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For other uses, see Merlot (disambiguation).
Merlot grapes on the vine.
Merlot grapes on the vine.

Merlot ('MERL-oh' in British English and French, mer-LOH in American English) is a red wine grape that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice For the Tokyo University supercomputer see Gravity Pipe. GRAPE, or GRA phics P rogramming E nvironment is Varietal describes Wines made primarily from a single named Grape variety. Merlot-based wines usually have medium body with hints of berry, plum, and currant. The word berry has two meanings one based on a botanical definition the other on common identification A plum or gage is a stone fruit Tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The Zante currant ( Vitis vinifera) or currant is a variety of Small, Sweet, seedless Grape named after Corinth (currant and Its softness and "fleshiness", combined with its earlier ripening, makes Merlot an ideal grape to blend with the sterner, later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red Wine grape varieties. This flexibility has helped to make it one of the most popular red wine varietals in the United States[1] and Chile. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the

Contents

Origins and genetics

Merlot leaf.
Merlot leaf.

The earliest recorded mention of Merlot was in the notes of a local Bordeaux official who in 1784 labeled wine made from the grape in the Libournais region as one of the area's best. The Bordelais is a pays of Aquitaine in France, the region surrounding the city of Bordeaux. The name comes from the French regional patois word "merlot", which means "young blackbird" ("merle" is the French word for several kinds of thrushes, including blackbirds); the naming came either because of the grape's beautiful dark-blue color, or due to blackbirds' fondness for grapes. Patois is any language that is considered nonstandard, although the term is not formally defined in Linguistics. The Blackbird, Common Blackbird or Eurasian Blackbird ( Turdus merula) is a species of true thrush which breeds in Europe, Asia See also other birds with "thrush" in their name Waterthrush, Shrike-thrush, Thrush Nightingale The Thrushes, By the 19th century it was being regularly planted in the Médoc on the "Left Bank" of the Gironde. The Médoc ( Occitan: Medoc) is a region of France, well-known as a Wine growing region located in the département of Gironde (Gironda is a common name for the Gironde Estuary - sound where merge the mouths of the Garonne river and of the Dordogne river - and for [2]

It was first recorded in Italy around Venice under the synonym Bordò in 1855. Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the The grape was introduced to the Swiss, from Bordeaux, sometime in the 19th century and was recorded in the Swiss canton of Ticino between 1905 and 1910. A canton is an Administrative division of a country eg a region or state Canton Ticino or Ticino ( Italian: tiˈtʃiːno French and German: Tessin and) is the southernmost canton of [2]

Researchers at University of California, Davis believe that the grape is an offspring of Cabernet Franc and is a sibling of Carménère. The University of California Davis, commonly known as UC Davis, or just UCD, is a public coeducational university located in the city of Davis, Cabernet Franc is one of the major varieties of red Wine Grape in Bordeaux The Carmenère grape is a Wine Grape variety originally planted in the Médoc region of Bordeaux, France, where it was used to [2]

Until 1993, the Chilean wine industry mistakenly sold a large quantity of wine made from the Carmenere grape as Merlot. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the In that year, genetic studies discovered that much of what had been grown as Merlot was actually Carmenere, an old French variety that had gone largely extinct in France due to its poor resistance to phylloxera, which as of 2006 does not exist in Chile. This article is about the grape phylloxera For the Genus, see Phylloxera (genus.

The labeling Chilean Merlot is a catch-all to include wine that is made from a blend of indiscriminate amounts of Merlot and Carmenere. With Merlot ripening 3 weeks earlier than Carmenere, these wines differ greatly in quality depending on harvesting. [3]

History

After a series of setbacks that includes a severe frost in 1956 and several vintages in the 1960s lost to rot, French authorities in Bordeaux banned new plantings of Merlot vines between 1970 and 1975. [4]

In Merlot early history with California wine, the grape was used primarily as a 100% varietal wine until wine maker Warren Winiarski encouraged taking the grape back to its blending roots with Bordeaux style blends. California wine is Wine made in the US state of California. Nearly three-quarters the size of France, California accounts for nearly 90 Warren Winiarski (born 1928 is California winemaker Winarski was born in a large Polish section of Chicago Illinois. [5]

A mutant that produces white grapes has been found, and white wine is made from this mutant by Beringer in California and Skalli in France. [6] It has nothing to do with the rosé wine made from red Merlot that is sometimes sold as "White Merlot".

Major regions

Merlot is produced primarily in France (where it is the third most planted red grape),[7] Italy (where it is the country's 5th most planted grape)[8] and California, Romania and on a lesser scale in Australia, Argentina, Canada's Niagara Peninsula, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, Croatia, Hungary, Montenegro, Slovenia, and other parts of the United States such as Washington and Long Island. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. The Niagara Peninsula is the portion of Ontario, Canada lying on the south shore of Lake Ontario. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Croatia (Hrvatska ˈxȓvatska officially the Republic of Croatia ( Republika Hrvatska) is a southern Central European country at the crossroads between Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Montenegro ( British English) Montenegrin / Serbian: PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE LANGUAGES WITHOUT CONSENSUS ON THE TALK PAGE! Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija) is a Country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Long Island is an island located in southeastern New York, USA, its western shores directly across from Manhattan, from which the island stretches It grows in many regions that also grow Cabernet Sauvignon but tends to be cultivated in the cooler portions of those areas. In areas that are too warm, Merlot will ripen too early. [2]

In the traditional Bordeaux blend, Merlot's role is to add body and softness. Despite accounting for 50-60% of overall plantings in Bordeaux, the grape tends to account for an average of 25% of the blends-especially in the Graves and Médoc. ( Gascon: Bordèu) is a port city in southwest France, with one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area at a 2008 estimate Graves (ˈgrɑːv meaning ' Gravelly land' in French) is an important subregion of the Bordeaux Wine region The Médoc ( Occitan: Medoc) is a region of France, well-known as a Wine growing region located in the département of However, in the regions of Pomerol and Saint-Emilion it is not unusual for Merlot to comprise the majority of the blend. Pomerol is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. Saint-Émilion is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. [7] One of the most famous and rare wines in the world, Château Pétrus, is almost all Merlot. Pétrus is a red Bordeaux wine of the Pomerol appellation made almost entirely from the Merlot Grape.

