Bringing Merlot Back - Episode #285

July 31, 2007

Gary is trying some Merlot and seeing if Hollywood was right to diss this grape!

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“I forgot to answer the question of the day. I haven’t been a contin…” by Oakmon’s BF
“There you go again dissin’ the Oakmon. I’m doing a name change he…” by Oakmon’s BF
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Wines tasted in this episode:

2005 Falesco Merlot Dell UmbriaUmbria IGT
2004 Chateau Souverain MerlotSonoma Merlot
2004 Charles Creek Merlot PasatiempoOther California Merlot
2002 Beringer Howell Mountain Reserve Merlot Bancroft RanchNapa Merlot

Links mentioned in todays episode.

Oak Monster Tee

255 Responses

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about 3 weeks ago

Oakmon's BF
I forgot to answer the question of the day. I haven’t been a continuous wine guy. I liked Pinot Noir in the mid-‘80s. I remember enjoying 1982 Rodney Strong Pinot. I remember the price being comparable to the Cabs I was buying then. I bought the 2006 RS Pinot and found the price was a lot higher than the Cabs I’m buying. Are you telling me this is because of a movie? I had my first Merlot ever just this year. You kind of act like everybody has seen this movie. It seems unlikely to me. I never even heard of it except for watching WLTV.
about 3 weeks ago

Oakmon's BF
There you go again dissin’ the Oakmon. I’m doing a name change here. I’m the commenter formerly known as Grif. Point one off the top, my BF knows he’s a monster. He’d never deny it. But the term is not today. It’s not really politically correct. Think “Pokemon” and “Digimon”. He’d never tell you this himself.
I love the show. I’ve watched every moment of every show from episode 1 thru 285. I’m up to August ’07. Football season’s about to start. I feel bad because I know something August ’07 Gary doesn’t know, and that is that the Jets didn’t have such a great year in ’07. I’m an Eagles fan, we didn’t have a great year either.
I loved your comments about oak in this episode. I know my pallet is underdeveloped. In time I’ll probably appreciate more flavors and I’ll be ready to back away from the oak but right now I really like it.
about 7 months ago

pats
A couple of great Merlot’s are Andrew Will Ciel du Cheval 1998-99. Andrew Will by many people makes the best merlot in America and it’s made on a island in Washington State near Seattle. Another Andrew Will merlot of Seven Hills. A good California merlot is Barnett Spring Mountain District. The California merlot wines can be sweeter than wines from any where else where as the merlot’s from France are more earthy with “dirt” as some people say. Washington State merlot seems to be a good balance and the best merlot in America comes out of Washington State now in my oppinion. A good French merlot is Christian Moueix merlot owner of the world famous Château Pétrus. Year after year, his wines define Merlot. Soft and round with aromas of raspberry, cedar and blueberry, this wine delivers ripe fruit, great balance and a medium long finish. This merlot comes from the Pomerol area in Bordeaux.
about 9 months ago

lee
gary,

at the time of the movie i was feeling what payne was feeling. i was tired of people leaning on a grape as a crutch. i was bartending at the time and had for some time been trying to get guests to try things other than merlot. my favorite was getting a merlot drinker on an aglianico del vulture. i used the movie as a way to talk to people about grape farming and the choice that is made to get 3 tons per acre or 20 ala rabbit ridge. thats where i was when the movie came out. this is a sociologists wet dream.
about 9 months ago

JKay
Another awesome episode …
Sideways made me wonder about the wonder … of Pinot. I still do. My exploration continues. But, no, I didn’t get “turned-off” about Merlots. I welcome the occasion to have a worthy merlot — in between my love for cabs.

I’d like to know the personality differences between Silver Oak and Dominus.
about 9 months ago

Val
Hi Gary

What did you smoke? By the way I love your show. How about a show about Bordeaux right bank´s merlots (petrus, cheval blanc….)?
about 9 months ago

Andrea
I begrudgingly got into wine while traveling in southern Africa. I had always thought I hated wine because my parents only drank Merlot and I didn’t like it. Then I discovered some tasty South African wines, which were not Merlot, and decided to become the wino my parents will never be. A couple of years later Sideways merely confirmed my suscipicions. Give me reds one way or the other… Cab or Pinot. Although Sagelands in the Walla Walla Valley does make a nice Merlot.
about 9 months ago

thabeav
I love the new, “manly” sniffy sniff. Much better.
about 9 months ago

Mark K_NJ
Whew…took me a few days but I finally saw this episode. Thanks for it, Gary.

QOTD: When I first started drinking wine, in the mid-’90s, I was told “Merlot is like a blue blazer. Goes with anything (food-wise).” So that’s all I drank. Dipped my toe in some other varietals but was afraid to make more of a committment. So when Sideways came out, yes, I did turn off the Merlot spigot. I tasted many, many more wines, so in that respect the movie was a good thing.

