Merlot

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Merlot is a highly valued wine grape variety that produces wines with a deep red color. Drinks from it are also distinguished by density, balanced taste and selected bouquet. Merlot's homeland is France. It is one of the most cultivated varieties in the districts of Saint Emilion and Pomerol. Apart from France, this culture can also be found in Italy, the USA, Moldova, Chile, Australia and others. Although fewer plants are found in Mexico, Argentina, New Zealand, Canada and China. Merlot is also grown in Bulgaria in the southern wine-growing region.

The variety Merlot is characterized by medium-sized leaves that are cut and pentagonal. They are painted dark green and covered with moss. The grapes of this variety are of medium size. The grains are small and dark blue. The meat is juicy. It is covered with a medium-thick, but tough, zipper.

Merlot is a variety that ripens relatively late. In this case, the grape harvest usually occurs in the last days of September. This is a variety that is considered fertile. Stem formations are used for growing the variety. About five kilograms are obtained from one vine. The crop is susceptible to blight, but gray rot often fails to affect the bunches. Otherwise, the variety sometimes fails to cope with too low temperatures during the winter months. Areas with too high temperatures are also not suitable for this variety, as in such circumstances the fruit ripens faster and the quality is not the same.

History of Merlot

To some extent, the roots of this variety are shrouded in mystery. There are various guesses about its origin. It is believed that there is a connection between it and the varieties Carmener and Cabernet Franc. However, whether these are just conjectures or serious hypotheses that modern genetics will confirm remains to be seen. Otherwise for the homeland of Merlot France interjected. According to acquaintances, the history of the emblematic grape variety began to be written in the French region of Bordeaux.

Assumptions are also made about the origin of the variety name. Translated from French, its name means small scythe. Perhaps the name is inspired by the resemblance between the color of the bird and the bunches of the vine. Merlot quickly managed to leave France and spread around the world. It turns out that the plantations with the famous variety exceed 100,000 hectares, and their number is expected to continue to grow in the future.

Characteristics of Merlot

Merlot is of valuable economic importance. Young wines produced from this grape variety are characterized by beer content. Their color is cherry. Some productions are close to the color of the prune. However, when the wine matures, its characteristics change. Then we can find shades of purple. The positive of the elixir of this variety is that aging makes it even more pleasant to eat. Like some of the most famous and sophisticated alcoholic beverages, this can mature for more than ten years. The aroma of wines grown in different parts of the world may vary. For example, in some regions, colorful aromas are felt.

Serving Merlot

Consumption of Merlot has a relaxing and warming effect on the body. It can be a real joy for the senses, as long as the wine is served properly. However, we must not forget that the pleasure of drinking wine lies in feeling its aroma and enjoying its incredible taste.

Pay attention to the serving temperature of the wine. It can vary, but still the temperature of the drink should be between 16 and 20 degrees. Don't forget to choose a suitable glass. Stop at the classic wine glass with a capacity of one hundred milliliters. Remember not to fill the cup to the top. The drink should reach half of the vessel.

As we know, a good drink goes with a good appetizer. This rule also applies in full force to Merlot. It can be successfully combined with various specialties. Saturated and fatty foods are among the supplements that suit him best. It can be successfully combined with most dry appetizers. Well-flavored beef dishes are also the perfect addition to the grape elixir. If you are among the cheese lovers, you will be able to combine your favorite Merlot with another of your favorite products, namely blue cheese.

Homemade Merlot

If you manage to get grapes of the variety Merlot, you can make beer wine at home. To do this, you must first clean the material from rotten grains, leaves and bunches. Some manufacturers leave the bunches as this preserves more tannins. Then the material is crushed and placed in a container, it is best to use a barrel. The size of the bowl does not matter, but know that the grapes should occupy at most 2/3 of it. After pouring the material into the barrel, check the sugar content. It should be about 24 percent. In case it is much lower, the use of sugar is necessary.

If all goes well, we have fermentation for up to two days, which lasts about a week. During this time it is advisable to mix the material. Keep in mind that the temperature of the room where the expected process will take place should be around 25 degrees. Another thing to pay attention to is that the sugar should decrease by about 2 percent per day.

You can then move the resulting liquid to another barrel, where the so-called silent fermentation will take place for about 30 days. The tub should be closed and a hose should come out of it. One end should fall into another container of water. Once this process is over, it's time to stream. Jibrets remain in the fermentation vessel, and you already have aromatic and beer wine Merlot.