Wine is precarious. There are times when I have bought a $14 bottle of wine that tasted better than a $56 bottle. Some grape varietals prove more giving at the inexpensive price levels. Merlot- especially from California, however, is not so forgiving. There’s a trend in America, an unspoken law of the land that for occasional wine drinkers Merlot is easy to drink, and always available. Any bar or restaurant here in New York City that has only a limited selection of wine, has Merlot, usually from California.
