Merlot

From ArticleWorld

Merlot is a variety of red skinned grape used in winemaking. Merlot-based wines generally have a medium body with aromas of berry, plum and currant. Most connoisseurs consider it easy to drink, when compared to other red wines, and are quite popular with new wine drinkers. Good Merlots, accompanying appropriate foods, are also popular with many more experienced wine drinkers.

Around the world

Merlot is produced primarily in France and California. It is also produced, on a lesser scale, in Australia, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, Croatia, Slovenia, and the United States. Merlot, from the state of Washington, has been gaining recognition. A small quantity of high-quality merlot is also being produced on the eastern end of Long Island, New York. Most wines from Bordeaux contain some Merlot, and in the regions of Pomerol and Saint-Emilion, it is common for Merlot to comprise the majority of the blend. One of the rarest, and most famous, wines in the world, Château Pétrus is almost all Merlot.

White merlot

White Merlot was reputedly first marketed in the late 1990s, and is made the same way as its more famous cousin, White Zinfandel. The grapes are crushed, and very brief, or even no contact with the skins, results in the pink color. Some producers of White Merlot include Sutter Home, Forest Glen, and Beringer. White Merlot was first marketed in the late 1990s.