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.
What’s the problem with that? There is nothing wrong with Merlot, the grape. In Bordeaux, it produces some of the world’s most praised wines and is one of the noble grape varieties. The bad reputation Merlot has with wine snobs is that it when Merlot’s popularity picked up in America over the last two decades, California vintners started to produce high quantities of these fruit-juice like wines with super low acids, and a ton of residual sugars and little character. These types of wines are really popular with most Americans. It should be noted, however, that most Americans were also brought up on a myriad of sugary sodas, and chemical-filled juice-like impostors. If you love Merlot, continue to do so; but try Merlot from different, cooler regions of the world like Right Bank Bordeaux, and even Washington state if you are interested in something more structured and full-bodied.
If you love to buy American, love silky wines and trying new things- go for the California Rhône Valley style wines. Rhône wines feature varieties like Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and (the white) Viognier; as both stand-alone varietals or in blends combining two or more of these grapes are all excellent choices when talking about Rhone Style reds from all over California.
When choosing, Syrah is a great stand-alone wine that is also familiar to most while delivering notes of blueberry, plum, and chocolate and pairing really well with smoked meats and salty and savory meals and cheeses.
If you’re looking at a Rhône style blend, no need to feel overwhelmed. Look out for a 60% – 70% Grenache, 40% – 30% Syrah blend. My favorite is a Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre blend. Keep an eye out for regions in California like Paso Robles, Napa Valley, and Sonoma when looking for Rhônes. Rhône blends will typically taste of a lot of dark red berries and plums with a candied– but not too sweet finish that provides smooth boldness and hints of spices like thyme and cinnamon make a California Rhône, one of America’s most versatile blends and best kept secrets.
Overall, Rhône is the way to go! Happy sipping.
Photos: Jason Tenenbaum and Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance