Merlot month fleeting, enjoy it now
If you haven’t started celebrating Merlot Madness this month, you have just five days, counting today, to get with it. Merlot is perfect anytime and pairs with all types of food. I went to the website, merlotme.com and read some of the Six-Word-Love-Stories to our star, Merlot. My favorite was submitted by Duckhorn’s Director of Estate Viticulture, PJ Alviso.
Next, I clicked on the featured Food Bloggers Merlot-Friendly Recipes and I was literally blown-away. I can’t describe all of the 26 recipes, but here are four I printed out, wrote “please” on each one and slipped into the Navigator’s reading material: Garlic Thyme Tuna, Pork Tenderloin with Blackberry Merlot Sauce, Zuni Chicken, and Gnocchi with Frizzled Prosciutto. She wasn’t actually turning cartwheels but that evening made a pork ragu with butternut squash, turnips and peas. I opened a 2016 Peju Napa Valley Merlot (see below). All I could say was, “Yes!”
Merlot was introduced in California in the mid-1970s by Louis Martini as a standalone varietal. Merlot has flavors of cherry, plum, chocolate, dried herbs and vanilla with soft supple tannins. It immediately was the red to drink. This success caused wineries to overproduce. And if it is grown in warm regions, it creates sub-par fruit, meaning low acidity and a flabby wine. In 2004, Merlot received another hit when wine geek Miles berated the wine in the movie “Sideways.” The irony of the movie was Miles drinking a ’61 Chateau Cheval Blanc in the last scene. Compared to Cabernet Sauvignon prices, Merlot is a deal and sales are up. Merlot is back.
What’s On our Table
The Steal — The 2018 Bota Box Nighthawk Black is a bold red wine blend and perfect for a house wine or a weekend camping trip. Its SRP is $23 but it is sale priced well under $20 which is less than $5 a bottle. And there is no hassle with empty glass bottles, corkscrews or oxidation. Plus, the box is recyclable.
The Deal — The 2017 Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel (91 points) lists for $12, which is a good deal. A large supermarket chain has the sale price at $8 if you buy four, which is a super deal. A half case for $48? Wow!
The Splurge — The 2016 Peju Napa Valley Merlot would be the perfect house gift for that special occasion. It has rich fruit flavors of cherry and blackberries with soft tannins. It is 95% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and the SRP is $48. Check out peju.com.
Questions? Comments? Find me on Facebook or at rgwinton@yahoo.com.