Man Up with Merlot

Welcome to the second of three MP posts on red wine.  The grape of the day?  Merlot, an international superstar winemaking grape varietal.  It’s used to produce wines made entirely of Merlot, and it’s also blended with other red grape varietals.  As discussed in more detail below, Merlot makes wines that range from having soft, fruity and lush characteristics to stiffer wines with more acidity.  It’s been one of the world’s most important and widely grown red grapes for centuries, and is cultivated successfully in many winemaking regions throughout the world.

MP faithful followers will remember that I included a clip from the movie Sideways in last week’s post on Pinot Noir.  (It was a monologue from the movie’s main character, Miles, explaining why he loved Pinot Noir so much.)  So we thought it made sense to revisit our friend Miles on the subject of Merlot as he prepares for a double date.  It’s a very different take, reflecting the position of some wine snobs that Merlot has become over-produced, over-rated and too much of a default choice as the mediocre “house wine” in too many restaurants.  See below for a very passionate (if somewhat misguided) denunciation of Merlot. 

Back Story.  Merlot is a dark, bluish/purplish grape used to make red wine.  It traces its origins to the south of France, and may be best known as one of the five most important blending grapes used to make red wines in France’s Bordeaux region.   (Side Bar/Wine Bar – Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec are the others.  Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon typically get top billing within this cast of characters.)  Merlot also is grown with great success in California’s Napa and Sonoma areas, as well as in Chile, Australia and other regions throughout the world. 

Flavor Profile.  Merlot owes its historical role as a blending grape to its ability to lend softness to red wines that otherwise would be dominated by the stronger tannins in other red grapes.  (Side Bar/Wine Bar – Tannins are biomolecules found, among other places, in the skins and seeds of red grapes.  They are astringent, bitter plant polyphenolic compounds that bind to proteins and various other organic compounds.  When properly aged and balanced by other components in red wines, they are thought to lend structure and character to them.)  Merlot grown in cooler climates can have bright, red fruit aromatics and flavors.  In warmer climates, Merlot tends to offer dark fruit notes as well as cocoa and dark chocolate flavors.

Food Pairings.  Merlot and Merlot blends can pair with a wide range of foods.  They go well with sharper harder cheeses, and with Italian dishes that have red sauces.  The most popular pairings with Merlot include grilled meats, stews and steaks.

Price.  Merlots run the gamut from bargain wines costing less than $5 to well into the 4-digit range if we’re talking about Merlot within a prestigious wine from the Bordeaux region.  Restaurants usually offer multiple Merlots, both by the glass and by the bottle.  With its soft, fruit-oriented flavor profile, it can be a good safe choice when you’re not sure which reds your drinking or dining companions like; or when there’s no clear consensus on what to order.

So, when in doubt, make it Merlot, my main man.

by ManPossible

Photos used under Creative Commons from MARIA ROSA FERRE, Paul Scott