After several classes with references to the 2004 movie Sideways and its impact on Merlot sales,
I was curious as to whether the varietal has bounced back nearly 15 years
later. I came upon a Bloomberg article on the topic (love reading about wine in
Bloomberg) and found that, similar to what many of our speakers this quarter
suggested, merlot is making a comeback. Sales of ultra-premium merlot were up
5% in 2017 and a 2016 Wine Intelligence report found it to be the varietal of
choice for Americans wine consumers of all ages. Even with the knock from Sideways, people love the silky, cherry
forward flavor that a good merlot provides. When thinking about project ideas,
I thought this would be a great topic – a new age merlot for the wine-savvy
millennial. Maybe the new rose? On a separate note, the Bloomberg article
provides some wine suggestions. Safe to say I won’t be purchasing this product
of Bordeaux anytime soon:
2014 Pétrus ($2,300)
This famous Bordeaux red is the planet’s ultimate merlot,
velvety and sumptuous, with complex layers of dark red fruit and Asian spices
and a cashmere-like texture. One secret to its greatness? Blue clay soil in the
vineyard.
Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-29/the-sideways-curse-has-lifted-merlot-is-having-a-comeback
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