merlot

Merlot Fights Back

Filed under: Wine

As I've said before, the Sideways merlot bashing was an unfair swipe at a perfectly decent grape. Choose your wine well and merlot can be a delightful experinece. Swanson Vineyards isn't going to let people kick merlot around anymore. They are taking their merlot seminar on the road this spring to educate the trade and the media on a grape they say has been misunderstood and maligned. Their Merlot Fights Back website has information on why the wine is important including the fact that the ’61 Cheval Blanc Miles opened on his birthday in Sideways is a 50/50 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The Merlot Fights Back seminar features two flights of merlot. One from 2002 merlots from around the world, and one on just merlots from Northern California. Lastly they offer a flight of Swanson barrel samples from 2004 that show off the differences between the various treatments of the grape. Swanson's 2002 Merlot sells for $32 for those of us not in a city where the seminar is being held.

Source

Tags: california wine, grapes, merlot, sideways, wine

Ray's Station, Wine For Men

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Wine marketers are getting more and more savvy about positioning wines for various target groups. We've seen wines aimed at women, the carb-conscious and the latest trend seems to be wine for manly men. Back in January, we covered the Jarhead Red Marine wine and just yesterday, we mentioned a new wine with the man-friendly name of Used Automobile Parts. Now the Associated Press has the story on Ray's Station, a Sonoma County winemaker has created a merlot and a cabernet sauvignon that are hoping to appeal to men. The wines have simple packaging with a non-girly galloping stallion. Their ad campaign features the winery's namesake John G. Ray in Marlboro-Man-like settings saying "John G. Ray did not serve pinot noir," a dig at the pinot-loving Miles in the movie Sideways. At $15 a bottle, the wines aren't for the wine-savvy crowd but for the barbecuing dad who wants to have a nice tasting wine without having to learn about terroir and varietals.

Source

Tags: cabernet sauvignon, california wine, merlot, ray's station, Ray'sStation, sonoma wine, wine, wine advertising, wine marketing

One World Wine

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

It's becoming a bit of a trend, wines from around the world, marketed under a single label. We recently saw this with Sauvignon Republic. A new brand from UK company Halewood International, One World will pull together worldwide wines at a lower price point than some of the options we have seen before. The brand will launch in April and will include Orange Street Ruby Cabernet Merlot and Chenin Blanc from South Africa and Ocean Point Shiraz and Chardonnay from Australia. Orchard Boulevard from Argentina will come out later this year and other wines (probably with a similar naming scheme) may come out later. The inexpensive wines (under $10) are aimed young wine drinkers who are expanding their palates.

[via Checkout Magazine]

Source

Tags: cabernet, chardonnay, chenin blanc, merlot, one world, OneWorld, red wine, white wine, wine