Meritage Wines ???

[Bud_Carey]

Paul… as if you’d be surprised… I’m in!!!

[JIMCOH]

@Bud Carey

Paul… as if you’d be surprised… I’m in!!!

Can you really ship into PA?

[Jody_Smith]

Tom,

1. I don’t think the average consumer could identify any name beyond Shiraz, Merlot, Or White Zin. Cab Sauv and Pinot Grigio are a stretch for most. I’m a geek, and even in my travels, Meritage has been completly off my radar since the 90’s. I didn’t even know the organization still existed. I think that is significant since every winery in my home state of VA had a Meritage offering back in the day.
2. Promotion? That’s the million dollar question. If Syrah can’t get any traction, how will Meritage?
3. From a business perspective, given the above, what value does the name provide? It seems like positioning a new brand on a proprietary name is no less effective or expensive, and results in a unique selling proposition.

[Bud_Carey]

@JIMCOH

@Bud Carey

Paul… as if you’d be surprised… I’m in!!!

Can you really ship into PA?

Nope. I ship to an unnamed neighboring state.

[Ken_Rudman]

Tom,

When I first started buying wine seriously a few years ago, I gravitated toward Meritage/Bordeaux/Claret style blends because I found them to be easy to drink and understand, and often a very good value. Once I understood the name, Meritage did have a bit of value, but I was just as likely to grab a “proprietary red” or any other name. In fact, looking back at CT for the earliest notes I posted there, I see only one wine with Meritage in its name or designation, but lots of the others.

[Steven_King]

It is actually PER CASE ($1 per case, not to exceed 50,000). In 1999 I believe there were 20-ish members. Today there are over 200+, which include some INTERNATIONAL BRANDS.

@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.

[Steven_King]

A case for the first few years you used the name

@Roberto Rogness

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

[Paul_Romero]

@Jody Smith

3. From a business perspective, given the above, what value does the name provide? It seems like positioning a new brand on a proprietary name is no less effective or expensive, and results in a unique selling proposition.

That’s the direct way of saying one might have more success naming a wine after a hot tub and a primates gluteus.

[Bruce_Rudman]

@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.

As Chris said above, the Association seems to want it to rhyme with “Heritage.” In fact, a few years back we were at a winery and they handed us a card from the Association that specifically said this…

For a $1 a case, how can one quibble over the cost (unless you are selling for $3/bottle where every cost adds up)? I’d think “Meritage” may have some favor over Proprietary Red. Query, can one call it a California Bordeaux Blend?

[Gordon_Fitz]

Just addressed this in another thread. Meritage wines is the venue for winemakers to get rid of crappy merlot that no one wants. Blend it up. Maybe!

[Bruce_Rudman]

@Gordon Fitz

Just addressed this in another thread. Meritage wines is the venue for winemakers to get rid of crappy merlot that no one wants. Blend it up. Maybe!

Come on, “Big” Merlot is the new Cab!

[Paul_Romero]

@Bruce Rudman

Query, can one call it a California Bordeaux Blend?

No

[JBierly]

@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

1. Most consumers have no clue as to what it actually means. Most consumers have no clue that when the label says Cabernet Sauvignon that it may in fact be a Bordeaux blend (as mentioned - it could be 75 pct plus of CS and a mix of the other 4 varieties and still be a CS on the label). Almost no one outside of the business knows how to pronounce it. I have been in arguments with people over it and they don’t believe me - everyone thinks it is a french word pronounced with a french accent.

2. Is this really important at this point? California wine is predominantly an American thing and the word has little meaning for the American wine buying public. Maybe if you want to sell American wine outside the states and you want to compete with Bordeaux? With the weak dollar (albeit a bit stronger) and Bordeaux sales all but dead in the US (really, who the heck is loading up on 09 Bordeaux unless you are an investor) I just don’t see how US producers are worried about competing with Bords at this point. Could the Meritage word be used as a promotion abroad? The French could pronounce it wrong too - at least they would have an excuse.

3. If you already have a name like Opus or Insignia why would you need to add meritage to your label. I mean Opus has the silhouette of a French man on the label - if that isn’t an indication of what is in the bottle then how is meritage going to help you? The big boys like Caymus SS/Opus/Insignia already have enough brand name recognition that they don’t need help identifying their wines as anything special.

It isn’t completely clear to me that there remains a “raison d’etre” for the term. I imagine in the 80s California was still trying to make a name for itself for Bordeaux blend wines and was trying to find a term to identify and promote them. At this point I am not sure the wine buying public in the US really cares…