Ellington

Right out of the gate, I'll go ahead and admit that when I go out to dinner, there is only about a 5 percent chance (if that) that I will order a bottle of merlot with my meal. Personal preference, of course. Merlots are, for the most part, a little wimpy for me. However, after all of the bad press merlot has gotten from the infamous scene in "Sideways" where Miles, a self-proclaimed pinot noir freak, boldly announces that if any merlot gets ordered, he would leave immediately, I kind of feel sorry for the little guy (merlot, that is).

Merlot is actually a very important grape varietal, which became a virtual superstar during the '90s. Now that pinot noir has taken over the stage, merlot is suddenly uncool. Well, let's ponder that, shall we?

In Bordeaux, the Mecca of big, bold red wines, more merlot acreage is planted than any other varietal. That acreage is almost twice that of cabernet sauvignon. However, cab is still king there and is more highly regarded than merlot, which is thought of more as a blending grape than one to stand on its own. It is important to remember here, though, that some of the great wines of Bordeaux are 100 percent or primarily merlot, such as Chateau Petrus and, coincidently, Miles' beloved Cheval Blanc.

Merlot, in its grape form before crushing, is relatively large. It's about twice the size of a cabernet grape, which offers more juice to work with, but with less concentration of flavor. Tannins tend to be much lower than cab and residual sugar higher, which makes for wines that are much softer and ready to drink pretty much right away. Merlots are capable of aging, but not as long as a cab can age.

There are some really nice merlots out there to try. Here are a few of my favorites:
Murphy-Goode Merlot – Alexander Valley (about $18) – This is a merlot with some backbone. It's big, bold and fruity with silky tannins and very pronounced oak.

Benziger Merlot – Sonoma County (about $18)–There is a great presence of tannins in this one, with lots of fresh, ripe extracted fruit flavors.

Manzanita Canyon Merlot (about $7) – If you're looking for "el cheap-o" for easy, casual drinking, this one's for you. Very lively, ripe red berry fruit with minimal tannins. A great buy.

Penfolds "Rawson's Retreat" Merlot – Australia (about $11) – This is another really good, basic merlot. Very little tannin; lots and lots of fresh, lively fruit. Easy drinkin'.

A couple of other regions getting great press on their merlots are Washington state and New Zealand. Check some of those out, too.

From my many years of working in the restaurant business, I know that merlot was the first type of red wine deemed "tolerable" for many people trying to make a transition from white wine. Now they all think it's cooler to drink pinot noir, because Hollywood says so. But don't forget the one who brought you to the dance.