American Merlot — The Comeback of a Misunderstood Grape

There is a scene in the 2004 film Sideways where the main character, Miles, announces with theatrical disgust that he will not drink Merlot. The line became a cultural moment. Merlot sales dropped. Winemakers who had planted Merlot started quietly grafting over to Cabernet Sauvignon. A grape that had been one of America's most popular reds became, almost overnight, a punchline.

The irony — and wine people love this — is that the wine Miles rhapsodizes about throughout the film, the 1961 Cheval Blanc he opens at the end, is roughly 60% Merlot.

That was twenty years ago. The Merlot that is being made today, particularly in Napa Valley and Washington State, is some of the most compelling red wine in America. It is time to revisit this grape with fresh eyes.

Merlot is often described as "soft" or "approachable," which is accurate but incomplete. The full picture is more interesting.

At its best, Merlot offers:

Fruit: Plum, black cherry, and dark berry — riper and rounder than Cabernet Sauvignon, with less of the blackcurrant edge. In cooler climates, you get red fruit — raspberry, cranberry — alongside the dark.

Texture: This is Merlot's signature. The tannins are softer and more velvety than Cabernet Sauvignon, giving the wine a plush, almost silky mouthfeel. It is genuinely pleasurable to drink young in a way that serious Cabernet often is not.

Secondary flavors: Chocolate, mocha, cedar, and sometimes a distinctive herbal note — bay leaf, sage — that is particularly pronounced in cooler-climate examples.

Structure: Good Merlot has real backbone. The acidity is moderate, the tannins are present but polished. It is not a flabby wine when made well.

The caricature of Merlot — thin, watery, boring — describes cheap, overcropped Merlot. The same is true of cheap, overcropped Cabernet. The grape is not the problem.

The Sideways effect was real, but it accelerated a decline that was already underway for a different reason: the Merlot boom of the 1990s.

When Merlot became fashionable, demand outpaced supply. Vineyards planted Merlot in sites that were not suited to it — too warm, too fertile, the wrong soils. Yields were pushed high to meet demand. The resulting wines were indeed thin and characterless. They were also everywhere, and they became the face of the grape.

Meanwhile, the serious Merlot — the wines from Napa's Stags Leap District, from Duckhorn, from Washington's Leonetti Cellar — continued to be excellent. They just got overshadowed by the flood of mediocre bottles.

Napa's Merlot is often overshadowed by its Cabernet Sauvignon, but the best examples are genuinely world-class. The Stags Leap District, which produces some of Napa's finest Cabernet, is also exceptional for Merlot — the volcanic soil and moderate temperatures produce wines with real complexity and aging potential.

Duckhorn Vineyards is the name most associated with serious Napa Merlot. Their Three Palms Vineyard Merlot, from a site in Calistoga, is one of the benchmark American Merlots — rich, structured, and capable of aging for 15–20 years. It helped establish the idea that American Merlot could be a serious, cellar-worthy wine.

Pahlmeyer and Paloma also produce exceptional Napa Merlots that reward patience.

Washington State may be the most exciting place for American Merlot right now. The Columbia Valley's combination of warm days, cool nights, and well-drained volcanic soils produces Merlot with a distinctive character — ripe, concentrated fruit balanced by fresh acidity and firm tannins.

Leonetti Cellar in Walla Walla was one of the first Washington wineries to demonstrate that the state could produce world-class Merlot. Their Merlot remains a benchmark.

L'Ecole No. 41, Andrew Will, and Pepper Bridge all produce excellent Washington Merlots. The Walla Walla Valley, with its warm summers and significant diurnal temperature variation, is particularly well-suited to the grape.

For a deeper look at what makes Washington State wine special, our Washington State wine guide covers the full picture.

Sonoma's cooler climate — particularly in the Carneros and Sonoma Coast AVAs — produces Merlot with more red fruit character and higher acidity than Napa. These wines are often more food-friendly and age differently than their Napa counterparts.

Clos du Bois and Benziger Family Winery produce reliable Sonoma Merlots at accessible price points. For something more serious, look for single-vineyard bottlings from smaller producers.

One reason Merlot never fully disappeared, even during its darkest years, is that it is indispensable as a blending component. Bordeaux-style blends — Cabernet Sauvignon dominant, with Merlot adding softness and roundness — are among the most prestigious wines in America.

The great Napa "Meritage" blends (a term coined to describe American Bordeaux-style wines) typically contain 20–40% Merlot. It rounds out the Cabernet's edges, adds mid-palate richness, and makes the wine more approachable in its youth without sacrificing aging potential. Want to see what each grape in a blend is doing? Our American red blends guide breaks down why winemakers mix grapes — from aroma to structure.

If you have enjoyed wines like Opus One, Dominus, or Insignia, you have been drinking Merlot — you just did not know it.

Entry level ($15–$30): Look for Washington State Merlot from Columbia Valley. Chateau Ste. Michelle produces a reliable, well-made Merlot at this price point. Avoid anything labeled simply "California Merlot" without a more specific appellation — the quality is inconsistent.

Mid-range ($30–$60): This is where Merlot gets interesting. L'Ecole No. 41 Columbia Valley Merlot, Duckhorn Napa Valley Merlot, and Seven Hills Winery Walla Walla Merlot are all excellent in this range.

Premium ($60+): Duckhorn Three Palms Vineyard, Leonetti Cellar, and Pahlmeyer are the benchmarks. These are wines that reward cellaring — buy them young and wait five to ten years.

Merlot's soft tannins and moderate acidity make it one of the most food-friendly red wines. It pairs well with:

• Roast chicken and turkey — the fruit and softness complement poultry without overwhelming it
• Pork tenderloin and pork chops — a classic pairing; the wine's plum notes echo the meat's sweetness
• Mushroom dishes — Merlot's earthy, sometimes truffle-like secondary flavors are a natural match
• Mild cheeses — Brie, Camembert, and young Gouda work beautifully
• Lamb — particularly with herb-crusted preparations that echo Merlot's herbal notes

Merlot is also one of the better red wines for Thanksgiving — its versatility handles the range of flavors on the table better than most.

Merlot's reputation problem was always about the wrong bottles. The right bottles — from Napa's best vineyards, from Washington's Columbia and Walla Walla Valleys — are some of the most pleasurable and age-worthy red wines in America.

The Sideways effect faded years ago. The winemakers who stayed committed to Merlot through the lean years are now making wines that prove the grape's potential. It is worth revisiting.

If you want to understand how Merlot fits into the broader landscape of American red grapes, our American wine grapes guide covers all the major varieties side by side.