Meritage Wines ???

[TomHill]

I’m writing an article for our LocalFlavor magazine on the subject of Meritage wines. Surely this motley community of wine geeks and trouble makers have an opinion/opinions on the subject?

1. To my view, the “Meritage” name has really never taken off and brought much to the marketing of those
   Bdx blends. That is to say, when most consumers see the name “Meritage” on a btl of wine, they don’t have a clue
   as to what that actually means.
   Would you all tend to agree w/ that view?
2. If so, what do you think should/could be done to raise the image of “Meritage” in the wine-buying public’s eye?
   Perhaps the MeritageAlliance should be holding more public tastings to raise their profile?
3. A lot of the big movers & shakers in the Cabernet world (Opus One, Stag’sLeap, Heitz, Coppola, etc) are not members
   of the MaritageAlliance, although many of their wines would so qualify. They prefer to go it alone. Why do you think that is? Do they so undervalue
   the name “Meritage” on a label that they dismiss it? What could be done to draw them into the fold?

Thoughts/comments??

Tom

[Bud_Carey]

IIRC, to be a member, there is a per-bottle fee payable to the association, or else you can’t use the word ‘meritage’ on the label.

I see very little up-side to doing this.

[Bill_Tex_Landreth]

What Bud said.

Why would a winery want to pay a fee when they can put “proprietary red” or something along those lines on the label? To me, Napa Valley Red Wine would seem like more of a hook to the general populace vs. Meritage.

[mike_pobega]

Proprietary Blend.
better.

[Larry_P]

Hi Tom,

I think the big problem with marketing any USA blend is that it doesn’t structurally fit into the organization of the big retail outlets. The typical shelf organization being cab-merlot-zin-pinot-chard-sb-france-italy-austrailia-other. The Meritage will end up in “other” with syrah, GSM, claret, “Proprietary Red”, etc. Once you’re on that shelf, I think you’re into more educated/geeky buyers who know what Meritage is, and will equate it with a BDX-style blend whether that name is there or not.

[M_Dildine]

@mike pobega

Proprietary Blend.
better.

I agree with Mike. Not sure what the tag “Meritage” brings.

[Dave_Butner]

I just bottled my first wines and one is a 2008 Meritage. Yes there is a fee to join the Alliance and to use the word on the label. It is $1 per case. I have found so far that MANY, well, actually MOST people have heard or seen Meritage but don’t know exactly what it means and they usually ask. That provides a great opportunity right there to talk about wine…explain that it is the American version of Bordeaux blend…that it has meaning…talk about my blend…etc. I’ve found it really provokes discussion and provides a way to talk about wines and educate folks which can’t be that bad, can it?

The Alliance does in fact promote folks using the label, in fact a tasting is coming up. They send me news via email and they hold meetings which I might attend. They provide me with brochures and literature which can be displayed in the tasting room.

So far I’ve been happy using Meritage on my label. They even have me linked on their web site right now as one of the “new members”

http://www.meritagewine.org/home" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Dave Butner
Kaella Winery

[Lou_Recupero]

@Dave Butner

I just bottled my first wines and one is a 2008 Meritage. Yes there is a fee to join the Alliance and to use the word on the label. It is $1 per case. I have found so far that MANY, well, actually MOST people have heard or seen Meritage but don’t know exactly what it means and they usually ask. That provides a great opportunity right there to talk about wine…explain that it is the American version of Bordeaux blend…that it has meaning…talk about my blend…etc. I’ve found it really provokes discussion and provides a way to talk about wines and educate folks which can’t be that bad, can it?

The Alliance does in fact promote folks using the label, in fact a tasting is coming up. They send me news via email and they hold meetings which I might attend. They provide me with brochures and literature which can be displayed in the tasting room.

So far I’ve been happy using Meritage on my label. They even have me linked on their web site right now as one of the “new members”

http://www.meritagewine.org/home" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Dave Butner
Kaella Winery

Dave, first off I am super excited about your first commercial release…If the 08’s are anywhere as near as good as the 07’s were…then they will be knockouts…

Both of your wines really would qualify as Mertiage(s). How did you decide which one to call the Meritaqe (you chose the more heavy Cab blend), and which one to give the Varietal name, (the Merlot)?

[jay_bonfili]

It has value. The non-geek wine drinking public seek out Meritage. I hear it often: “I really like Meritage.” However, most people don’t know what it means and further, few seem to know how to pronounce properly. (It is a joining of the words merit and heritage and pronounced as such) Mer-it-tazh appears to be the favored pronunciation.

