All About Merlot

While Merlot may have developed an interesting reputation following the movie, Sideways, it’s still one of the best-selling reds (second only to Cabernet Sauvignon.) There are a lot of poor-quality Merlots, namely because it is so widely grown and the grape adapts a lot to its environment, but that’s not a reason to skip this varietal when looking for a wine to add to your dinner table or to your cellar. Here is what you need to know about Merlot and how to pick a good one.

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The Many Tastes of Merlot

Merlot is a versatile grape. Because of this, many people plant it. The problem is that because it’s versatile, it tends to take on different flavors based on how it is produced, the climate it is grown in, and even its location. The traditional flavor of a good Merlot is in line with the dark fruits – blackberries, plums, black cherry, and raspberries come to mind. It also often has flavors of chocolate, herbs, and sometimes graphite. When it’s been aged in oak, it can have notes of vanilla, cedar, and even cloves. The wine tends to be dry and it is usually medium to full-bodied. When done right, it is a wonderful wine.

Food Pairing for Merlot

Merlot is one of the more versatile wines in terms of pairing. Merlot can pair well with chicken, turkey, and pork in addition to burgers, pizza, or pasta – this makes it a good choice for those who like to have a nightly glass of red wine with their dinner. The fuller-bodied Merlots make a great match for beef and lamb, chili, red beans and rice, and other heavy bean dishes, and even game meats and duck. The more bold your Merlot, the more bold the flavors of the food you’re pairing it with should be.

Merlots to Try

If you want to get started with Merlot, here are some inexpensive bottles to help you see how versatile this wine can be.

Lot 163 Merlot is medium to full body. If you’re enjoying some BBQ beef ribs, this is the wine you’ll want to go with. It also stands up well to mushroom bisque. It has those dark red fruit flavors – plums, currents, a bit of an earthy flavor, and cedar notes.

The 2016 Stags’ Leap Napa Valley Merlot is a bit pricier at $35, but is also a quality wine. This wine has dark cherry flavors combined with strawberry, tobacco, cinnamon, clove and caramel. This wine would pair very nicely with these Scallion and Brie Stuffed burgers from Food & Wine Magazine.

Perhaps my favorite of the lower-priced Merlots is Chateau Ste. Michelle’s Indian Wells Merlot. This is the wine that sold me on Merlot. This Merlot is fruit-forward. It’s bold with lots of blackberry and vanilla flavors, and it has controlled-oak notes. This is that full-bodied Merlot you want to pair with lamb, beef, and hard cheeses.

One Merlot to Splurge On

If you want something a bit splashier – perhaps you’re celebrating a birthday or an anniversary or a job promotion – then Duckhorn’s Merlot 3 Palms is a most excellent choice. This wine has been at the top of Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list for several years – including in 2020 when it was #15.

This wine is full-bodied and filled with the aromas of black cherries, plums, raspberries, cedar, and wet slate. It also has notes of those baking spices we so love and chocolate. This is the wine you pair with that special steak dinner.