Merlot 101

Do any seasoned wine drinkers actually drink merlot?

It seems such the default wine for people that don't drink wine. Does anyone actually prefer it over all others they have tried?

Public Comments

1. Merlot's are my second favorite wines behinds Cabs. It definitely depends on the mood/food, but a good Merlot does the trick.
2. Sideways killed Merlot. Thre are so many other varietals out there that are better to a seasoned wine drinker...I think Merlot is a good "gateway" to red wine for those trying to acquire a taste for it.
3. "If anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am NOT drinking any fucking Merlot!" --Miles Raymond, Sideways Having said that, a number of great French wines from Pomerol and Saint Emilion are mostly Merlot. Chateau La Croix wines for example contain 60-95% merlot and are quite nice. As an interesting side note Miles' bottle of 1961 Chateau Cheval Blanc is from Saint Emilion and contains a goodly bit of Merlot. Some Chateau Cheval Blanc wines have as much as 66% Merlot. As for single vintage Merlot, there are plenty of good ones. If you want to try a good one look out for the 2000 Beringer Bancroft Ranch Howell Mountain Merlot. Careful though, its $84 a bottle. I think that Merlot is on the outs right now but will be popular again soon.
4. There are many Merlot drinkers out there (I'm one of them). For many, buying and drinking wines that taste good is more important than buying the hippest or most expensive label, or what someone on "Sex in the City" was drinking.
5. There was just too much planted in crappy locales during its boom. As Merlot's market share falls to Syrah, Pinot Noir and others, the crappy vine will be the first ones pulled (or regrafted).