Silk, Soil, and Soul: A Love Letter to Merlot

It has been nearly two decades since a single, splenetic line of dialogue lodged itself into wine culture’s collective memory. One fictional outburst briefly turned Merlot into a punchline, and for a time, the grape paid the price. But history has a way of correcting itself — especially in wine.

Because long before and long after pop culture took a swing at it, Merlot has been one of the world’s great grapes. Not by accident. Not by hype. By merit.

At its best, Merlot offers something few varieties do so effortlessly: generosity. It is a grape that leads with texture — plush, silken, cushioning — inviting rather than intimidating. Its flavors can move easily from ripe plum, black cherry, and cocoa to savory herbs, warm earth, and polished cedar. In cooler climates it can be fresh and red-fruited, supple and graceful; in warmer sites, deep, structured, and powerful. Merlot does not impose itself. It listens. It translates soil, climate, and human intention with uncommon clarity.

This adaptability is precisely why Merlot has played such a central role in many of the world’s most revered wines. From the Right Bank of Bordeaux — where it forms the soulful core of some of the most coveted bottles ever made — to Washington State’s Red Mountain, where it delivers intensity without brutality, to northern Italy, where it expresses elegance, restraint, and quiet complexity, Merlot has always belonged at the serious table.

Its temporary fall from favor had little to do with what the grape is capable of, and everything to do with what happens when popularity outpaces intention. Overplanting and shortcuts dulled its reputation, not its potential. Today’s Merlot renaissance is not a comeback so much as a return to form: lower yields, thoughtful farming, site-driven winemaking, and a renewed respect for what this grape does best.

Merlot is not a consolation prize. It is not a gateway grape. It is not something to apologize for. It is one of wine’s great storytellers — generous, expressive, and endlessly versatile at the table.

So tonight, we raise a glass without irony, without defensiveness, and without quotation marks. We are here to explore the many faces of this remarkable grape, and to say, proudly and unequivocally:

We are drinking Merlot.

Wines TBA.

Picture: the colors of Merlot as a repeating fractal.