Talk-A-Vino

Being obsessed over a grape lately?

I have. Not even sure why, but I have.

Merlot had been on my mind. Why Merlot? Why now? I don’t know. I’m sure something triggered it, but I really have no clue as to what and why.

Merlot’s name might not be around since the 13th century as Pinot Noir has, or the 15th century as Riesling, but it is a well-known grape from Bordeaux, first mentioned in 1874. Merlot is one of the main grapes in Bordeaux, alongside Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, named after a blackbird (Merle is a French name for the blackbird), either for color similarities between the grape and the bird’s appearance, or maybe due to the bird’s appetite for the tasty grapes.

Merlot today is one of the most planted grapes in the world – for example, it might surprise you, but Merlot is the second most planted grape in Tuscany after Sangiovese. And it is also the main (and only) grape in some of the best wines in the world, such as Petrus, Le Pin, Masseto, Tua Rita Redigaffe, and others. And yet Merlot’s standing was badly hurt in the United States, all based on the famous words of the middle-aged man going through a middle-age life crisis – “I’m not drinking f-ing Merlot” in the 2004 flick “Sideways”:

Considering the effect this movie had on the Merlot wines in the USA, it really should be studied as one of the earliest and most effective testaments to the dangers of “influencers”. Facebook was in its infancy, the first iPhone was 3 years away, and Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok were not even the products of the wildest imagination – and yet this 2-hour movie woven around California wine country with loudly proclaimed love for Pinot Noir and disdain for Merlot managed to inflict very significant damage to the Merlot market in the US, at least the California Merlot (of course, when the bottle says Petrus or Masseto, the majority of wine drinkers have no clue that the Sideways’ hated grape is inside).

I would perfectly understand if Merlot’s reputation would suffer due to a scandal, such as the Austrian Antifreeze scandal in 1985, which literally killed the Austrian wine industry for a long time, or Brunellogate in 2008, with the aftershocks still experienced even today. But it was nothing like that – there were only the words “I’m not drinking the f-ing Merlot,” which led to significant consequences. Merlot sales dropped 2% – 4% in 2005 – 2008 following the movie release in 2004. Merlot share of crushed grapes in California went down from 20% to 13% by 2008. Merlot plantings were reduced roughly by 35% between 20004 and 2023. Many wine stores simply removed California Merlot from the shelves. There is also another estimate that Merlot lost $400M in unrealized sales from 2004 until 2014. All in all, a very dramatic consequence of the “rage over a grape”.

As I mentioned before, I really don’t get it. My experience with Merlot wines is exactly on par with any other “major grapes”, both in terms of wines that I liked and wines that I didn’t like, so truly, the effect of Sideways is an enigma – but again, it has to be studied in depth to understand how “influencing” works. Okay, enough of this.

I don’t know if Merlot has fully recovered today, and again, there are many regions around the world where Merlot’s standing was not hurt, especially in the regions where the Merlot name doesn’t readily appear on the front label. Amazing Merlot wines are made in Argentina, Australia, California, Chile, France, Israel, Italy, New York (particularly on Long Island), Spain, Virginia, Washington, and everywhere in between. And it is not just places – it is also wine styles! Today, in addition to the still red wines, you can also find sparkling Merlot, white Merlot, Merlot Rosé, and late harvest Merlot. Very few red wines can brag about such a range of expression, and Merlot is one of them.

As you well know, the truth in wine is in the glass. Which means… wine tasting! And we are planning one! The blind tasting of Merlot from 11 regions (Australia, Chile, California, France, Italy, Long Island, Mexico, Romania, South Africa, Virginia, Washington) is in the works, and will be reported on in due time. Meanwhile, I’m sure many of you have never watched Sideways, so consider this a lesson in wine influencing and go watch it… Just remember that California Merlot is not that bad, and California Pinot Noir is not that good… And I’m off to listen to the rain and wind…