not-So-Pretentious Wine Reviews...except merlot.

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No Merlot!

Jack: "And if they wanna drink merlot, we're drinkin’ merlot."
Miles: "No. If anybody orders merlot, I'm leaving. I am not drinking any fucking merlot!"
Jack: “Okay, okay. Relax, Miles . . .
Jesus. No merlot . . .
Did you bring your Xanax?”

From the movie “Sideways.”

First of all, let me start with the fact that it was a crime that Paul Giamatti was not nominated for an Oscar for his performance in “Sideways.” What a great performance, as well as some memorable lines. But Miles’ aversion to Merlot is well-founded. Merlot, or more specifically, American Merlot costing $12 and under is generally bland and flabby, lacking any varietal character or structure. Merlots seem to lack passion - they seem as if they’re made to be as inoffensive as possible. The wine has become a commodity that is trucked in by the tanker and bottled with a label prominently featuring an animal of some sort. Is this Merlot’s destiny in America? We hope not. After all, Merlot has a noble status as one of the primary varietals in Bordeaux. Although we are certain that there are good, inexpensive Merlots out there (and we invite you to write about your favorites in our Merlot blog), the purpose of NoMerlot.com is to explore the vast selections of wine that are available from around the world. So instead of reflexively saying “I’ll have a glass of Merlot,” we want you to say “I’ll try this Malbec from Argentina.”

And while we are at it, No Chardonnay!