Darryl Beeson travels the world looking for great wine values. In the past, he has been wine steward or cellar master for The Mansion on Turtle Creek, Voltaire, and The Adolphus Hotel. Not one for stuffiness or secret handshakes relative to wine, this Texan might now be described as a "ki-yi-yippee sommelier, sommelier." Beeson reports on wine, spirits, food and travel for numerous publications.

                                                                                 Photo by Paul Kitagaki Jr

Hello, everybody, hello. A few years after a fictional wine snob in the movie "Sideways' put down the consumption of one of America's best-selling red wine grapes, consumers once again are enjoying the fleshy Merlot. The film character Miles, in life and in wine, dealt with huge limitations set upon himself by himself.

Avoid unnecessary limitations in life. Realize that during the year following the popular movie, sales of domestically produced Merlots actually rose 6%, the category of premium wine led by Blackstone Winery, being the best-selling Merlot and the single best-selling domestic red wine in the United States ($8.00-$10.99 per 750ml bottle).

In Bordeaux, especially upon the so-called 'Right Bank,' being due east of the northern flowing Gironde River, this grape holds court. It is not merely a blending grape to soften the angular and perhaps more powerful Cabernet Sauvignon. It performs center stage, or with Cabernet Franc. Merlot also does better in clay soils and a rainier climate. Ripening sooner than Cabernet Sauvignon doesn't hurt, either.

Blackstone winemaker Gary Sitton attributes the resurgence of Merlot to the enduring appeal of the wine's style, which emphasizes easy to appreciate fruit and soft tannins. "American wine drinkers may be fickle in the short term," Sitton says, "but eventually they come home to what tastes good to them, and what has tasted good to them for a long time is Merlot."

The curious may be interested that the American wine market continues to be predictably dominated by Merlot, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, which together account for 45% of total wine sales. Sales of Merlot are more than double those of Pinot Noir, the next best-selling red wine. Domestic super-premium-priced Merlot like Blackstone's are displaying particular strength, and now constitute 17% of the total domestic super premium red wine market.

Sitton predicts these that these sales statistics will continue to grow with the release of Blackstone's 2006 Merlot, which should now be in many stores. As in past vintages, the wine is a blend of carefully selected grapes from Monterey County and other important, cooler-climate regions, including precise portions of Sonoma and Napa counties.

"2006 was a winemaker's vintage," says Sitton. "It was cool and drawn out, so we had the luxury of allowing the fruit to hang on the vine developing the ripe fruit flavors and tannins we wanted. I believe 2006 is a strong vintage for Merlot; certainly, it is for us here at Blackstone. Our 2006 Merlot delivers the signature Blackstone style in spades: fragrant black cherry and berry aromas, plenty of plush fruit flavors, wonderfully silky tannins and a smooth, lingering finish."

Precisely the qualities that attract American wine lovers to Merlot in the first place and, despite a little "Sideways" detour, continuing to wine people over. Pair this fleshy, approachable red with medium -rare filet mignon, veal in a red wine sauce with simmered winter vegetables, or maybe even grilled salmon. There are concentrated flavors of plum and other ripe red fruits in the relatively long length on the palate.

Founded in Sonoma County in 1990, this winery has become one of California's leading wine producers. They offer a range of very high quality wines from Monterey County and other California resources, including a true gem from Sonoma County called Blackstone Sonoma Reserve. Whatever the price, the value in the bottle rules.
 

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Darryl Beeson travels the world looking for great food, wine, spirits and the unique destinations that provide such. He is American editor of www.wineontheweb.com and teaches for The International Sommelier Guild at www.internationalsommelier.com.
 

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Darryl Beeson is a family guy, of sorts. "In the words of Rodney Dangerfield, I could tell my parents hated me. My bath toys were a toaster and a radio," says Beeson. He teaches professional wine certification for www.internationalsommelier.com.
 

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