Merlot is a semi-dry to dry red wine that goes with nearly any meal. This wine has gone in and out of fashion through the years, but remains an attractive, palatable addition to red wine lovers' wine cellars. The grape variety used to create Merlot wines have long been an important addition to many other wines, namely Cabernet Sauvignon and Red Bordeaux.
Types
Red Merlot, made from the Merlot grape, is the most common type of Merlot wine you will encounter. Wine makers make White Merlot with the same kind of grapes as Red Merlot, but remove the peel soon after crushing, which gives the wine a paler color.
Features
Many Merlot wines contain 100 percent Merlot (Merlot Noir) grapes, though wine producers sometimes blend a small percentage of other grape varieties---usually Cabernet-- with Merlot grapes to make a Merlot wine. The Merlot grape is one of the most popular wine grapes in the world; in fact, Merlot grapes are an important ingredient in many red wines, though the label may not mention Merlot at all. Merlot grapes have lovely purplish blue skins and give Merlot wines a beautiful deep burgundy color. Merlot wines are generally not heavy wines, but neither are they overly thin. A good Merlot can be dry or semi dry and is slightly sweeter than Cabernet Sauvignon, but not normally as sweet and fruity as Pinot Noir. Merlot goes very well with most meat dishes and any pasta dish with marinara sauces or meat sauces. This wine is soft, yet bold enough to compliment the food.
Warning
Weather, soil, cultivation and time of harvest affect the quality of all wine making grapes. These conditions affect the wine's taste, as can the wine making process itself. Therefore, just like any wine, it is possible to get a bad Merlot wine. If you have tried one Merlot wine and it was poor quality, you may have simply sampled a bad vintage. If you love red wines, consider trying another Merlot.
Geography
Wine makers grow Merlot grapes in many regions of the world including the Bordeaux region in France, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand. In the United States, Merlot grapes are grown in regions such as Washington State, Oregon, California, and New York.
Considerations
French wine labels do not usually indicate Merlot by the Merlot name. If you would like to try a French Merlot, you can ask the wine store clerk to lead you in the right direction or you can try a Pomerol, or Merlau---two of many French wines that contain Merlot.
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