California Wine Magazine - Merlot Pairing Advisor

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About the Wine

About the Pairing

Acid	Medium to Medium +
Body	Medium to Full
Tannin	Medium to Medium +
Sweetness	Generally Dry
Alcohol	Medium to High

Food	Style	Pairing Characteristics
Pasta	In Tomato Sauce	The slight acidity of the wine balances nicely with the acidity in the sauce.
Beef Steaks	Grilled or Barbequed	The medium to full body pairs well with full fattier, bolder bodied meats. The charcoal flavors pairs with oak aging spices.
Lamb	Grilled,	The spicy sweetness of lamb works well with the fruit in the wine.
Beef Roast	Wellington or Stroganoff	This requires a big Merlot. The cedar and mushrooms in the wine bridges to the rustic flavors of the dish. The slight acidity works with the fat in the dishes.
Pizza	With a tomato or pesto sauce	This works on all levels, the acidity levels are similar - tempering both. The full body of the wine matches the full body of pizza. The fruit in the wine works with the tomatoes in the sauce.
Pork	Roasted or Grilled	Pork works particularly well with Merlot in body and flavor.
Mushrooms	Portobello, Morel, Porcini,	The great forest floor earthiness of these robust mushrooms brings out the subtitles of these in the wine.
Gorgonzola, Parmesan	In sauce or alone	The fat levels in the cheese help coat the palate to protect from the higher tannins in some Merlots.

Fruit: This is a big fruit wine. Look for plums, blackberries, black cherries, black raspberry and black currants and can go as ripe as raisins. Non-Fruit: Spices, Cedar, Tobacco, Mushrooms, Chocolate
Region(s):Contra Costa County, Lake County, Livermore, Lodi, Mendocino County, Napa County, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Sierra Foothills, Sonoma County, Temecula
Other Notes:Merlots in California are often made from riper fruit than in its home region of Bordeaux France. This, however, is a huge over simplification. There are cooler versions, such as the Carneros region of Napa, that are much more subtle than those found in the warmer regions. Generally considered to be softer and fruitier than Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot can make a wine as big as a Cabernet, or when made with high producing grapes, can be flat and flabby. See our full varietal article at Merlot