In Defense of Downtrodden Merlot

Contributed by Katy Budge, freelance writer

Not since James Bond ordered "shaken not stirred" has a movie character had so much impact on a potent potable. In this case, I’m talking about Miles from Sideways, but I’m not talking about pinot noir. Indeed, his passion for pinot brought legions of the movie’s fans to make it their wine of choice, but arguably, his condemnation of merlot has had far greater impact. Once almost as ubiquitous as chardonnay, merlot has fallen from grace. It’s no longer cool.

Granted, merlot did need a bit of a come-uppance. In the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, consumers latched onto the easy-to-drink varietal. With demand skyrocketing, winegrowers and winemakers sought to cash in on the latest flavor-du-jour and new merlot vineyards sprang up everywhere. In 1985, merlot acreage in California was barely 2000 acres; by 2002, it topped 52,000 acres.

This proved to be too much of a good thing. Merlot – especially when compared to its Sideways cousin pinot noir – is a relatively easy-to-grow, high-yielding grape, and it usually doesn’t give winemakers a lot of trouble, even with high-volume production. Ultimately, a lot of merlot was being produced, and sadly, a lot of what was being cranked out wasn’t that great.

So perhaps we need to thank Miles for knocking merlot back down to size, for returning it from glitzy, megawatt status to its rightful place as one of the world’s classic wines. Yes, I said it – merlot is a classic, and as such, it deserves your respect. When done correctly, merlot is complex but approachable, casual yet elegant, structured with soft tannins and lightly punctuated with fruit tones such as blueberry and ripe cherry. Its well-balanced mid-range makes it a great blending grape, and most cabernets actually need some merlot to calm down the cab’s harsh tannins. In fact, one of the most time-honored blends in winemaking history is the Bordeaux-inspired trinity of cabernet Sauvignon/merlot/cabernet franc.

A well-crafted Merlot will have proven profiles that make it a trusty food wine, even though it may not have the versatility of a Pinot or even a Zinfandel. Merlot pairs extremely well with everything from barbecued chicken to mushroom-based vegetarian fare to light tomato dishes, and it should also have enough tannic structure to be a good dance partner with steaks and lamb.

With the popular tide turning against Merlot, you might be a tad hesitant to order one, but if you’re dining out and think Merlot might be the answer for your particular food pairing, don’t hesitate to ask the wine steward or sommelier which one they might suggest. You’ll come off looking more knowledgeable than someone who blindly orders just any ol’ Pinot. If you already know and love fine Merlot, then you don’t need me – or Miles – telling you what to do!

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Katy Budge is a long-time resident of California's Central Coast, and has over 20 years experience writing about wine, food, and travel. She is editorial coordinator/contributor for a San Luis Obispo County wine magazine, writes a weekly food column in the local Knight-Ridder newspaper, and also contributes wine- and food-related articles to several other publications.