Merlot

\Mare-low\ (French) The most planted red grape in the Bordeaux region of France, Merlot is popularly associated with the great wines of Saint-Emilion and Pomerol and is on the ascent in the U.S. in terms of popularity.

Virtually unknown 40 years ago (In 1960, there were six acres of Merlot in California!), Merlot is now the second most popular red wine grape and wine, after Cabernet Sauvignon In fact, as of spring of 2003, there were 38,000 acres planted in California and counting. In recent years, Merlot has shot to stardom in the U.S., in large part because its soft, supple character provides a seductive alternative to the more tannic Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Merlot grape is ancient; it can be traced back all the way back to the first century in France and is actually called many names, including Petit Merle, Bigney and Vitraille. It is an early ripening grape that is harvested well before winter sets in. Therefore, they’ve always been able to thrive in colder climates and in soils that are too poor and too cold for Cabernet Sauvignon.

In addition to its hardy nature, one of its great advantages is that it is very versatile. Not only do the grapes make excellent wines all by themselves but they are a popular blending grape, used to make softer varieties of red wine. Much of the Cabernet Sauvignon sold in the U.S. actually has small amounts of Merlot blended in to help tame the Cabernet’s mighty tannins. No wonder Merlot is often called “Cabernet without the pain.”

Wineries from around the world have had plenty of time to perfect the process of making Merlot. But, as always, perfection is pricey. The world's most famous producer of French Merlot is Chateau Petrus and the 1998 Chateau Petrus Merlot wine costs a staggering $1,800 a bottle. Don't worry -- at no point in the history of wine has demand for Merlot been higher which means that there are a lot of great Merlot wines on market at competitive prices.