WHAT IS MERLOT?

Merlot, which means the Little Blackbird in French, is a dark blue-colored wine grape variety used for both single bottlings and blending. Its one of the primary grapes used in Bordeaux wine, and it’s the most widely planted grape in that region.

WHAT DOES IT TASTE LIKE?

There tends to be two distinct styles—the “International Style”, which emphasizes later harvest picking to produce full-bodied, inky wines that are lush and velvety. They are intensely flavored with plum, chocolate, and spice notes. The other option is the “Bordeaux Style” that harvests grapes early to produce a lighter, fruit forward style with cherry notes. If it is picked too early, the grapes can have vegetal, leafy flavors.

WHERE DOES IT GROW?

Merlot is one of the most widely planted varietals in the world. France dominates in terms of acreage, with Italy and the USA coming in second for most planted, followed by Spain, Romania, Bulgaria, Australia, and Chile. Although small (2,000 acres), its Japan’s #1 variety planted.