2008 ~ No. 2    

Mash Note

What do Geoffrey Chaucer, Valentine’s Day and Merlot have in common? Funny you should ask.

Chaucer is believed to be the first to link Valentine’s Day and romantic love, doing so in his 1382 poem Parlement of Foules. It was written to honor the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia.

Further, Chaucer’s father and grandfather were vintners, and wine was vital to his Canterbury pilgrims: Bordeaux was a favorite of the shipman.

So, with all that in mind, this article honors a grape that needs a little love: Merlot. (This will not be in verse, or Middle English, you will be glad to know.)

Long before the movie Sideways made Merlot about as fashionable as a mullet, this varietal was losing favor among the drinking masses. Its popularity was already floundering in the face of such factors as the explosion in sales of mass market wines (think Yellow Tail and its bright yellow-labeled Shiraz) and the fact that a lot of inexpensive Merlot wines simply don’t show off the grape’s charms very well. Add in such trends as the rise in consumer interest in Pinot Noir and the nickname “red Chardonnay” (meaning Merlot is a wine more for quaffing than contemplating) and, well, you get the picture.

But dig beyond these stereotypes and it turns out Merlot is a force to be reckoned with. The grape commands an 11% market share, second only to Chardonnay in terms of case sales. Demand for Merlot was up 6% in the first six months of 2007 (the most recent data available) and sales are increasing steadily. In fact, vineyard experts are predicting that the varietal will go from being over-supplied to under-supplied over the next several years.

So, what makes Merlot worth a visit? A well-made Merlot is supple and fruity, with rich plumy flavors and a soft, velvety texture that makes drinking it immensely enjoyable. It is layered and nuanced without being complicated or demanding too much of you. Good Merlot is remarkably versatile with food and delicious on its own, making it a great wine to keep handy.

The best Merlot wines are from Bordeaux, particularly the right bank communes of St. Emilion and Pomerol. Chateau Petrus, made from Merlot, is among the most coveted and expensive wines in the world. And remember the beloved 1961 Cheval Blanc from Sideways? You guessed it: Merlot.

Northern Italy and Washington State are two other regions known for producing top-notch Merlot. But good wine from this grape can be had from pretty much any region in the world, including California, Chile and Australia, especially if you’re willing to spend a few extra dollars.

Some Merlots worth trying:

Buty Merlot-Cabernet Franc 2005 (Washington)
Chateau Barde-Haut 2004 (Bordeaux)
Chateau Latour a Pomerol 2004 (Bordeaux)
Chateau Rol Valentin 2004 (Bordeaux)
Chateau Troplong-Mondot 2004 (Bordeaux)
Cusmano Merlot Sicilia 2005 (Italy)
Ehlers Estate Napa Valley 2004 (California)
Gordon Brothers 2005 (Washington)
Mollydooker “The Scooter” 2006 (Australia)
Novelty Hill 2004 (Washington)
Owen Roe DuBrul Vineyard 2004 (Washington)

Step Into the WABAC Machine

In the course of researching Merlot, I turned to Frank Schoonmaker’s Encyclopedia of Wine. Published in 1969, this book always provides an interesting perspective on the wine business, and this time was no exception.

To wit: “…a judicious admixture of Merlot would certainly improve most, if indeed not all, Cabernet Sauvignons of California…”

Hmmm, was this a plea by a Bordeaux-loving wine expert to boost California’s wine industry by encouraging them to model their wines after the great French cuvees?

Perhaps since, according to the book, Merlot is grown “hardly at all” in California. The approximate acerage is listed as – literally – 50 (?). Cabernet didn’t have much more, at about 2,500 acres.

That’s certainly an unfamiliar perspective. Today, Merlot is the third most widely planted grape in California, with (get ready for it) a whopping 54,288 acres* under vine in 2005.

Which led me to another question. If not today’s powerhouse varietals, what the heck was growing in California’s vineyards back in the day?

It turns out that the list is a veritable “what’s that?” of grapes. According to the 1964 vineyard reports, the most widely planted grape in California, with 24,198 acres under vine, was Carignan (see photo.) Numbers two through 10 on the list are:

Zinfandel
Grenache
Alicante Bouchet
Mission
Palomino
Petit Syrah
Mataro
Burger
Colombard

Compare that to the list today*:

Chardonnay
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Zinfandel
Colombard (typically used for bulk wine)
Pinot Noir
Syrah
Sauvignon Blanc
Rubired (a generic/blending varietal)
Chenin Blanc

Why the difference? After Prohibition killed California’s wine industry, much of the viticultural knowledge in the state was lost. When winemakers began to reemerge post-WWII, they were basically starting from scratch. There wasn’t any intelligence on what grapes grew best in the California climate, or even the best places in which to plant them. Basically, winemakers were throwing darts to see what would stick.

Their experimentation, trial and error eventually built up the knowledge base, which allowed winemakers to become savvier in their planning, which led to better quality wines, which led to the Judgment of Paris and…well, you know the rest.

(* data from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service 2005 vineyard reports.)

History Repeats Itself

At a recent talk I gave, an audience member asked if any new wine regions were going to emerge, or if the places now known for producing wine were it.

And while I don’t think that a place like, say, Zimbabwe, that’s not known for wine will suddenly become the next Napa, I believe that we will see wine regions that are on the fringe become better at what they do.

One of the best recent examples is Long Island. Over the past 20 years, vintners here have been going through the same process California did in the mid-1900s. The result is wines that have vastly improved because Long Island winemakers now have a much better sense of the grapes that grow in the area’s climate and soils. That means better fruit and, by extension, better wine.

And while these areas are unlikely to supplant Bordeaux, Napa or Burgundy in reputation and quality, they will offer wine drinkers greater variety and options for their drinking enjoyment. What’s not to like about that?

Sweets for the Sweet

Brachetto d’Acqui: From Italy’s Piedmont region, this is a very lightly sparkling red wine made from the Brachetto grape. Delightful to start or end a meal, it’s slightly sweet and floral, with a refreshing feel. If this sounds too girly, it’s not. My notoriously picky husband was persuaded to try it by a (guy) friend, took one sip, turned to me and declared, “We need this in our refrigerator!”

Lambrusco: Okay, I would have laughed at this too until I was pleasantly surprised by one of these wines at a tasting. The Lambrusco appellation is in Northern Italy’s Emilia region, west of the city of Bologna. Look for one that’s dry in style and from a smaller producer, and try it with antipasti, cheese tortellini or grilled lamb chops.

Riesling Auslese: This style wine from Germany perfectly blends sweetness and acidity for a bracing, racy wine that is good with desserts – but can also pair with zippy, spicy foods and even heartier meats like duck or venison. Auslese (“special selection”) is a quality category that refers to the sugar level of the grapes at harvest. For perspective, Kabinett is the lowest level and Eiswein the highest.

Ice Wine: This style wine is pure ambrosia that will set you swooning. It’s ridiculously expensive, but for good reason. The grapes actually have to freeze on the vine before they are picked, a true winemaking challenge. The resulting wine is ultra-sweet but balanced by a crisp acidity. Inniskillin is the best known of these brands; they make one from Cabernet Franc that is a wonderful accompaniment to chocolate desserts.