Ok, down to business!  So this past weekend, as you probably know since I’ve talked about it incessantly, my lovely sister and brother in law came to town for my cousin’s wedding.  Since my parents were at the rehearsal dinner Friday night, I kidnapped my sister and BIL for a little wine tasting action.  To finish off “Six Ways to Sideways – The Merlot Project,” I selected three different bottles of Merlot from around the world.  I looked up some notes online to clue me in to the strength of each wine so that I could order them from softest to most potent, as I feel this is important when tasting multiple wines in a row.  Luckily, my ordering was right on!  So here we go with the first selection:

The Wine:  ”Encore” Merlot by Christian Moueix, 2005.

The Region:  Bordeaux, right bank (Right bank = mostly Merlot, left bank = mostly Cab)

The Results:  This bottle ran us a bit more than usual at $13.99, but it  it was important to me that we incorporated 100% varietal wines from different areas so we could compare and contrast.  And let me tell you, this wine was well worth it!  The few extra years of aging definitely show in the soft fruit and super smooth texture of this wine.   Bright cherry and subtile vanilla with soft tannins, a perfect sipping wine for a summer evening on the terrace.  The wine did not pack too much of a punch overall, so I would not pair it with stronger dishes like a normal Merlot.  This would be great for a mild brie cheese plate, a salad course, or with simple chicken or pork dishes.  I guess I would really pair this wine more as a light Pinot Noir than a Merlot.  So if you’re a big Pinot person looking for something different, you should check this wine out for sure!  How did this rank against the other wines of the evening?  Sorry, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow  :)

PS – You will also have to wait until tomorrow for some pictures, as I tried uploading this morning and the program timed out  :(  My sister looked beautiful, I swear!

“Ooohhh, we’re half way there…”  Sorry, currently working on wedding playlist, I’m thinking we’ll finish it off with a wicked 80′s montage.  Yes?  But seriously, we are half way through “Six Ways to Sideways – The Merlot Project” already!  I don’t know about you, but I feel I’ve been learning a LOT.  It’s fun having a little project, it gives me good focus.  Perhaps an in-depth look at wine and exotic food pairings next, that sounds exciting!  But for now, I give you Installment III, a little journey to the hills of northern California…

The Wine:  Bogle Merlot, 2008

The Region:  Vineyards throughout Clarksburg, Lodi, Monterey and El Dorado, California

The Results:  The tannins are what really stood out to me in this wine.  If I were tasting blind, I probably would have thought this was a Bordeaux-style blend with some Cab mixed in.  The softer cherry of a traditional Merlot was there, but not jumping out at me.  This wine was aged in new oak for 12 months which gave it a great spice profile, and while I enjoyed the wine I think I would enjoy it more in a year or so once it has the chance to mellow out a bit.  If you want to drink it now, maybe a nice hour or two in a decanter would be the solution.  While I bought this bottle at one store as a part of a 3-$30 deal, I found it days later in another store for just $7.99.  So picking up a case to age in my *ahem* “wine cellar” would be a good idea!  All in all, I think the wine lives/will live up to the good name of Bogle wine and would be a good bottle to pick up for the price.

So how could we POSSIBLY live up to the first three installments of “Six Ways to Sideways – The Merlot Project?”  (HA!  You thought I wouldn’t use the full title of the project in this post, boy were YOU fooled)  I am thinking a little rapid-fire wine tasting with the help of the family!  My sister and her husband are coming for dinner on Friday and my parents will be swinging by after my cousin’s rehearsal dinner later on in the evening.  So plus me and my fiancé we will be 6 people divided by 3 courses and 4 glasses of wine per bottle plus 1-2 after dinner drinks…  well, whatever the numbers I think we’ll be able to manage three bottles of wine throughout the evening so I can open all three at once to do BLIND TASTING FUN.  Oh my goodness, I know my brother-in-law in particular is going to be so excited, he hearts wine almost as much as he hearts the Red Sox (this is a joke, although a lovely person my BIL is from the “bad side of Connecticut“).  I hope they’re up for the challenge!  In the meantime, while we’re waiting for those reviews I will tell you a little bit about the food and wine we had this weekend when we had our own little “Restaurant Week” meal at home over the next couple of days.  Oh, and get ready, my new iPhone 4 is arriving today so I will be able to take high quality pictures way more easily and thus can incorporate more of my own photos on the blog!  I know you’re all JUST as excited as I am…

