{"id":2450319,"date":"2019-10-24T16:40:00","date_gmt":"2019-10-24T22:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=314971"},"modified":"2019-10-24T16:40:00","modified_gmt":"2019-10-24T22:40:00","slug":"wineink-merlot-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/wineink-merlot-month\/","title":{"rendered":"WineInk: Merlot Month"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Hashtag sign made of wine corks on color wooden background<\/strong>
Getty Images\/iStockphoto | iStockphoto<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

So I usually stay away from things like this.<\/p>\n

National Zinfandel Day (Nov. 15) or Ros\u00e9 Day (June 11 or Aug. 14 depending upon your persuasion) or, get this, National Mulled Wine Day (March 3, now that is just weird) or any other kind of contrived celebratory designation given to a type of wine or grape is kind of gimmicky, right? After all, they are clearly just a way for marketers to create awareness and sales of particular wines.<\/p>\n

But this week, after receiving a really enjoyable bottle of merlot from Charles Krug in Napa, along with a letter touting October as National Merlot Month, I thought it might be time to make an exception. And it had been a few months since I last sat down to contemplate a straight up glass of merlot. And October, with the change of seasons upon us, somehow feels like just the right time to get reacquainted with the fruity, full, dark and often-delicious wines made from one of the world\u2019s most popular grapes.<\/p>\n

And yes, I know National Merlot Month is clearly a marketing gambit. The #merlotme hashtag was created in 2013 to promote the grape varietal that had begun a decline in popularity way back in 2004. That is when \u201cSideways,\u201d perhaps the most famed wine-focused movie ever made, dissed the grape on celluloid. Hard to believe that a buddy picture of dubious character could do so much for the sales of one grape, pinot noir, and have such a negative impact on another, merlot. But it did.<\/p>\n

The #merlotme social media movement, as far as I can tell, consists of over 100 different wineries in the U.S. and New Zealand. It features a rather sophisticated website which basically suggests folks drink more merlot. At merlotme.com, visitors can find special offers from the wineries for case discounts, recipes that are tailor-made for pairing with merlot and a list of merlot tastings that people can attend to sample merlot from different makers and global regions. Basically it\u2019s a site that promotes all things merlot. And according to organizers, it has been extremely successful, with as many as 65 million social media impressions since its inception.<\/p>\n

I get it. But what I don\u2019t get is that some people don\u2019t get that merlot is a great grape varietal.<\/p>\n

If you have ever had the opportunity to sit and sip, preferably with a meal, a glass of merlot from Duckhorn\u2019s Three Palms Vineyard, especially a bottling with a little age, it can be a transcendent experience. The Ferguson and Seven Hills Vineyards Estate merlots made in the Walla Walla Valley region of Washington State by L\u2019Ecole No. 41 are some of the most quaffable wines on the planet. And one of the Kiwi participants in the #merlotme movement, Alpha Domus located in the oh-so-glorious-but-much-underrated Hawkes Bay region on the east side of New Zealand\u2019s North Island, makes merlot that is fruity and fresh and perfect for pairing with a little grilled lamb.<\/p>\n

And I have not even mentioned one of the world\u2019s most esteemed and collectable wines, those of Ch\u00e2teau Petrus, which is known, kind of like LeBron or Sting, as simply Petrus. Made from grapes grown on the Estate\u2019s Pomeral Plateau, a promontory that is blessed with a layer of \u201cblue\u201d clay, unique even on Bordeaux\u2019s Right Bank, it is among the most expensive wines found in all the world, selling in great vintages for thousands of dollars a bottle. And since 2010, every drop has been merlot.<\/p>\n

In fairness, on just about every study of the world\u2019s most popular and most planted grapes, merlot follows cabernet sauvignon for second place, so it is indeed a significant player on the global stage. And for that there is good reason. Merlot wines can be many things, but the smooth, lower tannins produce wines that are easy to drink, and are often soft and approachable. The wines emphasize fruits, especially ripe red or black cherries, and berries with raspberry and strawberry flavors often highlighted. A great merlot may combine hints of spice, leather, tobacco, vanilla and even chocolate. The grape responds well to oak and many merlots will often take on characteristics due to extended aging.<\/p>\n

All in all, merlot is a wine that deserves your attention. So go ahead and pour yourself a glass. Share it with your friends. Hashtag or not.<\/p>\n

via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hashtag sign made of wine corks on color wooden backgroundGetty Images\/iStockphoto | iStockphoto So I usually stay away from things like this. National Zinfandel Day (Nov. 15) or Ros\u00e9 Day (June 11 or Aug. 14 depending upon your persuasion) or, get this, National Mulled Wine Day (March 3, now that is just weird) or any […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2450319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-19 11:59:41","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley's Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2450319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2450319"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2450319\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2450319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2450319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2450319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}