Merlot

The earlist mentioned of the grape Merlot dates back to 1784, when a local Bordeaux official referred to wine made from Merlot grapes as one of the best wines of the Libournais region. It has been suggested that Merlot may be an offspring of Cabernet Franc.

The name Merlot is derived from the word merlot, which means “young blackbird” in one of the French dialects. The Merlot grape is dark-blue, just like a blackbird, and blackbirds are also very fond of eating Merlot grapes. Eventually, the grape found its way to Italy where it seem to have been referred to as Bordò. During the 19^th century, the grape was introduced to Swiss from Bordeaux.

Merlot vines prefer cold soil and are especially fond of clay with high iron content. Ideally plant the vine in well drained soil. Since this vine produces buds fairly early, it is susceptible to frost injury. The grape is thin skinned and prone to rot. Once the grape has reached its initial ripeness level, it can quickly become over ripe and it must therefore be harvested promptly. There are however wine makers that have turned the over-ripeness into and advantage when producing wines, such as Rolland who is known to pick the grapes fairly late in order to bring more fruit body to the wines.

Merlot grapes grow in loose bunches and the grapes can get really big. Compared to the famous Cabernet Sauvignon, the Merlot grape has less of a blue/black hue and fewer tannins.