International Merlot Day 2023: Here’s what you need to know about the wine and how to pair it with your food

"Merlot is an oft-misunderstood Bordeaux classic," shares Mumbai-based food and beverage expert Shreyas Bhagat. "It can be velvety and plummy, or rich and oaky," he adds. You have to have the taste for wine to be able to appreciate it and enjoy it to the fullest. With so many wines available in the world, the possibilities of drinking different types of wine are endless, and the flavour notes, as Bhagat, who is the director of food and beverage at Radisson Blu Mumbai International Airport points out, are a wide variety. So how does one enjoy a glass of Merlot and what kind of food can you pair with it? He says there are many ways.

Every year, the world observes International Merlot Day on November 7 to celebrate one of the most popular wines that originates in Bordeaux in France. The day is coincidentally celebrated during the festive season and while one doesn't need one particular day to celebrate it, the arrival of Christmas and New Year next month is motivating. Especially because many people will be busy looking forward to and planning parties with their friends and family. While other drinks are often preferred, one must admit that there is something special about this season that makes one want to give that all up and sip on wine around a Christmas tree or just in the comfort of your loved ones. While people mull over white wine and red wine, Merlot falls in the latter category and city experts say, it should definitely be one that you should try this season.

Getting to the roots
For those who are taking their first steps into drinking wine, Anurag Godbole, who is the wine sommelier and bar manager at Nksha in Churchgate, explains it simply. He says Merlot is a red wine made from the merlot grape variety. "It is an elegant wine with red fruit flavours on the nose and palate like strawberry, cherries and raspberries. The tannins are very supple, with a beautiful alcohol structure and a long and pleasant finish," explains Godbole, who highlights that this very quality is also what makes it unique.

While the city-based sommelier shares notes on flavours and palate, Bhagat, who loves to deep dive into food and drink, says the wine has a history. He explains, "Merlot is one of the world's most widely planted grape varieties with plantings of the vine outpacing even the more well-known Cabernet Sauvignon in many regions, including the grape's homeland of France. France is home to nearly two-thirds of the world's total plantings of Merlot." Known for its soft, sensual texture and approachable style, the city-based hospitality expert says they are made from red-skinned grapes that can adapt to a variety of climates to produce food-friendly wines in many price points.

The tannins are not only supple like Godbole says but also low and subtle, particularly compared to other red wines like a Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon. "This low tannin count is a significant contributor to Merlot's silky, fruit-forward taste instead of a mouth-drying full-bodied pour," he adds. It is also why Godbole says that whenever you are drinking Merlot, apart from the red fruits on the nose and the palate and the smooth tannin structure, it will be a wine that is medium to full body and have a pleasant acidity.

On the other hand, Bhagat says that Merlot wine drinkers can also look out for plum, blackberries, apart from red fruits and cherries. "Alternatively, one may experience the sensation of tucking into a delicious fruit cake with chocolatey notes," he shares.

Merlot and food pairings
With such diverse flavours of red fruits, it is important to pair your wine correctly with the food to enjoy it to the fullest. Most often than not people may not be able to enjoy the richness of the flavours because of the food they are eating while drinking the wine. With the festive season here, there is going to be a lot of different kinds of food that are going to be planned for the menu. While some people may want to explore different cuisines from around the world, others may opt for the comfort of Indian food, and contrary to the belief in some quarters that wine may not go well with desi dishes, the rise in the number of Indian wines and subsequent food pairings will prove otherwise.

For those who like to drink their Merlot with world cuisine, the city-based food and beverage manager with the five-star property says there are many different kinds of food pairings. He explains, "The wine pairs well with white meat, particularly turkey and chicken, when any sauce accompanies the dish. It is because heavy, smokey, and sauce-accompanied white meat dishes work well with a rich, medium to full-bodied glass of Merlot as it will not take away from the rich dish."

Beyond that, Godbole says Merlot tends to go really well with quail, pigeon, deer, duck and any kind of game meats. "The wine also goes well with winter truffles, truffle risotto and lamb dishes. Apart from meats, you can pair the wine with nutty aged cheeses like Comte, aged cheddar, Raclette and Beaufort - all of which goes really well with it," he adds.

If you like Indian food, it gets even better because the city-based sommelier says there are so many different combinations that will completely surprise you yet make it extremely enjoyable. "You can pair your Merlot with mutton yakhni pulao, morel kebabs, lightly spiced lamb biryani, galouti kebabs or mutton seekh kebab. Some South Indian stews made with coconut and tamarind, or a lightly spiced sambar can also be an intriguing combination," he shares.

Bhagat, though, wants you to be bold and pair with some favourites from different regions in the country. "Pair chicken tikka masala with a Merlot since the smoky flavour from the tandoor cooking and subtle spices shine when matched with a softer tannin, fruit-forward wine. The best Indian food that can be paired with the wine would also be the pork vindaloo from Goa," says Bhagat, who sheds light on how unique the wine can be if had properly.

Dealing with misconceptions
Even though the wine is so unique in its own way through its different notes and flavours, and food pairings, there are still some misconceptions among people about it, say both the experts. Bhagat explans, "One of the most common mistakes people make is using Merlot and Chianti interchangeably. While both are red wines, they are quite different in terms of taste, origin, and food pairings. Merlot is actually a phenomenal grape just like with all wine." The quality of the Merlot, he points out, relies on the place it is grown and the winemaker's choices in moulding it. "It is the highest planted red grape in France, famous in Bordeaux as a blending grape," he adds.

On the other hand, Godbole says the fact that Merlot can be very high in acid and tannins is true but with Merlot two different styles of wines can be made. "Some wine makers harvest it a little bit early when the grape is not ripe to its optimum, those wines can be lean, dark fruit-flavoured with grippy tannins. But aged worthy Merlots from the right bank of Bordeaux or California are amazingly intense and complex with luscious fruit forward flavour profile that make them delicious," he concludes.