“…Take my hand and we’ll make it I swear…  Oooh-OH!”

(photo credit: boglewinery.com)

You know what?  After last week, I don’t even mind that it’s Monday.  What a long, miserable week.  Nothing could be that bad, and we have so much to look forward to this week!  My sister will be in town, we are having a birthday dinner for my mom, going to our cousin’s wedding, hanging out on the beach, so take THAT august 16th-20th!  And how better to start the week than to share with you the second part of my latest adventure: Six Ways to Sideways, The Merlot Project, Installment II!  Sorry, I like the title, I know you probably already think it’s getting old that I keep repeating it…  Moving on!

The Wine: Four Sisters Merlot, 2008

The Region: Central Victoria, Australia

The Results:  Another great bottle!  I must say, I was slightly more partial to the Ecco Domani from the other night, but I think this is only because I had the same dinner with both wines and the first wine just so happened to pair better with the meal.  Maybe my opinion is being affected by my strong disdain for leftovers, but I digress.  Four Sisters has fruity notes but what really stood out to me was the spice.  I read later that the wine is aged in French oak barrels, that will definitely spice things up a bit!  I think you will most enjoy this wine when pairing it with a stronger dish.  Think beef stew, caramelized onions, blue cheese, or as the Four Sisters site suggests – Chinese food!  I mentioned previously that I picked up the bottle as part of a 3 for $30 deal so the price is right, and with a screw top bottle we are saving the environment with each glass we pour!  Who could say no to that?

Next stop – The good ‘ole US of A.  I hope it kicks some a**, just like our country.  (Sorry, I’m America, I’m contractually obligated to make statements like that twice a year plus once on Flag Day)

(photo credit: aussiewines.com)

“I’m not drinking Merlot!  If anyone’s drinking Merlot, I’m leaving!”

Ah, the famous line from “Sideways.”  Great movie.  I do get a little peeved by this line, however.  I mean, Merlot is a Noble Grape.  It is one of the most well-known grapes for a reason – it produces excellent wine.  Now, the mission of MoreThanMerlot.com is to help people understand that there are many different types of wine out there – trying lesser known varietals will open you palate to a variety of flavors and open your wallet to big savings.  However, you cannot rule out the big boys completely!  I recently realized that in my quest to share with you the Torrontés and Carménères of the world I had never actually reviewed a Merlot wine.  I gasped, I cried, I nibbled nervously at my nails and then immediately made my way to the local wine shop.  Thus began my newest undertaking- “Six Ways to Sideways – The Merlot Project.”  6 Merlot reviews in a row, so take THAT!  And I must say, my first bit of research left me more than satisfifed…

The Wine – Ecco Domani Merlot, 2007

The Region – Trentino, Italy

The Results – Wow, I forgot how much I really like Merlot!  This Italian Merlot (ok, it’s technically only 97% Merlot, but that’s good enough for government work!) is soft with a black cherry flavor and mild spice.   The tasting notes claim a strong blackberry on the nose, I guess they’re close but I didn’t pick up on it until I read the notes and smelled it again.  The cherry is what definitely stands out to me, and the balanced acidity made it very easy and pleasant to drink.  The wine was $10.99 but I picked it up with two other Merlots as part of a 3-$30 deal.  I would definitely buy this wine again, great with Italian food, grilled meats, strong cheeses, or just your typical Tuesday afternoon!  Eer, I mean evening…

Our next stop will be to Australia.  Will Australian Merlot hold up?  Will it fall flat to its old world counterparts?  Will I remember to take tasting notes while watching Jersey Shore?  Ha, Jersey Shore starts at 10:00pm, it will be long gone by then…

Until the next round, Salute!

