Argyle Pinot Noir Willamette Valley (Oregon). Usually easy to find and always a delight to drink. Typically smooth with great fruit presence that pairs well with food or drinkable on its own. (If you’re in one of the 21 states that allows you to purchase wine directly from out-of-state wineries, buy the Willamette Valley Pinot for $20 a bottle.)

Saintsbury Pinot Noir Carneros Garnet (California). Typically creamier and spicier than the Argyle, the Saintsbury Garnets tend to be a “larger” wine but nicely balanced as well. Visit the Saintsbury Winery for more information.

There was a time when merlot was HOT! Everybody was drinking it. Then, practically overnight, vintners chasing the hype veered dramatically from the true nature of the varietal, creating watered-down, limp versions of arguably one of the world’s greatest grapes. Merlot has since taken a beating. After a one-two punch from the wine-snob community in the late 90s and early 00s, merlot was just getting to its feet when along came a bruiser named “Sideways” that gave it smack so hard, merlot’s mama felt it. Is merlot down for the count? I hosted a party recently with the intention of finding out…

Why so much vitriol for a grape that makes up some of the most expensive and sought-after wines in the world? I have steered away from merlot because many of the bottles I’ve sampled in my preferred $10-15 price range have been nearly devoid of personality. My hope was a bakers-dozen of merlots would reveal whether my choices have just been unlucky, or if merlot really is something to avoid. My party guests had instructions to bring a bottle of merlot, although some brought more than one. A couple of zingers were present in the collection, including one bottle from Napa that retailed at nearly $60, one bottle that retails for only $7, and one box wine disguised as a normal bottle (an empty in the recycling bin was cleaned thoroughly and filled with the box wine).

The tasting was conducted blind with each bottle wrapped in a brown bag and labeled with a letter. Each person received three votes with which to identify their three favorites after tasting (not ranked, no double votes allowed), and a time was set by which everyone had to place a vote. I arranged the voting in such a simple way because it’s not easy to get detailed information from a horde of parents away from their kids who have just “tasted” thirteen different wines.

I’ve listed the results below, some of which were surprising. I was confident the expensive bottle of Napa Valley Pride would win, as its complexity and mouth feel belie its merlot title – in fact, I would describe it as an elegant cabernet sauvignon. However, I think many of the tasters were turned off by its size, since most merlots are more delicate in structure. Another surprise was the wine that tied for first place – Red Dragon. This was a significantly polarizing wine, drawing attention to the drastic differences that can exist between individual pallets. (As a former science geek, I wonder if this difference can be explained, at least in part, by genetic differences.) Many people described the Red Dragon as salty, dilute, and, to at least one taster: “gross.” Others, me included, thought it was lovely. One of my guests, when they saw me cast my vote, said: “you actually like that? What’s WRONG with you?” The answer to that question goes in a self-help column, but I thought the Red Dragon was nicely balanced, fruity, with a clean finish. To each their own.

A huge shock was the third-place finish of the Canyon Road. I nearly voted for this bottle myself. It’s an unassuming wine with a great balance of fruit and tannin. My notes said “enough personality to keep you interested but not overwhelm you.” When was the last time you spent so little on a bottle of wine and had such nice things to say? Talk about a bargain!

The box wine fared less well but still received a vote. The voter was so thrilled, I heard she bought a box on the way home from the tasting. At the very least, this proves that a person should buy what they like, regardless of price or snobbery.

So, like the protagonist of Sideways, should you leave a party if merlot is served? In a word: no. However, finding a good merlot seems significantly harder than for other varietals. I hosted a tasting similar to this one last year focusing on syrah/shiraz, and the results were much different. Nearly every syrah was appreciated by the tasters, and even the lower-ranked wines most tasters agreed were quite fine. Such was not the case for the merlots – several of these wines were particularly week and disappointing. But the reasonably priced stars (Ronchidi, Garrison McBride) were stunning, and I have yet to find a cheap wine as good as the Canyon Road.

It would seem merlot took the punch from Sideways, perhaps somewhat deserved, but is back on its feet and taunting its opponents. In fact, merlot is mad as H-E-double-toothpick, and isn’t going to take it anymore… see for yourself: www.merlotfightsback.com

Tied for 1st place

• Ronchi di Manzano Merlot 2003Tasting Votes: Five CIUG Rating: 4 stars Price: $19 Origin: Italy

  Fruity noise, smooth tannins – a beautiful wine. Research revealed that this wine is produced from vines originating in Bordeaux, France, which explains at least part of its balance and appeal. One of my three votes.

