| Merlot is one of the more curious types of wine | | | | arguably the Californian wine makers who brought |
| available on the market today. Unlike most wines, it | | | | the great versatility of Merlot to light; they began |
| has achieved success as both a varietal - a bottle of | | | | blending Merlot with other grapes, creating a typically |
| wine produced from a single grape - and a wine using | | | | Bordeaux style blend that is still successful to this |
| for blending with other grape variety wines. Merlot | | | | day. 100 per cent Merlot's still exist, and are |
| grapes to be medium bodied, with tastes such as | | | | seemingly ever popular. |
| plum, current and blackberry noticeable when tasted. | | | | Although American Merlot, like most dry red wines of |
| It is a dry red wine, preferred by those who find the | | | | the New World wine making industry, has its roots in |
| higher tannin Cabernet Sauvignon to be a little tart to | | | | California, it found extreme success in Washington. |
| the taste. Merlot is most often described as soft on | | | | Some wine critics even claim that, without Merlot, |
| the palette, and is said to be milder in terms of | | | | there wouldn't be much of a wine industry in |
| aftertaste than the Cabernet Sauvignon. | | | | Washington at all. Today, it makes up for nearly one |
| Much of this subtle difference comes in the way the | | | | fifth of the entire wine production in Washington; |
| grapes are grown and harvested; Merlot tends to be | | | | incredible, considering the vast majority of grapes |
| a fleshier, earlier ripening grape which also increases | | | | that can be grown and cultivated in the world. |
| its popularity as it appears at the beginning of the | | | | Washington Merlot's are noted for their extremely |
| harvesting season. The smaller, more compact and | | | | dark colour, which some describe as being closer to |
| late ripening Cabernet Sauvignon is more sharp and | | | | black than red, and their balanced, calm acidity. |
| acidic in taste. This softness gives Merlot a more | | | | The true fans of Merlot tend to keep with tradition |
| wide ranging appeal, and in 2004 it was said to be | | | | and the French varieties continue to be popular |
| the third most commonly grown grape (it was, | | | | among the more old fashioned of the wine elite; |
| however, beaten by Cabernet Sauvignon, which is | | | | however, American Merlot is experencing a |
| seen as the more refined of the red pair). | | | | groundswell of support as its calm, rich, fruity flavour |
| American Merlot is one of the most popular, even | | | | coupled with a balanced acidity is making new |
| though the origins of the Merlot - like so many wines | | | | converts to the wine world. American Merlot is |
| - are French. Originally, American Merlot was produced | | | | increasingly in popular, much like other dry red wines, |
| predominantly in California and tended to be used as | | | | as the colour begins to challenge even the ever |
| 100% varietal wine. While this still exists today, it is | | | | dominant white wine in the popularity stakes. |