Pass The Merlot and Chardonnay, Please!
These two grapes get some bad reps sometimes, but I am here to try and help you learn more about them so you give them a second chance (or keep drinking them).
Photo from Getty
Merlot
The Merlot grape is the second most planted grape in the world and is the sibling of the most planted grape, Cabernet Sauvignon. These grapes grow best in moderate to warm climates.
The name Merlot is rumored to come from its resemblance to the blue-black feathers of the blackbird (merle) but I have also read it was named Merlot due to the merle bird pecking the grapes and being a nuisance. Even though these may be rumors, I find them to be fun enough to share with you.
Did you know that Merlot is the dominant grape in the right bank of Bordeaux. This means, if you have ever had a wine from Pomerol or St-Émilion, then you have had a Merlot dominant wine. If you know one of those snobby wine folks that say they only drink Cabernet and yet love their right bank Bordeaux wines, feel free to humble them by explaining that those are Merlot dominated wines. It is a wonderful stand alone grape, it adds soft tannins and fruit to blended wines.
Map by Kate
Why the snobbery towards Merlot?
I am sure you have noticed there is a certain snobbery towards Merlot in some circles. This is so misguided and I want to set the record straight on reasons this could be and why you should look past them. And no, I refuse to discuss a certain movie that came out where the main character ranted about his hate of the grape and how it made sales drop drastically because I want to think humans are quite a bit smarter than this.
A few things have happened to give Merlot a bad reputation. For one, a lot of very mediocre bulk Merlot has been produced and sold, especially in the 90’s. Merlot is a grape that grows rather vigorously and has high yields. If the vines are not maintained well, this can lead to lackluster and flavorless wine. Maintaining the yields of these vines is key to making sure the final wines will have concentrated flavor. With that said, this costs more money for the vineyards, it means more care is put in, which means more work, more work hands, you get it.
Another reason it may be overlooked is that you cannot compare it to a Cabernet Sauvignon or even a Pinot Noir, yet time and again I hear people do this when I am out to eat at restaurants. Merlot is its own grape, it has its own flavor profile and style. Merlot wines tend to be medium in body, tannins and acidity, they are fruit forward and smooth to drink. I tend to think people that don’t know much about wine think they need to like full bodied wines full of tannins, like Cabernet Sauvignon. Time and time again when I help people shop for wine and start asking them what they always drink versus what things they actually like, I find out almost 6 times out of 10 that they have been drinking wines they thought they should be drinking, not what they actually enjoy. Most of my clients take a while to admit this to me, but when they do we can actually get to the bottom of what they enjoy and a lot of times I recommend a Merlot wine for them to try and then report back about.
Photo by Kate
Merlot pairs well with food
Merlot is a wine that pairs well with a lot of foods so have fun exploring with pairing. It goes really well with pizza, bbq, poultry dishes as well as creamy pasta dishes. It can even stand up to a big steak dish as it pairs well with the side dishes that are often served alongside of steak. Try pairing Frogsleap Merlot with a bbq pizza, I think you will enjoy this pairing as much as I do.
Try Merlot from all over the world
I always suggest trying a lot of styles before making your final judgement. So I have picked a few Merlot wines from around the world that are relatively easy to find in the American market for you to taste side by side or even place in bags and taste them blind while trying to guess what country they are from. Below are a few options that I recommend or that have been recommended to me.
Frogsleap Merlot, Napa, California
Chateau Vieux Chateau Palon Montagne, St. Emilion, France
Lapostolle Grand Selection Merlot, Colchagua Valley, Chile
Mollydooker Merlot The Scooter, McLaren Vale, Australia
…and now time for Chardonnay
Photo from Wine Enthusiast
A few facts
Chardonnay grapes are early budding, early ripening and can grow in cool, moderate and warm climates. These grapes are planted in almost every wine region of the world. Chardonnay is the “daughter” grape of Pinot Noir and a lesser known grape called Gouais Blanc, you will never need to know that, don’t worry. Another fun thing about Chardonnay is that it is one of the main grapes in Champagne and in Burgundy there are actually more Chardonnay vines planted than Pinot Noir.