• Red Dragon Merlot 2003Tasting Votes: Five CIUG Rating: 3.5 stars Price: $11 Origin: USA

  Medium weight, with good balance. Many described this wine as salty, but I didn’t pick up on that. I thought it was nice. Clean finish. Elicited some very strong opinions – the Tasters either loved it or hated it. One of my three votes.

Tied for 2nd place

• Pride Napa Valley Merlot 2001Tasting Votes: Four CIUG Rating: 4 stars Price: $55 Origin: USA

  Big, gorgeous, large tannins, more oak than in a normal merlot. Spicy with a gigantic, long finish. More like a cabernet than a merlot. One of my three votes.

• Garrison McBride Merlot 2003Tasting Votes: Four CIUG Rating: 3.5 stars Price: $12 Origin: USA

  Good fruit, nice body – a classic merlot. One of my favorites, but not quite a pick.

Tied for 3rd place

• Canyon Road Merlot 2003Tasting Votes: Three CIUG Rating: 3.5 stars Price: $7 Origin: USA

  Very nice balance of fruit and tannin. An easy drinker and enough personality to keep you interested but not overwhelm you. The Taster who brought this surprise purchased it on sale for only $4!

• Concha y Toro Peumo Marqués de Casa Concha Merlot 2003Tasting Votes: Three CIUG Rating: 3 stars Price: $16 Origin: Chile

  Needs decanting – it opened up after a while in the glass, revealing medium fruit and some herbaciousness with a light finish. Reminiscent of Riojas.
  

Others receiving votes

• Kenwood Sonoma Valley Merlot 2003Tasting Votes: Two CIUG Rating: 3 stars Price: $17 Origin: USA

  Good, perhaps a classic merlot style – forward fruit with smooth tannins and a decent finish. Not bad, not great.

• Decker Napa Valley Merlot 1999Tasting Votes: Two CIUG Rating: 3 stars Price: $19 Origin: USA

  Very light. Some described it as “elegant” although I personally felt it was just weak.

• Burgess Cellars Merlot 2003Tasting Votes: One CIUG Rating: 2.5 stars Price: $23 Origin: USA

  A bit dilute, but decent oomph on the end. Certainly not worth the price.

• Banrock Station Merlot 2003 (box wine!)Tasting Votes: One CIUG Rating: 2.5 stars Price: $6 Origin: Australia

  It was fine, inoffensive, but lacked any real personality. Price is per box of 1.5 liters (two bottles), so the equivalent price per bottle would be only $3!
  

No votes

• Salmon Harbor Columbia Valley Merlot 2003
  Tasting Votes: None CIUG Rating: 2.5 stars Price: $8 Origin: USA
  Good nose, nice tannins but a weak ending.

• Viña La Rosa Cachapoal Valley La Capitana Merlot 2004
  Tasting Votes: None CIUG Rating: 2 stars Price: $14 Origin: Chile
  It was funky – not spoiled, just funky. The funk overwhelmed the fruit.
• Cuvee Bordeaux 1998
  Tasting Votes: None CIUG Rating: Zero stars Price: $25 Origin: France
  What a disappointment. I was excited to have a French Bordeaux in this tasting, and had high expectations. It was awful, one of the worst wines I’ve ever had without it being spoiled. Dilute and horrible. I didn’t even write down the Chateau I was so disgusted.

Ratings Guide:

• 5 stars: Superlative. The best of the best.
• 4 stars: Excellent. Something to eagerly anticipate.
• 3 stars: Good. Solid and dependable.
• 2 stars: Mediocre. Barely tolerable.
• 1 star: Yuck.

About Ian Mehr
Ian lives with his wife and two-year-old daughter in Raleigh, NC. Frequent admonitions of “Chew it up good!” to his toddler inspired the title to Ian’s periodic column on food, wine and travel. Ian can be reached at chewitupgood@mindspring.com.

Medical science recommends one-to-two glasses of wine each day for heart health… ain’t science great? While I love high quality, expensive wines as much as the next foodie, I can’t responsibly drop $30+ on a bottle of “weeknight” wine. Instead, I seek out inexpensive but appealing wines that I can open whenever I feel like it, and not worry about obsessing over the nose, the pairing, or whether all of it will get consumed before it starts to loose its flavor in a day or two.

