I remember the first time I saw the scene in Sideways, I was a sophomore in high school on a first date.  I saw Miles scream his opinion about Merlot, and even then I knew that people were going to take this drunk and miserable fictional creation seriously.  And, boy, they have.

Although nationally Merlot is still the best selling red wine in the US (fancy that), around here Pinot Noir has taken over as the accepted standard.  I can’t tell you how often I meet people who, upon learning that I study wine as both a hobby and profession, immediately deride Merlot with this sort of “See, I’m on the team” earnestness that, frankly, I find disappointing.  The sad truth is that there is a lot of bad Merlot out there, but the grape can’t help that.  It’s people getting in the way that makes Merlot bad. Continue reading NO F’ING MERLOT!!!