It’s kind of wild. Cab Franc gives Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon its peppery stuff. I mentioned this in the Bordeaux episode, but we might as well mention it again because it’s the Merlot episode, the majority of those affordable Bordeaux coming from the Right Bank from the Côtes de Bordeaux and Bordeaux AOC and Bordeaux AOC Supérieur, those are all primarily Merlot blends. And this is aided by the fact that it is an early ripening variety but also it’s very friendly to a high yield. And speaking of high yields, California, my god … we’ll get there. So in its home, it’s known mostly as a blending variety, with few exceptions.

Now, for some credits. How about that? Wine 101 is recorded and produced by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin. I also want to thank Danielle Grinberg for making the most legit Wine 101 logo. What to expect: In the United States, Merlot is most well-known growing alongside Cabernet Sauvignon in California and Washington state. Compared to France and Italy, you’ll find riper more fruit forward styles in general, but each state and AVA produce different wines based on their unique terroir. The steep hillsides of the Mayacamas mountains that are home to the Mount Veeder AVA and where vineyards can be planted at angles of up to 30 degrees, leads to some high quality vino. The extreme angle planting provides the vineyards with more direct sunlight and better drainage. With elevations reaching up to 2,400 feet and extremely shallow, marine soils with volcanic deposits, its an extremely difficult growing environment with very low yields. But that environment leads to some amazing fruit and wine. While more Cabernet Sauvignon is more widely grown in the region, it is known as the spiritual home of Petit Verdot. I’ll have to add Merlot to the spiritual home because this is some soulful, thought-provoking juice.

One thing about Bordeaux that I couldn’t mention in the Bordeaux episode is that the majority of the activity in old-school Bordeaux before the Médoc was even created, because it was created, took place mostly south of the town of Bordeaux. A lot of wine was made in Entre-Deux-Mers, that big swath of forested vineyard land, where all the white wine is made now. The Donati Family has its roots in Italy and like many Italian immigrants, they began by making wine for their own dinner table. That same vision for crafting wines food-friendly wines is carried through in their winemaking today. We had two Donati wines to pair with dinner. Most weeks, we let either Thing 1 or Thing 2 choose the dinner meal for one day with the only rule that it can’t be hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, or tacos. Well they threw me for a loop and asked for a BLT. Hmm…OK. So we crafted BLTs on toasted brioche with bacon of course, mozzarella roasted tomatoes, along with a blend of radicchio, lettuce, and spinach (it’s still technically a BLT and I got to add in whatever veggies I wanted). We loved these wines with the BLT which needed a little ‘oomph’ that a red wine could provide but that was also fruit forward with some acidity. Seven Hills Merlot + Savory Bread Pudding

I had the same mindset about the movie Sideways. Most folks that are my age and enjoy wine are very familiar with the movie in which Merlot is maligned at the expense of Pinot Noir. But a survey of some folks 35 and under have shown me the fallacy in my thinking. I’ve mentioned it to several folks in that age group and have gotten a blank stare in return. OK… In this instance, I’m talking about Merlot that hails from Napa’s high elevation regions of Howell Mountain, Atlas Peak, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain, and Diamond Mountain. In contrast to the regions of Napa Valley’s floor (think Oakville, Rutherford) the vineyards in these regions lie of the sides of the valley, above the fog layer. Instead of being cooled by a layer of fog, these vineyards are cooled by their altitude. In contrast to richer, fleshy styles of Merlot from the valley floor, Mountain Merlot wines tend to be more structured with higher tannin levels. Vines grown on mountains dig their roots deep in search of water and nutrients. This struggle by the vines results in smaller, compact berries, that provide intense, concentrated flavors, pronounced acidity, and powerful tannins. In other words, these are Cabernet drinker’s Merlot wines. Gwen at Wine Predator shares “ California vs. France #MerlotMe with squash, chard, and bow tie pasta” I should caveat that this was purely from a U.S. centric point of view. Most of the rest of the world didn’t lose their minds like folks in the U.S. Can you imagine folks in Bordeaux shunning Merlot?! It’s the most planted variety not just in Bordeaux, but all of France. I mean, what would have become of wines such as Petrus (my planned retirement day wine) and Cheval Blanc if folks in France had stopped producing Merlot? But a little craziness aside, its been great to see lots more Merlot love out there. International Merlot Month, evidenced by the hashtag #MerlotMe, occurs each year in October. And if that’s not enough, International Merlot Day occurs on November 7. I love the timing of the celebrations because there is just something about fall that makes me want to cozy up with Merlot. Why I Love Merlot

Merlot gains complexity with time, revealing spicy, plummy notes and undertones reminiscent of dark chocolate. Many Merlots will age gracefully for 3-7 years, while exceptional ones can continue to enhance their complexity for 15 years or more. Filet Mignon and other roasted or grilled meats work well with warmer climate Merlot. Photo by Amirali Mirhashemian. For a Merlot-dominant blend (such as entry-level Bordeaux) that has earthy notes, as well as ripeness, think: roast turkey, beef short rib, or a rustic ratatouille. For braised meat pairings, try complementing Merlot’s boisterous fruit notes with chimichurri sauce. If any state excels at Merlot, Washington certainly deserves to be in the conversation. Striking a balance between old world and new world tendencies, the wines from the state and its AVAs within are capable of producing world class wines. It seems there isn’t much I don’t love from WA these days.