I’ve listed below five wines that are very good, even excellent, but at a cost structure that makes them amenable to opening on an ordinary night. Most wine stores will offer a discount on purchases of a case of wine, which is twelve identical bottles. Some grocery stores even offer discounts on purchases of six bottles. A reasonably priced wine can become downright cheap when purchased by the case and discounted by 5-20%. Even if you can’t readily find the wines I list below, I encourage you to randomly try some inexpensive wines and make note of those you particularly like. I find the best places for this experimentation are at local wine shops, as they usually offer free tastings on weekends. If I find a wine I like, I’ll buy a bottle, try it out, and if I like it enough, I might go back and buy a case to get a discount. That way, I can have them convenient to – ahem – “keep my heart healthy.”

Baroja Rioja “Seleccion” 2004

• Rating: 3.5 stars
• Price: ~$10
• Origin: Spain

I love Spanish wine, but have been somewhat miffed by its increase in price recently thanks to growing popularity of the region. Fortunately, there are still bargains to be had. A good weeknight wine should be a chameleon: agreeable by itself and enough body to pair with food, but not so much that it is tiring to drink. This Rioja, made from the tempranillo grape, is composed, yet assertive; food-friendly, yet good on its own. It is a charming wine, one that immediately upon trying I could picture many nights of casual social interactions with my friends. A value at its retail, a steal by the case.

Turner and Cole “Adelaide Hills” Pinot Noir 2004

• Rating: 4 stars
• Price: ~$17
• Origin: Australia

Although the movie “Sideways” has spoiled the market for cheap Pinot – like Rioja, its hard to find a good but inexpensive Pinot anymore – Turner & Cole bucks the trend. The clarity of this wine is not great, which gave me pause upon first pour, but trepidation dissipated upon tasting. This is quite possibly the best wine I’ve had for the money. Done in the lighter style of reds from the Burgundy region of France, this wine exhibits balance and grace like none other I’ve recently tasted. Surprisingly, this wine hails from Australia, a continent known more for shiraz than for pinot noir. Supple and clean with delicious fruit, Turner & Cole makes most California pinots look heavy handed and clumsy.

Bedford Road Sauvignon Blanc 2004

• Rating: 4 stars
• Price: ~$15
• Origin: New Zealand

Upon tasting the Bedford Road sauvignon blanc, my wife stated: “Don’t buy any other whites from now on!” Some of you may have heard of the legendary Cloudy Bay sauvignon blanc. In a blind tasting, this Bedford Road was preferred over the Cloudy Bay, yet is less than half the retail price! Many whites can be boring and one dimensional, but the Bedford Road sauv blanc combines a smooth drinkability with a crisp, mineral depth that I have not found elsewhere. Undeniably one of the best wines I’ve had, yet at a price that makes it reasonable for a weeknight. Who could ask for anything more? Well, rumor has it the 2005 will be even better…

Decker Chardonnay 2004

• Rating: 3.5 stars
• Price: ~$10
• Origin: California

California chardonnay has had its share of ups and downs. Loved and loathed for its stereotypical big, buttery, oaky style, it has existed in an underappreciated state for several years. Decker’s ’04 is a great example of what California chardonnays should aspire to achieve. Deft, but with enough mouth-feel to let you know that oak was involved, and acid to make it quaffable on its own. Citrus and tropical fruit show up, but don’t overwhelm buttery, toasty notes, and vice versa. Since ideally a chef should serve the same wine that is used in his or her recipes, this is my default wine when my cooking requires a white because its flavors lend beautifully to a plurality of dishes, and it serves as an impressive and pleasurable accompaniment as well.

Soracco Moscato d’Asti 2004

• Rating: 3.5 stars
• Price: ~$15
• Origin: Italy

When I first had a Moscato d’Asti, I had no idea what was in store: a lightly sweet, fruit forward, effervescent delight that has held a place in my cellar ever since. From the Asti region of Italy, vintners take muscat grapes and create a wine with a smattering of bubbles. I’m not a fan of syrupy desert wines, but the fizz of the d’Asti cuts the sweetness and makes this wine a joy to drink. I find Moscato d’Asti fitting as either an aperitif or a dessert wine, and quite enjoyable on its own, particularly on a hot night with cicadas singing in the background. One particular asset for their weeknight applicability is their low alcohol content, which is usually less than half as much as a typical wine. Moscato d’Asti always makes me smile, and Soracco’s version is one of my perennial favorites.