“If anyone orders merlot, I’m leaving. I am NOT drinking any f*cking merlot!” It’s been 21 years since Sideways was released, and the poor grape is still recovering from this savage – and unfair – takedown.
The truth is that merlot has done a lot for the wine world, particularly the fine wine world. A key component in Bordeaux, especially wines from the Right Bank, and – despite the hit to its reputation – still one of the world’s most planted varieties, merlot is an approachable, food friendly and eminently versatile wine that can be made in a range of styles, from fruit-forward and easy drinking to concentrated and ageworthy.
Merlot’s plush, plummy characters and soft tannins make it a perfect blending partner. In Bordeaux, it mingles with cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot and malbec. In Tuscany, it softens sangiovese. In Spain, it can go toe-to-toe with tempranillo.
While you’re more likely to drink merlot in a blend here in Australia, too, there are producers flying the flag for it as a varietal wine. Give this maligned grape another chance on International Merlot Day by trying one of the 10 wines below.
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