Merlot is a lot about texture, more than it is about varietal characteristics and aroma. But the cool thing about Merlot, and somebody who was part of the DNA profiling had this to say about it: From its mother Madeleine, it gets its early ripening because that grape was an early ripening variety, from its father Cab Franc, it gets it’s high-quality tannin and pigment. Also, when it’s grown in cooler climates, you can get some of this herbaceous nuance with Merlot and that is absolutely a characteristic that comes from Cab Franc. Outside of California — Merlot is grown everywhere, it’s all over the United States. If there’s a wine- growing region in the United States, Merlot is being grown. It was once a big deal in Washington State, and they make great Merlot over there. But, like California, it was more popular in the ’80s and the ’90s. It’s still there, but just not as popular as Riesling.So what does Merlot from Bordeaux taste like? You’ll find a unique mix of rich plum and distinct earthy notes and herbal nuances. The best wines have smoke and clove notes from oak aging. Here are two great appellations to find age-worthy Merlot. The first of the established mountain regions and maybe the most famous, Howell Mountain, with its west-facing vineyards is one of the warmer mountains regions as it gets the full exposure to the hot afternoon sun. This often translates into wines that are fuller-bodied with higher alcohol. With elevations from 1400 to 2600 feet, the region has predominantly volcanic soils that yield powerful, tannic, and age-worthy wines. Howell Mountain Merlot wines to try: A pioneer of the Santa Lucia Highlands, Steve McIntyre planted nearly 20% of the entire AVA and farmed nearly a third of the region’s vineyards. He took his unique perspective of terroir to other regions including Arroyo Seco. Like other Central Coast AVAs, Arroyo Seco boasts one of the longest growing seasons with its proximity to the Pacific Ocean which helps to cool down the region at night. To this day, 10 to 15 percent of all Merlot made in California goes into a California blend. It’s a blending variety. It just is. But when it’s in the right place. it can be beautifully done. And there are places, specifically in California, in Napa, that are very good for Merlots, that are often 100 percent Merlots. You have the cool climate of the Carneros region, which actually has some fun Merlots. Coombsville, Oak Knoll, and, of course, the famous Stags Leap district, which is near Carneros. Those areas have great soil and climate for good Merlot that people make, and they don’t have to blend it with other varieties. I appreciate Merlot for the simple fact that it generally plays in the middle. If you have folks that prefer light-bodied reds and those that prefer the heavier, bolder stuff, Merlot is almost always a great compromise. Medium levels of tannin, acid, body, and alcohol helps it bridge the gap between the wines at the ends of the spectrum. So while it doesn’t command the same prominence (nor price tag) as blending partner Cabernet Sauvignon, it has the ability to please a wide variety of palates. But when it comes to what I like to call “Mountain Merlot” the rules are a little different.

I can think of few other varietals that could have paired with such a wide variety of foods. Cheers to the ever versatile Merlot. And Happy #MerlotMe month.So Thing 2 (my younger son) has decided that he is a steak connoisseur ever since the entire family went to an upscale steak house for Father’s Day. Steak is now one of his favorite foods. Go figure as a year ago, I couldn’t pay him to eat beef! As he loves fried rice, he was thrilled to learn it came with something other than shrimp – beef. So on one of our takeout nights, I opted for Beef Fried Rice. And with this being a more structured and powerful Merlot, it was well suited for the beef. L’Ecole N° 41 Merlot + BLTs OK, here we are. We are at the Merlot episode. This is going to be awesome. It’s time to set the record straight on this awesome grape. I promise you’re gonna love it. Despite its impressive qualities, Merlot has often played second fiddle to Cabernet Sauvignon, both in blends and in public opinion—a phenomenon that became particularly pronounced after the infamous ‘Sideways effect’. What happens when this grape leaves its home? We don’t see a lot of Merlot being celebrated outside of Bordeaux. There is Merlot being made in the southwestern part of France, north of Bordeaux, and also in southern France, but Bordeaux is really where it shines. But because of its early ripening and because of its friendly high yielding, it is the blending grape for the world, it seems, for red wine. As of 2010, it was the second-most-planted grape on the planet. October is #MerlotMe month y’all and I’m hanging with the Wine Pairing Weekend bloggers to showcase the versatility of Merlot as a pairing partner. As a Gen X’er, I assume that people are aware of the same historic and cultural events and phenomena that I am. But then on this most recent 9/11 anniversary, someone pointed out that kids in school learning about it weren’t even born in 2001. Weren’t even born! Even those in their early 20s were babies at the time. Yet, I recall exactly where I was, what I was doing, etc. and for a while assumed everyone else did as well. Well there goes assuming.