The big boys don’t need the designation. They can sell Opus w/o Meritage on the label . For the lesser known blends it provides a category and a place on the retail shelf. (and perhaps a little reflected glory from the name)

[Roberto_Rogness]

Back in the 80’s when they had the contest to pick the name I was SURE I would win because my entry was both descriptive and alliterative:

Faux Bordeaux


Somehow they chose Meritage and the rest is (dismal) history.

[M_Dildine]

@Roberto Rogness

Back in the 80’s when they had the contest to pick the name I was SURE I would win because my entry was both descriptive and alliterative:

Faux Bordeaux


Somehow they chose Meritage and the rest is (dismal) history.

Faux Bordeaux! How beautifully descriptive Roberto! And hey - maybe “Rogue Rhone” for our Syrah? How about “Bogus Burg” for our Pinot?

You da man Berto!!!

[Roberto_Rogness]

They really DID have a contest you know…I think the prize was a case of wine from each member winery.

[Andrew_C]

@jay bonfili

It has value. The non-geek wine drinking public seek out Meritage. I hear it often: “I really like Meritage.” However, most people don’t know what it means and further, few seem to know how to pronounce properly. (It is a joining of the words merit and heritage and pronounced as such) Mer-it-tazh appears to be the favored pronunciation.

I always used that pronunciation but this last summer a winery in Napa (can’t remember which) said that it is an American word and is not supposed to be said with a french pronunciation. He said it should be pronounced as Mer-i-tige. I still used the faux french pronunciation.

[Roberto_Rogness]

I’ve never had a customer ask for a Meritage. In fact, recently I have see a lot of first time customers express distrust of blends in general, saying things like “doesn’t that just muddle up the flavors?”.

[Lou_Recupero]

@Roberto Rogness

I’ve never had a customer ask for a Meritage. In fact, recently I have see a lot of first time customers express distrust of blends in general, saying things like “doesn’t that just muddle up the flavors?”.

Do they follow that up by saying…just give me a good Bordeaux?

[Paul_Romero]

I make two wines that would qualify.

I would put: “Monkey Butt” on the label before I’d put: ‘Meritage’. At least people know how to pronounce monkey butt and have some idea what a monkey butt is. That gives it two huge advantages over Meritage.

[Roberto_Rogness]

No, but often it’s “Where’s the Chianti?”.

If they don’t seem too uptight I sometimes say “Having lived in a place with anti-miscegenation laws in effect in my lifetime, this whole idea of ‘varietal purity’ kind of SCARES me…”

[Lou_Recupero]

@Roberto Rogness

No, but often it’s “Where’s the Chianti?”.

If they don’t seem too uptight I sometimes say “Having lived in a place with anti-miscegenation laws in effect in my lifetime, this whole idea of ‘varietal purity’ kind of SCARES me…”

alright, I hate to admit it but I had to look up anti-miscegenation laws, but I did LOL after I did…

[Dave_Butner]

@Lou Recupero

@Dave Butner

I just bottled my first wines and one is a 2008 Meritage. Yes there is a fee to join the Alliance and to use the word on the label. It is $1 per case. I have found so far that MANY, well, actually MOST people have heard or seen Meritage but don’t know exactly what it means and they usually ask. That provides a great opportunity right there to talk about wine…explain that it is the American version of Bordeaux blend…that it has meaning…talk about my blend…etc. I’ve found it really provokes discussion and provides a way to talk about wines and educate folks which can’t be that bad, can it?

The Alliance does in fact promote folks using the label, in fact a tasting is coming up. They send me news via email and they hold meetings which I might attend. They provide me with brochures and literature which can be displayed in the tasting room.

So far I’ve been happy using Meritage on my label. They even have me linked on their web site right now as one of the “new members”

http://www.meritagewine.org/home" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Dave Butner
Kaella Winery

Dave, first off I am super excited about your first commercial release…If the 08’s are anywhere as near as good as the 07’s were…then they will be knockouts…

Both of your wines really would qualify as Mertiage(s). How did you decide which one to call the Meritaqe (you chose the more heavy Cab blend), and which one to give the Varietal name, (the Merlot)?

Thanks Lou,

To be labeled as a varietal the wine must contain at least 75% of the variety, so the Merlot is labeled as such. The Meritage is 70% Cab Sauv.

I kinda like Monkey Butt. Are you gonna trademark that Paul?

[Paul_Romero]

@Dave Butner

I kinda like Monkey Butt. Are you gonna trademark that Paul?

I’d have to get the bubbly blond at ttb and not the old sour guy with the glasses to get that through I think. If I can remember this in 6 months I might make a ‘Haut Tubee, Cuvee Monkey Butt’. What the hell.