Whenit comes to buying red wine there are so many different types onoffer. In this article I am going to try and describe one of the morepopular types of red wine available. Merlot is a wine that you see onthe supermarket shelf, on a restaurant wine list or online at anindependent wine retail site, but what does it taste like and whatdoes it taste good with?

Merlotis actually the name of the grape ad well as the name of the winethat is produces. It is a grape that is used on its own to producewine or is also used as a grape for bleding with other grapes to makedifferent types of wine. It is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignonto create a rich red wine. Merlot is one of the most popular red winegrapes in the world.

Redwine produced from the Merlot grape is different from CabernetSauvignon. The grape is redder in colour, ripens earlier, has athinner skin and fewer tannins. It is a grape that grows well incolder soils and because it is quicker to ripen is ideal forcountries with a shorter warm season.

Merlotis an essential ingredient in the wines made in the Bordeaux regionof France ? in fact it is found in about 25% of the wines producedin that region. Even some of the most expensive wines produced in theworld have the merlot grape as part of their make up. So remember itmay be something you can find in most stores and online but whentreated properly this grape can be part of some of the most priceywines ever ?Chateau Petrus wines are based on the Merlot grape andthis rare wine often fetches huge amounts of money when it becomesavailable

Howeveryou don't have to be a millionaire to enjoy the delights of a goodbottle of Merlot. In Italy Merlot produces a great table wine, mixedwith the Sangiovese grape the wine is soft in its tase and isessential with a plate of pasta or antipasto.

InHungary they use the grape when producing their classic Bull?sBlood. Maybe not to everyone's taste but again it shows theversatility and range of flavours that can be produced by this grape.

Becauseof the diversity of the wine that the Merlot grape can produce it canalso work well with a wide range of foods. It can have deep fruitflavours of plum and blackberry which complement a wide range of meatdishes or it can be more silky and soft in its taste when blendedwith the cabernet sauvignon to make a classic claret. And don?tforget that Merlot is one of the varieties of grapes most loved bywine growers across the globe so there are fantastic types of Merlotfound in Australia and Chile as well spicy Italian reds which giveany pasta dish an edge!