A Gude to Merlot

When it comes to buying red wine there are so many different types on offer. In this article I am going to try and describe one of the more popular types of red wine available. Merlot is a wine that you see on the supermarket shelf, on a restaurant wine list or online at an independent wine retail site, but what does it taste like and what does it taste good with?

Merlot is actually the name of the grape ad well as the name of the wine that is produces. It is a grape that is used on its own to produce wine or is also used as a grape for bleding with other grapes to make different types of wine. It is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon to create a rich red wine. Merlot is one of the most popular red wine grapes in the world.

Red wine produced from the Merlot grape is different from Cabernet Sauvignon. The grape is redder in colour, ripens earlier, has a thinner skin and fewer tannins. It is a grape that grows well in colder soils and because it is quicker to ripen is ideal for countries with a shorter warm season.

Merlot is an essential ingredient in the wines made in the Bordeaux region of France – in fact it is found in about 25% of the wines produced in that region. Even some of the most expensive wines produced in the world have the merlot grape as part of their make up. So remember it may be something you can find in most stores and online but when treated properly this grape can be part of some of the most pricey wines ever –Chateau Petrus wines are based on the Merlot grape and this rare wine often fetches huge amounts of money when it becomes available

However you don’t have to be a millionaire to enjoy the delights of a good bottle of Merlot. In Italy Merlot produces a great table wine, mixed with the Sangiovese grape the wine is soft in its tase and is essential with a plate of pasta or antipasto.

In Hungary they use the grape when producing their classic Bull’s Blood. Maybe not to everyone’s taste but again it shows the versatility and range of flavours that can be produced by this grape.

Because of the diversity of the wine that the Merlot grape can produce it can also work well with a wide range of foods. It can have deep fruit flavours of plum and blackberry which complement a wide range of meat dishes or it can be more silky and soft in its taste when blended with the cabernet sauvignon to make a classic claret. And don’t forget that Merlot is one of the varieties of grapes most loved by wine growers across the globe so there are fantastic types of Merlot found in Australia and Chile as well spicy Italian reds which give any pasta dish an edge!

Fiona Muller has been writing for over 20 years. She is a qualified journalist and has worked in food and drink writing for the last few years.For a wide range of Merlot– plus details on tasting and wine facts go to www.laithwaites.co.uk