Merlot. Look Again.
Directions
Merlot. Look Again.
Spring is sprung, the grass is ris
I wonder where the Merlot is? - Anon
It’s a fair question, Anon. We’ve packed away the winter doona and stashed the footy scarves for another year. So why would we still be slurping great big wintry reds?
In this lovely, capricious season of change, it’s time to give those tannic whoppers a break, and greet the springtime with something more approachable… more relaxed and easy-going. Hel-lo Merlot.
Mellow Merlot
Soft, lush and velvety Merlot is a big, delicious mouthful of berry fruit flavour – minus the sharp acids and lip puckering tannins. Its soft approachability makes it a great starting point for newbie wine-lovers - or for dyed-in-the-wool white wine fans, who are ready to give reds a crack.
One of Merlot’s most endearing qualities is its food-friendliness. Merlot loves umami, so it’s a great foil for tomato-based dishes (think Italian); while its fruit sweetness brings out the best in spicy, peppery foods, like blackened fish or jambalaya. Perfect for pizza night, or for those embarrassing occasions when folks drop in for afternoon tea - and you’re all out of tea.
Cool Merlot
Merlot’s mouth-friendly qualities are sometimes mistaken for simplicity. Not true! Merlot is capable of great complexity and intensity – as anyone who’s ever stumped up $10,000 for a bottle of Château Pétrus, will tell you. Probably more than once.
Capable of producing a wide range of styles - from earthy and herbaceous cool customers to voluptuous and satiny dark fruited beauties, Merlot is happy in just about every wine-producing country in the world: Italy, Spain, the USA, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand and of course, here in Oz. But there’s no place like home. Merlot likes to keep its feet cool and moist, and so adores the moisture-holding clay soils of its Bordeaux hometown.
Generous Merlot
Merlot shares its gifts generously. It brings va-va-voom to spindle-shanked Cabernet, with sensual fleshiness filling out that (sometimes) missing bit in the mid palate. In Italy, the Super Tuscans owe their superpowers to Merlot’s lavish fruit flavours; while American Meritage blends would by dry affairs without a decent dollop of luscious Merlot.
Make Merlot Great Again
A featured appearance in the 2004 film, Sideways, hit Merlot hard. Pilloried merely for being its charming, amiable self, Merlot suffered significant reputational damage, and a dramatic drop in popularity. But it was a blessing in disguise. Vines were pulled from regions where Merlot’s suitability was questionable – resulting in an overall lift in quality. Even then, the new and improved Merlot has had to work hard to find its audience. But hey, Brad Pitt came back after ‘Troy’…
# International Merlot Day
With immaculate timing, this noble grape celebrates its special day every spring – on November 7.
It’s the perfect opportunity to introduce yourself to a this gracious, food-friendly charmer. Or revisit the joys of a forgotten relationship with a welcoming and still-seductive paramour.