Delicious Merlot from Australia
In recent years, Merlot has become one of the most popular wine varieties in the world, particularly in the United States, South America, Italy and Australia. In the renowned Bordeaux region of France, Merlot is the most widely planted red grape. Most of Bordeaux’s wines contain at least some quantity of Merlot. Chateau Petrus, one of the most renowned and rarest wines in the world, is made almost fully from Merlot wine grapes.Worldwide, the number of Merlot plantings has increased tremendously from just 4,000 acres in 1988 to more than 50,000 acres today. In Australia, Merlot is the third most popular red wine variety (behind Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon) in terms of plantings, with 147 hectares devoted to its wine grapes in 2005.
Merlot generally has medium body with a touch of plum, berry and currant. Connoisseurs praise Merlot’s softness and so-called “fleshiness.”
Merlot is routinely blended with its fellow red grape Cabernet Sauvignon. And while it is not as highly regarded in stature as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot does have its advantages – it is more thin skinned, less hardy and ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon. While it is preferable to grow both of them in a relatively warm environment, Merlot is able to adapt better to cool climates than Cabernet Sauvignon. On the other hand, Merlot is more likely to "shatter" (when potential fruits are lost during the vine's flowering) and is more prone to rot and mildew.
Wine connoisseurs believe that Merlot's increasing popularity is precisely due to its advantages over the more illustrious Cabernet Sauvignon. They cite the fact that not only is Merlot fruitier, softer and ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon, it also possesses many of the same qualities that make Cabernet Sauvignon so renowned. Significantly, Merlot possesses comparable flavors and aromas to Cabernet Sauvignon. Both come in black cherry, green olive, cedar and currant as well as in tones of tea-leaf, mint and tobacoo.
On the other hand, Cabernet Sauvignon has a deeper flavor and the kind of ageability than Merlot. Many believe that Marlot is an ideal grape to blend with Cabernet Sauvignon and is more enjoyable that way. When blended with other red wines, Merlots adds a velvety texture and fruity flavor to the blend.
In the last 10 years, wine producers introduced a new way of making Merlot and this style has gained much popularity among the newer and less experienced red wine drinkers. Industry observers regard this as yet another reason for the increased popularity of Merlot.
There is also White Merlot which has a touch or raspberry and was first marketed in the latter part of the nineties. In the world of wine, White Merlot is considered a cousin of White Zinfandel, which is the more famous of the two. Both are made the same way – after the grapes are crushed, there is little or no skin contact which causes a pink must that ferments. Brands such as Sutter Home, Forest Glen, and Beringer are among the more popular producers of White Merlot.
Both Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are excellent with beef and lamb dishes.
