holidays.

[1] Coquito Dulce De Leche Ice Cream, made with rum (all photos © Tipsy Scoop).

[2] White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Ice Cream made with Mozart White Chocolate Liqueur.

[3] Mrs. Clausmopolitan, cranberry sorbet with vodka and lime.

[4] Oreo Old Fashioned Ice Cream With Whiskey.

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

[1] Fries with kimchi sour cream. The recipe is below (photo © Roy Choi | Idaho Potato Commission).

[3] You can serve a variety of fries with different dips (photo © Stonewall Kitchen | Facebook).

[3] Classic kimchi showing two different cuts (photo license CC-BY-SA-2.0 KR).

[4] Napa cabbage, the most commonly-used vegetable for kimchi (photo © MG Produce).

[5] Mother-In-Law’s excellent kimchi is available at grocers nationwide. Here’s a store locator (photo © Mother-In-Law’s).

November 22nd is Kimchi Day, a day dedicated to the Korean national dish that has been made for thousands of years. We’re featuring some fusion food to celebrate: French fries with kimchi sour cream. The recipe is below.

The South Korean government designated Kimchi Day to celebrate and promote the salted and fermented napa cabbage that is made in most Korean homes around this time of the year.

(Napa cabbage is the most commonly used vegetable, but other types of cabbage, plus carrots, cucumber, daikon radish, and scallion are also used. Garlic, ginger, and gochugaru (Korean chili sauce) are common seasonings.)

According to the Korean Herald, gimjang, the process of making large quantities of kimchi before winter, has long been a major annual event in Korean households.

Family members and/or neighbors gather to salt and drain the cabbage, make a spicy paste with hot chiles, mix it with the cabbage, and let it ferment.

Koreans used to store gimjang kimchi in large earthenware jars called jangdok, along with soy sauce and other condiments, on jangdokdae, an outside space near the kitchen, where they could be preserved and kept fresh. Today, homes have a special kimchi fridge (indoors!).

The recipe is from chef Roy Choi and sent to us from the Idaho Potato Commission.

There are additional kimchi recipes below, from kimchi hot dogs and tacos to wings and waffles.

> The history of potatoes.

> The history of French fries.

> The history of kimchi.

> The different types of potatoes: a glossary with photos.

 
 
RECIPE: BAKED FRIES WITH KIMCHI SOUR CREAM

This recipe is a nice blend of regular French fries and sweet potato fries.

You can purchase kimchi in many large supermarkets and in Asian groceries.

Use the kimchi sour cream as a dipping sauce or topping.
 
Ingredients For The Fries

 
Ingredients For The Kimchi Sour Cream

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F oven.

2. MAKE the sour cream sauce. Whisk together all ingredients. Set aside.

3. BAKE the whole sweet potatoes for about 20 minutes and the Idaho® potatoes for about 30 minutes. Cook just until they are slightly fork tender, but not totally soft. When they are cool, cut them into large wedges.

4. DREDGE the wedges in rice flour and deep them fry in oil at 330 °F for 3-5 minutes until slightly brown. Drain on paper towels and season with salt. Serve with kimchi sour cream.
 
 
MORE KIMCHI RECIPES

 
 
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*You can make rice flour simply by grinding rice in your food processor or spice mill. Here’s how. Rice flour is gluten-free, and can also be used as a thickening agent for soups and stews as well as tempura batters for frying vegetables, chicken, and more.

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