It is an extremely diverse grape depending on what climate it is grown in. Some people say this is a winemakers grape, because a winemaker has a lot of control over the outcome of the wine, but don’t forget the climate matters a lot too.
Map by Kate
Think you don’t like Chardonnay, you probably just haven’t found the right style
Like Merlot, there are a lot of poorly made Chardonnay wines on the market. I hear time and again from friends they hate Chardonnay, they cannot stand the oak and buttery flavors in the wine. Well, why would they know that not all Chardonnay tastes like a cheaply made oaky butterscotch bomb. Let me set the record straight, many of the wineries responsible for these distinctive wines have since rectified their clumsy use of oak. When a winemaker takes care with the Chardonnay grape and oak influence, these wines are elegant and lovely. Don’t judge a grape by one or two poorly made versions of it, not all winemakers are created equal, there will always be bad wine, I am here to help you navigate this silly and confusing world.
Unoaked Chardonnay wines
If you are looking for a crisp, refreshingly acidic wine with flavors ranging from green tree fruits and citrus to more tropical and stone fruit flavors, then you should definitely try some unoaked Chardonnay wines. There is no exact science to a label disclosing if the wine is unoaked or not, some do, some don’t, some you need to read the descriptions on the back label, google the producer and see how the wine was made. Yes, this is probably why so many people just stay away from this grape, it is complicated. First things first, if you are unsure, look at the label for words like “crisp” or “refreshing”, these words will refer to unoaked styles of wine and when you read descriptions that say “toast” or “vanilla” those will have oak. Typically, Chablis and Petit Chablis wines from Burgundy, France are unoaked, this isn’t foolproof, but this region is famous for their crisp, refreshing styles of Chardonnay.
Oaked Chardonnay wines
First thing to know when discussing any oaked white wines, not all are created equal and not all will taste the same. Every winemaker has a lot of control on what their Chardonnay wines taste like. They make decisions regarding how long the wine will ferment or age in oak, what size the barrels are (and yes size matters when it comes to oak) and if they will use neutral oak or new oak and where the oak comes from. If this sounds tedious, trust me, winemakers that grow these grapes have many decisions to make when it comes to what they want their final wine to taste like and what they think their consumers will enjoy. But I can’t just describe oak in this section, the winemaker also needs to decide if the wines will go through something called Malolactic Fermentation (paid subscribers, look for a wine infographic to follow this article about MLF). In short, Malolactic Fermentation is a process that changes the acids in wine which in turn gives the wine aromas and flavors of butter and cream.
Again, it will not always be apparent from the front label if the wine is oaked or not, so in order to know, look for descriptors such as barrel aged, toast, smoke, vanilla, and butter. A lot of oaked Chardonnay comes from California, chances are if the wine doesn’t say otherwise on the front or back label it will be oaked. When in doubt, ask an employee or google the wine quickly, most wines will have write ups or technical sheets available that either straight up tell you it was barrel aged or will give you those descriptors.
Photo by Kate
What style Chardonnay should you try?
Of course I say all of them. As always, I suggest trying a bunch of styles of Chardonnay from various regions to figure out the style you like, you may surprise yourself. Below I have picked 6 wines 2 from California, France and New Zealand that are readily available in the American market. A really fun thing to do is to blind taste these wines side by side and try to guess what country and what style the wines are. Invite a few friends over, put a simple cheese board together and have a blast!
Unoaked Chardonnay wines to try:
Mer Soleil Silver Chardonnay, California
Louis Jadot Petit Chablis, France
Kim Crawford Chardonnay, New Zealand
Oaked Chardonnay wines to try:
Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuissé, France
Cakebread Chardonnay, California
Oyster Bay Chardonnay, New Zealand