(photo credits eccodomani.com & foxsearchlight.com)

Today is a happy day indeed!  My sister and her husband (eek! still so funny saying husband!) are coming home a week from tomorrow for our cousin’s wedding!!  So excited, it will be the first time the entire clan will be together since my sister’s beautiful wedding in May and I just can’t wait.  A few days ago I received an email from an old work colleague who recently discovered my blog.  She too has had a lot a fun family goings-on in the past years and now is the proud mama of a little boy!  Ever since her little bundle of joy came into the world, however, enjoying an occasional cocktail or glass of wine has taken a toll on her tummy.   I have definitely heard of this happening before (I fear for those around me if I go through something similar), but there is hope!  A lot of times a wine will make you feel sick or give you heartburn because of what you may have eaten (or not eaten) earlier in the day, or sometimes your mommy chemical make-up just doesn’t agree with a particular bottle!  While a lot of it is trial and error, I do have some suggestions to finding a wine that will do right by your body and your wallet:

• Acid is a BIG player in why certain wines will make your tummy tumble.  A trick to toning down the affect of acid in a wine (and this is just my opinion, not necessarily science) is chilling your wine before drinking.  This is why a lot of people can drink white wine more easily than red, because it is generally served at a lower temp!
• Sweeter wines are often a good fix for more sensitive stomachs.  Now, this does not mean that the wine itself has to be  a “sweet wine.”  I recently tried a great dry red from Layer Cake made with the Primitivo grape.  This grape is a lesser-known grape that tends to produce a wine with a great fruity flavor that hides some of the acid in other dry wines.  Then there are actual sweet wines like Jam Jar that would be great for a person who likes red wine but wants something more on the sugary side.  Balanced enough for a cheese plate or a rich dessert, or just sipping on its own!
• Wine that is aged longer will tend to loose some acidity and become more mellow, so you could try some older wines to see if that helps.   Because aged wines can often be more expensive (as they take longer to produce), you should stick with the classics like Merlot and Pinot Noir when you’re starting out as you can find good quality aged wines like these more readily.

Hope this helps, and if any mommy’s out there have further suggestions on overcoming this common affliction, please share!

Oh!  Also – Last night I purchased the first three bottles for my Merlot project, I’ll share review #1 with you tomorrow!  Now all I need to do is come up with a clever name for the adventure…

You know something?  I was about to reference this wine in a previous post and when I did a quick search on my OWN site for “merlot” I realized that  MoreThanMerlot.com has never reviewed a 100% merlot wine.  NEVER.  How is this even possible?  Especially when I can think of half a dozen fabulous merlots right off the top of my head that I would recommend?  Well, I’ll tell you this :  The next 6 bottles of wine I purchase will be 100% down-right fantastic merlots.  I understand there is a wedding diet and a wedding budget to worry about, but this is research here!  So, since I’m bound to a desk for another half hour or so and physically/morally not able to actually TRY a new merlot at this moment in time, I am going to first share with you an old merlot stand-by of mine:  Blackstone Merlot.  Blackstone is great, it’s easy to find, a good price range to drink at home or bring to a friend’s house for a casual dinner party, and it is a generally consistent and pleasing wine.  I like Blackstone Merlot because it is fruity and smooth – not jammy like merlot can sometimes get.  It is a strong, true to varietal wine with great hints of cherry and soft spice.  Now, I must admit, while visiting the Blackstone site to find a picture of the bottle I discovered that this example is in fact NOT a 100% varietal wine but consists of 80% Merlot, 10% Syrah, 3% Cab Sauv and 1% Zin (I realize the percentages are a tad off but I took this directly from their site…).  That being said, it’s probably why I like this Merlot so much, I just love blended wines!  Blends can remove the negatives from one varietal by adding the positives of another!  Hello, Bordeaux for example?  Why do we think it is the most famous wine region in all the world?  But I digress…  SO, world, I give you the first official review of a (kinda-sorta) true Merlot wine on this site.  But I also give you so much more, the promise of more to come!  As I get my shopping list together, let me know if there are any 100% Merlots that you’ve had your eye on or that you think I must try!  I hope Monique has her game face on today, I am coming to play…

