Stop looking Sideways at Merlot

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It's boring, it's simple, it has no character -- these are some of the charges laid against Merlot on a regular basis. Yes, some examples out there that reinforce these stereotypes, but there are as many wines that break them.

While there is still some pretty insipid entry-level Merlot out there, I'd say that there is just as much insipid Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz in that same price point. In fact, I'd say Merlot at around the $15 price point is a relatively undervalued category -- there are some great values out there from Chile, Argentina, and the Vin de Pays D'Oc region of France.

Wine drinkers willing to "trade up" -- to spend a few bucks more to get a wine that offers greater complexity -- will find many Merlots to surprisingly rewarding. The smaller parcels of grapes, increased time in oak barrels and more limited bottlings that typify the $20-$30 range of wines take Merlot from simple and plush to deep and complex. If you like ripe, chewy reds with big dark fruit and soft tannins, mid-priced Merlot will be right up your alley, especially when it hails from Chile, California or Washington State.

Closer to home, Merlot's future may be as the primary grape in blends, especially Bordeaux-style ones (featuring Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and sometimes Malbec and Petit Verdot grapes). At the Canadian Wine Awards last month, the flights of Merlots we tasted weren't as impressive as I had hoped; the Bordeaux-style blends, however, showed incredible promise.

When tasters on my panel were asked to pick our six favourite Canadian red blends out of the 26 we tasted in the final round, all of mine were primarily Merlot-based. Merlot's dark fruit, combined with the more complex notes provided by the other grapes, was a winning combination in my books.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have long been partnered in wines coming from every corner of the globe (well, at least those corners that are warm enough to grow grapes): Pomerol and St-Émilion in France's Bordeaux region, California, South Africa, Australia and well beyond. Not surprisingly, the two grapes are the most widely planted red wine grapes in the world, typically bringing a balance of dark berry, plum, spice, tannin in a full-bodied package.

Both on its own and in blends, Merlot works well with food. Milder beef dishes -- roast beef/pot roast, beef stew and the like -- are perfect with Merlot. Lighter versions of the wine also work nicely in a crossover capacity -- a fruity, medium-bodied Merlot, for example, can pair nicely with your Thanksgiving turkey. When Merlot is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, that extra spice and structure can help tackle a big steak, Mexican fare, and much more.

Here's hoping that, seven years on, we can look beyond Sideways -- the film whose protagonist famously bashed Merlot and praised Pinot Noir. The wine world certainly hasn't remained static in that time, and producers of good quality Merlot have worked harder than ever to regain footing in the wine market.

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P.K.N.T. 2010 MERLOT (Central Valley, Chile -- $11.99, Liquor Marts and beyond)

The red-labelled wine with the big chili pepper on the front shows great promise on the nose -- given its price point, the cocoa, white pepper, blueberry skins and a hint of spice on the nose bring surprising complexity. It falls a bit flat on the medium-bodied palate, getting a bit too flabby with the sweet plum and blueberry jam flavours for my taste. 84/100

THIERRY & GUY 2010 "FAT BASTARD" MERLOT (Vin de Pays D'Oc, France -- $15.99, Liquor Marts and beyond)

Of the three wines tasted this week, this one has the most "classic" Merlot nose: plum, blueberry, light perfume and a hint of cocoa. Despite the claim on the front label of being "remarkably full-bodied," I found it to be decidedly medium-bodied. Blueberry, plum skins, raisin and light black tea (expressed in the light tannin) flavours make this a decent Merlot for the price. 86/100

TENUTA SANTA MARIA 2004 DECIMA AUREA (Veneto, Italy -- around $35, private wine stores)

This Merlot goes way off the charts, and I love it -- raisin, mint, leather and licorice come through on the nose but don't overwhelm the core dark berry/plum notes. It's full-bodied, with dried cherry, raisin, plum and complex spice notes on the chewy palate (you get the impression the grapes may have been dried using the ripasso method before vinification). Tannins are present but don't overwhelm -- the overall balance here is fantastic. Check Kenaston Wine Market for this bad boy. 91/100

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 17, 2011 E4