Want to learn all
about Merlot wine? The Vino! Guide to Merlot by sommelier
Ronn Wiegand, author of TasteTour wine
guides, is the ultimate resource about this "generous,
noble red wine."
Meet Merlot! ("Mare-LOW")
One of the world's greatest wine varieties, Merlot produces
dry red wines prized for their rish fruitiness and velvety
texture. Merlot can age well in the bottle, but matures somewhat
earlier than its close relative Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine
with which Merlot is often blended. It ranges in style from
soft and fruity to full and rich. Some Merlot roses are produced.
Origins of Merlot
Merlot is believed to be Mediterranean parentage, a variety
originally selected by early grape growers from native vines
on the Balkan Peninsula. Merlot probably made its appearance
in Bordeaux, France, early in Christian era, but rose to
prominence there only in the 20th century. Merlot was dispersed
internationally in the mid-1800s, but required the post-1970
fine wine boom to demonstrate its varietal independence and
pedigree.
Merlot Around the World
Merlot is the most widely planted fine winegrape in the
world, with nearly 460,000 acres cultivated in more than
two dozen countries -- 85% of this in Europe. (But Merlot
still only accounts for 2.3% of the world winegrape acreage.)
France's Bordeaux region has the largest concentration of
Merlot vineyards (24% of the world's total). Approximately
6,000 producers bottle a varietal Merlot (or Merlot-based
blend) worldwide; 375 of them in the USA.
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