You never forget your first love...and mine was Merlot. Up to that
sip of Chilean juice all my encounters with red wine brought mouthfuls
of tannic unhappiness. I had no idea red wine could taste so smooth and
juicy and, yes, fruity. I remember seeking it out and buying versions
from Mill Creek, Lambert Bridge and Chateau Souverain on my first trip
to Sonoma. And then, overexposure hit, causing many wineries to plant
Merlot where they shouldn't – just to make a quick buck – and the lack
of quality made many wine lovers, like me, desert the variety and move
on to other grapes. It doesn't take many mediocre versions to turn
people off, especially when you're paying good money for the pleasure.
This decline happened long before Sideways. The movie just brought the
problem to a national audience. Miles' cry "I'm not drinking any
f**king Merlot!", while funny, was all too true for many of us everyday
drinkers. This once luscious grape was ruined by rampant
commercialization, which was sad for drinkers, but had to be horrifying
to the wineries who considered this a flagship variety. Lucky for us
the ones in it for the long haul, held on and concentrated their
efforts into making wines that would turn around Merlot's maligned
reputation. Or so I've heard.
I got the opportunity to see whether they succeeded at Learn About Wines "Revenge of The Merlot" tasting. While clearly devised by the wineries participating to get people talking about and tasting merlot again, it was interesting to actually hear first hand the effects, if any, they had experienced since Sideways supposedly put the nail in Merlot's coffin.
You have about a month to make these before Clementine season is officially over. Don't miss it. 
I am not a big drinker. It’s rare that I finish a glass a wine at dinner and I rarely order a “cocktail”. With that said, when I do invite friends over for dinner, I like to have a little cocktail on hand for those that simply want one.
Double-dipped Justice at Philippe's