The QPR (I always wanna say SPQR) thread on the Louis Martini Cab got me thinking. Since Merlot is/has been generally priced less than Cab, do you think Merlot can make a comeback in sales? No, it’s not Cab, but it’s red, wet, and includes alcohol.
I couldn’t stand Merlot until I had the French stuff, and actually WA state Merlot, which is way the heck better than CA merlot, for the most part (unless you get to the really high priced stuff).
I’m sure it will have a comeback - it’s a very flexible red wine that is enjoyable for newbie and veteran drinkers, unlike Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon
What is the data showing Merlot sales across America that makes you wonder about a “comeback”? My (wholly unscientific) belief is that total sales of Merlot are not really down over the past five years as an average- Sideways notwithstanding. I’d like to see what sales data is out there.
John, I got nothing! Nothing but an anecdotal survey that takes into account a lot of comments, sneers and such. It did seem at one time to be wildly popular, then, as the urban tale goes, Sideways put a topedo in its side (no pun intended).
I have to say, anecdotally, among my non-wine geek friends, they shy away from merlot and towards pinot, for fear of looking uncouth, and in that group I could see a definite Sideways effect.
To combat this, I recently put together an all-merlot tasting in a casual tasting group I drink with - we tasted 03 D’Aiguilhe, an 05 Januik Klipsun, a Mercer Estates, a 99 Newton Special Cuvee and others. The D’Aiguilhe was consensus WOTN.
Having said that, the overall tasting left me with an impression of eh. I want to like merlot more than I actually do (at least in the case of non-bdx)!
I love Merlot!
There, I said it.
I’m doing my best to keep sales up with at least three bottles a week. A bottle of Paloma at least a few times a year.
Interesting that this just came up.
The January 2009 issue of Wines & Vines (may be unavailable if not a subscriber) contains a reprint of a paper presented Dr Steven Cueller of Sonoma State Dept of Economics. The article is called The “Sideways” Effect, a test for changes in the demand for Merlot and Pinot Noir wines.
Based on their study, sales of Pinot Noir did appear to benefit from the movie. Merlot declined, but at a lesser rate. Still, Merlot is the largest red varietal seller by volume in the US followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Pinot Noir. Merlot and Cab sell almost twice as much as Syrah and Pinot.
Interesting! Aside from the rumors of Merlot’s death being greatly exaggerated, Syrah is ahead of Pinot in sales? Wow. And yet we hear elsewhere that Syrah is experiencing a malaise. All too strange.
Never let the facts get in the way of a good story. 
Merlot has always been the non-geeky wino’s wine of choice, due to flavor profile (not much) and price. With Sideways, Pinot stepped in as a popular drink for non wine-drinkers because they were drawn in by marketing. The masses will drink anything when they are told to drink it (see Jim Jones…) and obviously Hollywood has an incredible impact on what’s hot with the masses, even more so than wine publications.
Hey…2 Buck Chuck is still hot. If they only made Merlot, it would be the number one purchased wine / varietal in quantity. People are drinking Merlot…we just don’t see it as we do Pinot and other more sophisticated varietals that are written about.
(disclaimer: I am drinking an '07 Sta. Rita Hills PN and it rocks!!!) and my favorite Merlot is L’Ecole # 41 from WA.
…and I have a very nice buzz going on right about now.
That’s how the sentence reads, but I find that really surprising as well. They don’t provide the specific data.
They do in fact make a Merlot. I was served it recently and being the polite guy that I am, I drank some of it. It wasn’t actually that bad. I’ve had more expensive Merlots I’ve liked a lot less.
On a more positive note, I also had the '03 Mayacamas Merot recently, which is also sold at Trader Joe’s, and despite being a Burg guy who usually doesn’t appreciate Bordeaux varieties, I actually really liked it. I went out and bought a few bottles, the first time I’ve ever bought Merlot.
So I’m apparently a convert.
Cheers,
-Robert
The only TBC I’ve had is the Merlot and I found it to be drinkable in the sense that it was liquid.
We just don’t buy a lot of Merlot. I think the only Merlot I have in the “cellar” is from Pride, and I stopped buying those so we’ll eventually have nothing (unless we’re talking Bdx-style blend). That said, the few Merlots I’ve had have been enjoyable, but I just don’t think about it very much.
I am not in love with merlot. There, I’ve said it.
I do realize its place in the world as well as mine. I understand its importance in some of the worlds best blends. I like to be wowed when served blind on its own, as I have been a few times. The single best merlot I have ever had is the Provenance Las Amigas which was served blind to me. Once in my mouth it exploded…sideways! Really, I thought it to be a super full bodied and perfectly rounded high end cab, and when I seen the label, I was floored. Another nice merlot I have had is the Sullivan merlot Reserve and the regular bottling.
If I am going to spend $60-$80 on a wine, it won’t be merlot. Hey, I hate even spending that on syrah. (I do from a limited time to time). Most I enjoy live in the $40-$50 range, but thats for another thread.
Some of the real nice examples I have had did come from Washington state. If over ripe is a crime for cabs, it should be a death sentence for merlot. Do you hear me california? ![[beatoff.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/f/f67116e72b3d869a37e7b2a7ec2d8490d36a5e2f.gif "beatoff"){kind=small}
(I was looking for a place to use that imoticon…)
I don’t think Pomerol and Saint Emilion ever went out of style or favor. Plonky California merlot, yes, maybe. There’s no stigma to ordering merlot these days that I can see.
No way, no how. Syrah has never had a greater market share than Pinot in America. I’ll look for some data- but years of being ITB as a winemaker and as counsel to many wineries and growers make me absoutely sure of this. (If I’m wrong, I will, in the tradition of great lawyers everywhere, blame someone else or deny ever writing this…*&^% kids using my computer or something like that).
John, as much as I hate lawyers, you are correct that syrah is behind pinot out there in Cali.
I believe that sales of Cali Merlot sales will, in fact, decline. This conclusion is based on the massive number of acres of merlot in CA that I have seen torn out and replaced with pinot, sryah,etc. Since most of the merlot torn out was mediocre in quality, and not planted in areas best suited for merlot to begin with, the fruit wouldn’t be missed.
However, the wineries still had 1.5-2 years of wine in their cellar. So now a lot of that inventory has been sold down. Therefore, volumeric sales will be declining in favor of other varietals.
Merlot never really left our house to have to make a comeback. Still have some '02 Duckhorn laying around I think, and we’ll bust open a Columbia Crest from time to time. Great QPR’s coming out of the Northwest… -mJ
For certain Charles Shaw sells Merlot - in fact, I think that’s got to be their top one or two seller. Much of the Merlot likely comes from what Gordon pointed out happened recently - vines pulled for higher profit grapes like PN or Syrah.
I think that the volume of Merlot is still strong because it is still a go-to wine for non-wine-drinkers, who go to the store to buy red wine. Those numbers are significant, millions of people, versus tens or hundreds of thousands who are more of a wine aficionado. Those many millions buying one or two bottles a month adds up.