Something to Wine About: The Magic of Long Island Merlot

Much like Paul Giamatti in his famous film, Sideways, I, too, often maligned merlot. Who would have thought it would be four beautiful expressions of this noble grape, all grown right here on Long Island, that would change my mind?

The first merlot we’ll explore is the McCall Reserve Merlot 2015 which retails at $39. This versatile wine can be enjoyed with anything from pizza to steak. It has a lovely, smooth mouth feel with a long, dry, satisfying finish. Flavors of rich dark chocolate, and dark brambly fruit make this a memorable merlot. It was actually even better on day two when the flavors were more pronounced.

The fact that the previous wine was better after having had a chance to breathe, leads me to our next merlot, and a lesson I learned about decanting. Our next merlot is the Macari Merlot 2022 retailing at $40. Upon opening the Macari merlot I didn’t get the full nose of the wine, and, perhaps, for the first time ever, I said, “I think this wine might benefit from decanting.” In the past, I always felt that wine should wow me upon opening and that decanting was just an unnecessary wine snob ritual. I was wrong. Turns out my mom had a lovely, though rarely used, decanter readily on hand, and, once decanted, this wine’s nose and flavors opened up magnificently.  This wine has layers of bright red and dark fruit, a velvety mouth feel, and wonderful long finish.  A quick word on decanting. Decanting increases the wine’s surface area, exposing more of the wine, more quickly, to oxygen. This allows aeration, a process where oxygen interacts with the wine. This helps soften astringent tannins while desired flavors integrate.

Our next merlot is the beautiful Pellegrini Merlot 2018. This wine is both an extremely food friendly wine, while also being a merlot that can be enjoyed on its own. This wine is structured, elegant, and complex. The bright red fruit flavors are tempered with vanilla, clove, and anise. This wine retails at $32.99. While lovely with a main course, its dynamic and uplifted flavors make it an excellent pairing choice for fun gatherings with hard aged cheeses and dark chocolate.

Finally, if you are looking for a lush, luxurious merlot, no food accompaniment, or decanting, needed look no further than Wolffer Estate The Grapes of Roth Merlot 2020. This is an unapologetically, full-bodied merlot. It’s such a deep, dark red. This wine is packed with rich ripe flavors of black plumb, cassis, and dark chocolate, as well as hints of cinnamon and clove. It has a round, decadent mouthfeel. This spectacular wine drinks wonderfully on its own. Shopping for something rewarding to sip after being out in the cold this winter or just to enjoy by the fireplace? Treat yourself to this merlot retailing at $48. You deserve it after shoveling out.