In Italy, the Merlot grape is often blended with Sangiovese to give the wine a similar softening effect as the Bordeaux blends. Sangiovese is a Red wine Grape variety originating in Italy whose name derives from sanguis Jovis, "the blood of Jove " [8] The Strada del Merlot is a popular tourist route through Merlot wine countries along the Isonzo river. The Soča (in Slovene) or [4]

In Hungary, Merlot complements Kékfrankos, Kékoportó and Kadarka as a component in Bull's Blood. Blaufränkisch ( German for blue "Frankish") is a dark-skinned variety of Grape used for red Wine. Blauer Portugieser is a red Austrian and German wine grape found primarily in the Rheinhessen, Pfalz and wine regions of Lower Kadarka is an old Red wine Grape Varietal, most popular in Hungary, where it was introduced with the Turkish occupation "Bull's Blood" redirects here For the senior-year secret society at Rutgers University, see Order of the Bull's Blood. It is also made into varietal wine known as Egri Médoc Noir which is noted for its balanced acid levels and sweet taste. [9]

Viticulture

Merlot grapes are identified by their loose bunches of large berries. The color has less of a blue/black hue than Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and with a thinner skin, the grapes also have fewer tannins. Tannins are Astringent, bitter plant Polyphenols that either bind and Precipitate or shrink Proteins The astringency from the tannins is what Also compared to Cabernet, a Merlot grape tends to have higher sugar content and lower malic acid. Malic acid is an Organic compound with the formula HO2CCH2CHOHCO2H [10]

Merlot thrives in cold soil, particularly ferrous clay. The vine tends to bud early which gives it some risk to cold frost and its thin skin increases its susceptibility to rot. It normally ripens up to two weeks earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon. Water stress is important to the vine with it thriving in well drained soil more so than at base of a slope. [11]

Pruning is a major component to the quality of the wine that is produced. For other uses of the term "Pruning" see Pruning (disambiguation. Wine consultant Michel Rolland is a major proponent for reducing the yields of Merlot grapes to improve quality. Michel Rolland (born December 24, 1947 in Libourne, France) is an influential Bordeaux -based oenologist, with hundreds [12] The age of the vine is also important, with older vines contributing character to the resulting wine. [10]

A characteristic of the Merlot grape is the propensity to quickly over ripen once it hits its initial ripeness level, sometimes in a matter of a few days. There are two schools of thought on the right time to harvest Merlot. The wine makers of Château Pétrus favor early picking to best maintain the wine's acidity and finesse as well as its potential for aging. Others, such as Rolland, favor late picking and the added fruit body that comes with a little bit of over-ripeness. [12]

White Merlot

White Merlot is made the same way as its more famous cousin, White Zinfandel. White Zinfandel, often abbreviated as White Zin, is an off-dry to sweet pink-colored Rosé wine. The grapes are crushed, and after very brief skin contact, the resulting pink juice is run off the must to then be fermented. MUST may refer to Militära underrättelse- och säkerhetstjänsten, the Swedish Military Intelligence and Security Service Misr University Some producers of White Merlot include Sutter Home, Forest Glen, and Beringer. It normally has a hint of raspberry. White Merlot was reputedly first marketed in the late 1990s, and should not be confused with wines made from the white mutant of the grape.

In Switzerland, a type of White Merlot is made but is often considered more a rosé. A rosé (From French rosé ‘pinkish’ Wine has some of the color typical of a red wine but only enough to turn it pink [8]

Merlot is sometimes referred to as "Merlot Noir" to distinguish it from "Merlot Blanc" an unrelated white wine grape. [13]

In popular culture

References

  1. ^ Wine Business Journal listing of varietal sales..
  2. ^ a b c d Oz Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 129 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144
  3. ^ Oz Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 134 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144
  4. ^ a b J. Robinson Vines, Grapes & Wines pg 92 Mitchell Beazley 1986 ISBN 1-85732-999-6
  5. ^ G. Taber Judgement of Paris pg 108 Scribner 2005 ISBN 0743247515
  6. ^ Lechmere, A (2002) First white 'Cabernet Sauvignon' released Decanter May 14, 2002
  7. ^ a b Oz Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 132 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144
  8. ^ a b c Oz Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 133 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144
  9. ^ J. Robinson Vines, Grapes & Wines pg 94 Mitchell Beazley 1986 ISBN 1-85732-999-6
  10. ^ a b J. Robinson Vines, Grapes & Wines pg 91 Mitchell Beazley 1986 ISBN 1-85732-999-6
  11. ^ Oz Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 130 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144
  12. ^ a b Oz Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 131 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144
  13. ^ Merlot Blanc.
  14. ^ Merlot demand skids, perhaps ‘Sideways?’ - Food Inc. - MSNBC.com


Dictionary

merlot

-noun

  1. a black variety of grape, originally from the Bordeaux region of France
  2. a dry red wine made from this grape
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