Pinky aloft, lips pursed, and eyes aflame, a pretentious gentleman proudly announces, “I do love a meritaahge.” After processing the pronunciation faux pas, I quell the urge to punch him in the face, and then, with as much obnoxious affect as I can muster, I correct him, “Meritage rhymes with heritage.” The impulse to mispronounce this decidedly French-sounding wine name is strong, and this California-birthed wine is often misconceived. But the question is … why should we even care?
We should care because meritage is a trendy wine in the snob circles with growing popularity within the normal ranks. The fancy term describes a blend of two or more Bordeaux grape varieties, specifically Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and several others. White meritage is a blend of two grapes originating from Bordeaux, like Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.
The growing popularity of meritage represents a shift in American wine perception. In Europe, blends are the norm, not the exception, but the U.S. has historically been the opposite. On our shelves you see “Cabernet Sauvignon” or “Chardonnay” on the labels, but blended wines are identified as “table wines.” And that’s about as sexy as margarine. Over the years, clever wineries, in order to offset this uninspiring moniker, created fanciful titles for their blends such as Goats du Roam, Primus, or Da Red to set themselves apart. Blending is important since it adds complexity to a wine and allows a winemaker to yield the maximum amount of flavor out of the vineyard — doubly important in bad vintage years. But in 1988, a group of three wineries — Cosentino, Flora Springs, and Quintessa — set out to define an American blend of Bordeaux grapes, calling it meritage. The name, the result of a worldwide contest, originates from two words: “merit” and “heritage.” Thus the pronunciation.
In order to post “meritage” on a label, a winery must belong to the Meritage Association, a nonprofit that charges up to $500 per year for membership — depending on the number of cases a winery produces. There are more than 150 members in the United States, scattered all over the country, as well as members in Mexico, Australia, Israel, and Canada. (For a complete list, see www.meritagewine.org.)
Since every winemaker mixes his or her blend differently, it’s difficult to define what a meritage tastes like. But they are normally pretty gutsy, yet elegant and fruity. You’ll find the red version — the whites are few and far between — more often now on wine lists and on wine-shop shelves than ever before. Taste a few, and when you hear “meritaahge,” help us all out by correcting that person. The original founders are even helping — petitioning Merriam-Webster to create an entry for “meritage,” permanently defining it for generations to come.
Recommended Wines
Flora Springs 2003 Trilogy Meritage Napa Valley — Sweet, fragrant cherries and soft, elegant vanilla define this gorgeous wine. Sophisticated and sublime. $60
Hahn 2004 Meritage Central Coast — Perky with black pepper and soft, mellow cherry. Good value. $16
Lyeth 2002 Meritage Sonoma Valley — Delicate blueberry and ripe cherry make this one taste like a summer evening. Lovely finish of fruit. $16
Dry Creek Vineyard 2002 Meritage — Velvety and full of roasted black cherries with a touch of oak. $28
