merlot

Definition

A popular dark-blue wine grape producing soft, fruity red wines with plummy flavors and lower tannins—the crowd-pleaser that sommeliers love to hate after that movie made everyone pivot to Pinot. This versatile Bordeaux variety serves as both a standalone varietal and a blending partner, smoothing out the rougher edges of Cabernet Sauvignon. It's the friendly, approachable wine that serious collectors pretend not to enjoy.

Example Usage

Despite wine snobs dismissing it, the Merlot from our local winery outsells their 'serious' Cabernets three to one.

Source: Wine industry terminology

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