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. Image for representational purpose only. Photo Courtesy: istock
Anurag Godbole, who is the wine sommelier and bar manager at Nksha in Churchgate, explains Merlot simply. He says Merlot is a red wine made from the merlot grape variety. It can be velvety and plummy, or rich and oaky.
The wine has red fruit flavours on the nose and palate like strawberry, cherries and raspberries. The tannins are very supple, with a long and pleasant finish. On the other hand, city-based food and beverages expert Shreyas Bhagat says that Merlot wine drinkers can also look out for plum, blackberries, apart from red fruits and cherries. One may experience the sensation of tucking into a delicious fruit cake with chocolatey note. The low tannin count is a significant contributor to Merlot's silky, fruit-forward taste instead of a mouth-drying full-bodied pour.
The wine has red fruit flavours on the nose and palate like strawberry, cherries and raspberries. The tannins are very supple, with a long and pleasant finish. On the other hand, city-based food and beverages expert Shreyas Bhagat says that Merlot wine drinkers can also look out for plum, blackberries, apart from red fruits and cherries. One may experience the sensation of tucking into a delicious fruit cake with chocolatey note. The low tannin count is a significant contributor to Merlot's silky, fruit-forward taste instead of a mouth-drying full-bodied pour.
Bhagat says 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. 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.
In Indian food, 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. You can also 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.
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