OK, so it’s not California’s fault as a whole. In wine, it’s usually the human’s fault, not the wine’s fault, because the humans are the ones that make everything crazy. And this thing went crazy.

Merlot can be a bit of a chameleon; ranging from fruity, smooth and easy-going to age-worthy, full-bodied, and sophisticated. Often mistaken for its blending partner, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot is not one to be underestimated. New York is doing Merlot in a really wonderful way. Last episode, we talked about the Riesling happening in the Finger Lakes. Well, the Finger Lakes also does really great Cab Franc and Merlot. But Merlot really shines on Long Island, specifically on what’s called the North Fork of Long Island. It’s a bunch of old potato farms that are now vineyards, and it has a great climate. There’s actually a sign when you’re going to Long Island saying, “Last stop before Bordeaux,” because it’s across the ocean and stuff. But it’s a great place for Merlot, and I’m sure you’ll see some of that on the American market. 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. A fun fact on the history of Merlot in Chile is that in the 1800s, cuttings thought to be Merlot were brought over from Bordeaux and planted in Chilean vineyards. However in 1994, a grape researcher named Jean Michel Boursiquot, realized that they were, in fact, an entirely different variety – Carménère. Cabernet Franc is one of the parents of Merlot, which makes it a half-sibling of Cabernet Sauvignon.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. But there’s more to Merlot than being smooth. It’s actually a bit of a chameleon, partly because of how Merlot is vinified and mostly because of where it’s grown. No matter where it’s grown though you can expect these characteristics.

Total Vineyard Area – 658,387 acres (266,440 hectares) (data from 2016) Old Merlot vines from Vieux Château Certan in Pomerol. Bordeaux, France Outside of France, the grape is also grown in the Friuli region of Italy, as well as in Croatia, Slovenia, California, Washington State, and New York. Following the wine’s peak in popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it began to decline after being overly mass-produced and saturating the market, but, as Beavers explains, Merlot is worth a second try. The grape is used in many blends on the U.S. market — especially Pinot Noir, thanks to the 75 percent rule — meaning most are already consuming it, whether they are aware of it or not. And when it is done right, Merlot can be a beautiful, soft but round wine. Listen Online As Beavers explains, the Merlot group came from two orphan grape varieties: Cabernet Franc and Madeleine. In France, Merlot is predominantly grown in Bordeaux, where it is celebrated for its blending abilities.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. 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’. In 1996, there was a vine sample that came from that little town Saint-Suliac from an abandoned vineyard on a slope called Mont Giroux. Brittany had abandoned all winemaking 200 years prior, actually to this day there’s only one vineyard in that area making wine. Nobody knew what this vine was, it didn’t even have a name. And then, a few years later in the Charente Department, which is just northeast of Bordeaux, this same vine was found on the front of four houses in four villages in that department. Is that cool, or what? And I got to thank Darby Cicci for making this amazing song: Listen to this epic stuff. And finally, I want to thank the VinePair staff for helping me learn more every day. Thanks for listening. I’ll see you next week.