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Merlot's Back From the Brink

The economy's lousy, but cheap wine doesn't have to be

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Mar 14, 2009 1:54 PM CDT

(Newser) – Merlot is “a meatloaf kind of wine,” and in a recession, such comforting, cheap stuff ought to be appealing, write Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher in their Wall Street Journal Tastings column. Unfortunately, “most inexpensive Merlot has been really bad for a really long time.” Winemakers exploited its sudden popularity a decade ago by churning out barrels of awful stuff. Now there's hope.

Gaiter and Brecher conducted a 50-bottle blind tasting with dread. But their first sip was a pleasant surprise. “Real wine,” they wrote. And it wasn’t a fluke. Here are some of their suggestions:

Charles Krug 2005, $18.79: “Tight black core … nothing phony about it.”
Ravenswood "Vinters Blend" 2006, $9.99: “So very drinkable, not at all heavy or too grapey.”
Simi Winery 2005, $15.99: “Tastes a bit hot, but it’s real wine, with some edges.”
Di Bruno 2006, $34: "All of the class, character, structure and stature of an expensive Bordeaux."

[Images (4)]

[Quotes (2)]

Napa Creek Winery merlot is tasted at the Bistro Don Giovanni restaurant in this file photo June 24, 2005, in Napa, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

Freshly picked merlot grapes are dumped into a bin to be destemmed and crushed at Artesa Winery October 1, 2007 in Napa, California. (Getty Images)

Merlot grapes sit in bunches after being freshly picked during a night harvest for Artesa Winery October 1, 2007 in Napa, California. (Getty Images)

People taste wine at the Vianasa Winery May 16, 2005 in Napa Valley, California. (Getty Images)

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Having tasted more than 50 Merlots, we are delighted to make this announcement: Merlot is struggling out of the hole that greedy winemakers dug for it. - Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher

Merlot still has a long way to go before it becomes a consistent treat. But at least there's a pulse and where there's life there's hope. - Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

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Merlot's Back From the Brink