(photo credit: blackstonewinery.com)

How great is Whole Foods, seriously? I stopped in to pick up a bottle of wine (and naturally ended up walking out with 7…), and was enthralled when they packed my wine in one of these! Adorable wine bags made of recycled material with sewn-in pockets to accommodate up to 6 regular bottles! Best part – unlike the grocery bags they offer made from the same materials, the wine bags are FREE! So exciting, you must check it out if you have a Whole Foods nearby.

You may ask, what did I buy 7 bottles of? Well, the first was an impluse buy, an interesting red Portuguese wine on sale for $6.99. I’ll try that over the weekend and fill you in.  The others were all from Harthill Farms, 3 bottles of chardonnay and three of merlot. I have tried the wine before and it is good, basic drinking wine from California. I like the chardonnay the best, it is really mellow and since it was not aged long it doesn’t have that oaky flavor that many people dislike. We are having an engagement party at our new home this weekend, and although my fiancee’s family is generously providing the other spirits for the evening, I always like to have a few “emergency bottles” in case the evening goes later than planned. These emergency bottles needn’t be anything fancy (since once one has a few glasses of wine one no longer can claim to have the most discerning palate), and I knew these wines would be perfect for the occasion. Another Whole Foods surprise, the wine was on sale for $4 per bottle! Normally it’s only $4.99, but who minds saving a buck?  Check it out and let me know what you think.

Bordeaux is probably the most well-know wine producing region in France behind Champagne. It is located on the southwest coast of France along the banks of the Gironde river. The river is very important in Bordeaux. You will often hear people refer to a Bordeaux being either “left bank” or “right bank.” This refers to where the grapes were grown for the production of a particular wine. Now, as I mentioned earlier the principal red varietals in Bordeaux wines are Merlot (50%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (26%). Due to sun exposure, terroir and other viticultural influences the left bank of Bordeaux generally produces wine that is heavier on Cabernet whereas the right bank produces wine that is heavier on Merlot. Why do you need to know this? When you find a Bordeaux wine in a store you will rarely see the word “Bordeaux” anywhere on the bottle. You will instead find the name of the appellation or chateau. An appellation is a targeted geographical area within a wine region that further distinguishes wines from one another. There are over 50 appellations in Bordeaux alone. SO – To know which Bordeaux wine you are going to like, you should be able to recognize the major appellations in the region. Here is a little cheat-sheet, when you see the following on a wine lable you are likely buying the following:

Mostly Cabernet with some Merlot:
Medoc/Haut Medoc
Sainte Estephe
Paulliac
Saint Julien
Graves
Margaux
Pessac-Leognan

Mostly Merlot with some Cabernet:
Pomerol
Saint Emillion
Cadillac

Blend of any Bordeaux varietals:
Bordeaux AOC

Bordeaux AOC is a general label that distinguishes a wine that is produced from grapes all grown in the Bordeaux region, but of a blend of grapes from various appellations. These wines will be less expensive. Major wine houses will sell off excess grapes to wine makers who will in turn blend the grapes to produce a wine. Because these wine makers do not need to own the land to grow the grapes their production cost is much lower. Also, because the grapes are not from a specific appellation or vineyard they are not considered to be as refined, and thus, they cannot sell the wines for as much money. This is a good starter wine to try if you have never had a Bordeaux and want to try one out!