One of the biggest laughs in “Sideways,” the Academy Award-nominated “wine” flick, occurs when the two mis-matched buddies pause outside a restaurant to prepare for meeting their dates.
“If they want to drink merlot, we’re drinking merlot,” says Jack, always on the make for an easy pickup.
“No, if anyone orders merlot, I’m leaving,” fumes Miles, the nerdy wine geek. “I am NOT drinking any [expletive] merlot!”
It’s a priceless moment–at once hilarious, sharp and so inside the wine world that it’s no wonder this movie is the darling of nearly every sipper. Yet the line is bittersweet too. For if there’s one wine that doesn’t deserve to be the butt of movie jokes, it is merlot.
Sure, merlot is a genial grape that can be made into an equally genial wine. Read “genial” any way you want. But merlot can be great too. Just think of the famed French wines of Pomerol and Saint Emilion. Remember, too, that Miles’ most prized possession, a bottle of 1961 Chateau Cheval Blanc, is a red blend made with hefty doses of merlot. (Thanks to my Tribune colleague, associate Travel editor Carolyn McGuire, for catching this irony.)
How could merlot become something so simple and sappy? Blame its popularity. Merlot is now the third most popular varietal in the Chicago market (chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon are first and second, respectively), according to ACNielsen, a leading provider of consumer and marketplace information. And it is the second most popular nationwide (chardonnay is tops there, too).
Unfortunately, the public’s taste for merlot has given license to scores of winemakers eager to make a buck selling “dumb” wine to the masses.
“I never want to give up on merlot,” said Shebnem Ince, general manager of Que Syrah Fine Wines. “But of all the grapes out there, some of the dumbest wines are made from the varietal.”
And this comes from a woman who describes herself as a “secret merlot lover.” But Ince is discriminating in her taste. Not all merlots measure up.
She loves the French merlots, the wine of Pomerol and Saint Emilion. The wines, she said, have a “fleshier and bolder” quality than other merlots. “There’s actually structure, acid and tannin. It’s not just a big gumdrop in your mouth that’s melting.”
One of her favorites is from a little known maker, a 2000 Chateau Vieux Clos Saint Emilion Grand Cru costing $25.
As for most American merlots, Ince said, “They’ve gotten so boring, you know? The ones out of Australia are like lollipops. If I want candy, I will go to the store.”
Great merlot can be had, as Ince well knows. You just need to know where to look and be willing to pay the price. California offers a number of interesting examples to try (see the chart), all at a price far less expensive than Pomerol’s Chateau Petrus. (Binny’s is listing the 2001 vintage for $575 a bottle while Sam’s Wines & Spirits touts the 1997 for $667 a bottle.) Ask a local wine merchant you trust to help guide your selection, she said.
Like Ince, Howard Silverman of Howard’s Wine Cellar believes merlot reaches its best expression in Pomerol and Saint Emilion because of the unique location. Location also matters with California merlots, he added. Vines have to be in “very good drained soil where there’s some moisture retention” and the roots dig deep. Mountainsides and hillsides are best for this, he said.
While Silverman thinks winemakers like Shafer or Pride Mountain make good merlot, he doesn’t share Ince’s love of the grape.
“I would almost never drink a straight merlot myself,” he said. “I like wines that talk back to you, are relatively high in acidity and have something to say.”
So profound is Silverman’s disdain for most merlot–“It’s the pinot grigio of red grapes,” he complained–that when the merlot scene from “Sideways” flashed on the screen, his wife and friends turned on him with just one question on their lips.
“Did you write this movie?”
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Merlots even Miles would drink
Merlot is often knocked as being an easy sip, but the fault lies more in the flood of inexpensive, mass-produced wines out there than in the grape itself. These eight merlots, six from California and two from Washington, earn their marks thanks to careful winemakers, some of whom have made their reputation bringing out the best in merlot. These reds offer a complexity of flavor and an intensity of pleasure appropriate for wines costing up to $84. Yet even a “value” ringer, a Washington merlot priced at $14, earned praise from the Good Eating taste panel.
2001 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot
Tied for first place is this Napa Valley red from one of the first and top names in California merlot. The wine was full, balanced, lively, with cherry notes backed by sweet vanilla and black pepper. “Would love it with food,” one panelist wrote. Serve with smoked chicken pasta or beef stew.
(3 corkscrews) $45
2000 Beringer Bancroft Ranch Howell Mountain Merlot
“Is this really merlot?” one surprised taster asked of this Napa Valley red, which tied for first. It’s a big baby, with lots of tannin, good fruit and plenty of woodsy notes. Most tasters liked the oversized profile, but one felt the wine would achieve greatness with time. Serve with steak and black truffle sauce, lasagna, pheasant, grilled chicken.
(3 corkscrews) $84
2001 Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot
Made from a 55-45 split of Napa and Sonoma merlot grapes respectively, this wine had a spry peppery flavor, an incenselike aroma and just a hint of chocolate on the finish. Serve with braised short ribs, prime ribs, roast pork with apples.
(3 corkscrews) $53
2002 Shafer Merlot
This Napa Valley wine had a softer style, with plenty of cherry flavor and a long silky finish. “Very accessible, wonderfully fruity, without compromising quality,” one taster wrote. Try it with grilled steak, goat cheese bruschetta or pizza.
(2 corkscrews) $41
2002 Sagelands Vineyard Merlot Four Corners
From Washington’s Columbia Valley comes this relatively inexpensive merlot. Panelists found it easy sipping, with touches of spice and vanilla laid over notes of oak. Some thought the wine too soft and sweet. Serve with grilled steak, roast chicken with mushrooms.
(2 corkscrews) $14
2001 Stags Leap Merlot Reserve
Fans of this Napa Valley red praised its soft tannins, cooked fruit flavor and rich taste. Cooler heads thought the wine lacked nuance and had thin berry flavors. Serve with sausage, pizza, veal scaloppine, roast chicken.
(2 corkscrews) $30
1998 Andrew Will Merlot Ciel du Cheval
From Washington state comes this very peppery red. Some tasters liked the sharpness but others turned up their noses. “Tastes hot!” one exclaimed. “Overpowers the fruit.” Another thought the fruit was “dried out” and the wine flabby. Serve with sausages, barbecued ribs.
(2 corkscrews) $36
2001 Rodney Strong Merlot
This Sonoma County red had notes of cherry, spice and pepper but was sharp and acrid. “Disappointing,” one panelist wrote. To counter the tartness, try it with a honey-glazed ham.
(2 corkscrews) $15
Sources: We found these wines at Sam’s Wines & Spirits, Binny’s Downtown, Howard’s Wine Cellar, Sam’s Club in Wheeling. Not every wine may be in stock at your local stores; prices may vary from store to store. Prices are rounded off.
Ratings key:
(4 corkscrews) Excellent
(3 corkscrews) Very good
(2 corkscrews) Good
(1 corkscrew) Fair
(No corkscrews) Poor
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Hear Bill Daley on WBBM Newsradio 780 at 6:21 p.m. and 10:22 p.m. each Tuesday and 7:52 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.
