04/25/06 Merlot Sideways

Did people really take Sideways that seriously? Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. Recently I read an article about the impact that the movie sideways is attributed to have had on the diminishing sales of Merlot. Have you forgotten the guy was a geek, he was a loser who stole money from his mother's purse for gosh sakes! Is that the person who is determining, whether or not, you are going to order a glass of Merlot or not? PAHLEEEZ! Okay so let's move on with this whole Merlot stereotype. Yes for many people Merlot is a likeable easy to drink wine. It is often the first red wine that a person drinks and likes. So what is the matter with that? There are actually some great, not just good, but great Merlot based wines. In fact, in the film Sideways, one of the French wines that the character is swooning over is Chateau Belair, a famous St. Emilion, made primarily with  you guessed it  Merlot! It is so silly to let a movie and a character who is so obviously a wine snob have such an effect on you. What are you people thinking for goodness sake? I happen to live in the state of Washington where I think the best Merlot in the United States is grown and made. So I do have access to some excellent examples of Merlot. AND So do you. Just lift your chin up and go to the store and buy one. You won't be disappointed and you will most likely rediscover an old friend. Enjoy! Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at Vine to Wine dot net and thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.