It’s only that one line that Miles says that really killed Merlots. Ironically, I just finished reading the book and that line isn’t mentioned (though Miles’ love of pinots does come through). When I head the wine store today, maybe I’ll pick up a bottle of Merlot and it give it a whirl this weekend.
about 9 months ago

Mark K_NJ
Whew…took me a few days but I finally saw this episode. Thanks for it, Gary. When I first started drinking wine, in the mid-’90s, I was told “Merlot is like a blue blazer. Goes with anything (food-wise).” So that’s all I drank. Dipped my toe in some other varietals but was afraid to make more of a committment. So when Sideways came out, yes, I did turn off the Merlot spigot. I tasted many, many more wines, so in that respect the movie was a good thing.

It’s only that one line that Miles says that really killed Merlots. Ironically, I just finished reading the book and that line isn’t mentioned (though Miles’ love of pinots does come through). When I head the wine store today, maybe I’ll pick up a bottle of Merlot and it give it a whirl this weekend.
about 9 months ago

Nico
QOTD: When _Sideways_ happened, I honestly hadn’t heard of Pinot Noir, so it was more of an intro to Pinot for me than a bashing of merlot.

-Nico
about 9 months ago

LT
God I love justin timberlake…and Lion-O.
about 9 months ago

SP
QOTD- Sideways did not affect my wine drinking, I believe I was just getting into wine then and only drinking what we had at the grocery market store I worked at.
about 9 months ago

vibemore
I can’t say that “Sideways” changed me too much. Wait, it made me laugh like crazy. And now that I think about it, I want to say that I think Sideways gets a bad-rap for the Merlot bashing (which it did). But ultimately weren’t they just expressing their own opinions too. We just get pissed off because they have the biggest pulpit to preach from. The film really did get me more interested in wine. And Pinot Noir is a finicky group. True. Kudos to the farmers who grow it.

That being said, I just discovered Pomerol thanks to WLTV and my perspective on Merlot has been blown wide open. Chateau Franc Mailet. Chateau Le Gay. Bring it on.

Keep it rolling GV. Nice Conan bit.
about 9 months ago

C-Dubya
This guy cracks me up… “That was for the Vayniacks who are no longer with us” classic.
about 9 months ago

elliottf
QOTD - yes, but it was more for my wife than me. I never really liked merlot to begin with.
about 9 months ago

GottaGoDrink
QOTD- Before Sideways, I figured out that my wife loves Merlot, particularly St-Emilion, so I have always sought out Merlot based wines to keep her happy, very happy. Sideways has had absolutely zero impact on my drinking/buying. I have bought three new Merlots in the last month, one from WA, one from Bordeaux, and one Italy. She likes them more than I, but I never question her palate, ‘cuz she knows what she likes. Cheers and great show GV!
about 9 months ago

Karl B
QOTD - Sideways had no impact on me because I don’t like Merlot and I don’t like Pinot Noir! I am a Cab man and proud of it!! I will pay for great Napa Cab and great Bordeaux, but I also enjoy South American Cabs. Ribera Del Duero is fantastic as well. (Check my purchases at the store….)

I haven’t written in for quite some time Gary, do you still love this Vayniac?? I have not sought out “Lurker” status.

I hope Conan went well.

Karl B.
about 9 months ago

madange
QOTD: Good wine is good wine regardless of the varietal. I like Pinot Noir, but it’s difficult to find reasonable QPR’s these days. Sideways did a number on Merlot, but now you can often get better value than with an equivalent tier Cab. Gary, I am a longtime lurker that has to come out by telling you that Merlot from Washington State is often times more structured, complex, and deep than Washington Cab and frankly superior to California Merlot. I know I’m shooting myself in the foot here, but you need to seek out Washington Merlot…there are a myriad of outstanding wines for reasonable prices on the market. Long live the oft maligned Merlot!
about 9 months ago

Andy
Still love the Merlot G —– Really like The St Emillon Blends
from everywhere Like Cali & Bordeux
about 9 months ago

nyc621
I didn’t like merlot well before sideways came out. I thought there was always too much oak in it (butter-gag), so I avoided it like the plague. However, I have started to taste and enjoy it. It’s not the first red wine I’ll go to, but I can at least appreciate it and will buy a bottle or two here and there.
about 9 months ago

mcj
QOTD: I always thought merlot was alright, but I much preferred pinot myself. I don’t go for pinot much these days, as it’s too pricey. Curse you, Sideways!
about 9 months ago

Tim Hayes
Good episode…I like the fact that you are trying to “bring Merlot back”. I do enjoy drinking Merlot & thanks for the reminder!
about 9 months ago

mike volker
Yo Gary,

It wasn’t that long ago you were touting us the Charles Creek “Miradero” merlot. How soon we forget!

Best,

Mike
about 9 months ago

stewart l
You are trying to be like Justin Timberlake and “bringing Merlot back”. I was never much of a fan of Merlot. Too many wineries make poor quality efforts, thus I rarely drink them.