A juicy, rich style, this is softened and rounded out by blackcurrant and cranberry flavours with a soft mid-palate and round tannins. It bursts from the glass with plenty of fruit and flavour, and all in all is a really easy drinking Merlot.

Origin: It’s believed that the first wines made were in the Medoc region, in the west of France. Mainly Grown In: France leads the way here, with Bordeaux the big one. Also California, South Australia, central and northern Italy, plus Argentina. Key Facts: No matter how mer-little you know about wine, chances are you’ve heard of Merlot (pronounced “Mer-low”). Merlot is like a Golden Retriever; dependable (it ripens reliably well), lovable (especially for its chocolatey and soft plummy flavours), and able to get along with pretty much everyone (a champion in some of the most prized blends on the planet). Merlot is so approachable and smooth that it is often described as tasting “velvety”. Not sure when you last licked some velvet, but we did, and the Merlot definitely tasted much better than velvet. However, velvety is a fair way to describe the soft cushion-like comfort of how Merlot rolls across the palate — yum! Fun Fact: Merlot is the most planted grape in all of France! Which should give you an idea of how influential, versatile and DELICIOUS this grape is!