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Merlot: A Varietal That Plays Well with Others #MerlotMe #WinePW #Sponsored

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the #MerlotMe event sponsors.
Complimentary wine was provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links.
However, all opinions expressed here are my own. 

It's October. Do you know what that means? It's the time of year when bottles of Merlot start arriving at my door for #MerlotMe. The Wine Pairing Weekend  - #WinePW - crew has been participating in this online celebration of the Merlot grape for the past five years. So, once again, October's Wine Pairing Weekend collides with the event. Jeff of Food Wine Click! invited us to jump on the #MerlotMe bandwagon with him again this year. Welcome to year six!

The MerlotMe website encourages wine lovers to "celebrate the greatness of Merlot throughout the month of October." So, we are. In addition, all of the #winePW bloggers were offered bottles of Merlot to try, taste, and pair for this event. Complimentary wine? You bet. I'm in. 

Read the invitation here

If you are reading this early enough, feel free to join in the #WinePW live Twitter chat on Saturday, October 10th at 8am Pacific time. Follow the hashtag and be sure to add it to anything you post so that we can see it in our stream. In the meantime, these posts will be live by chat time on Saturday...


Merlot: A Varietal That Plays Well with Others

Through several years of participating in this event and exploring different food pairings, I can say with absolute certainty that Merlot is a varietal that plays well with others. Click on the pairing titles to go to the original post. I have excerpted some of my tasting notes.


The first pairing I shared was Chorizo-Stuffed Caps, Roasted Mushrooms with Mozzarella Toasts, and the 2017 L'Ecole Merlot. 


"I have tried earlier vintages of this wine and this was just as delightful as I remember the other bottles. With layers of complex aromas, I noted the florals of rose petals, earthiness of tobacco, and woodiness of cedar among the expected black fruits. On the palate, the wine was full-bodied and well-balanced with flavors of chocolate and peppercorn added to the aromas I detected earlier. And with its lingering finish this wine was a good match for savory dishes, especially with earthy mushrooms!"


"This Merlot pours a deep ruby color with purple highlights. Aromas of black fruit and dark chocolate combine with licorice, smoky oak, and a hint of wet slate that result in a richly flavored wine that is both tangy and balanced. This structured, elegant Merlot had Jake thinking of his favorite lamb dish from his childhood, so I made it and this wine paired fantastically with it."


I have a few other current pairings to share throughout the rest of the month. But here are a few of my favorites matches from years before!




on the web, on Facebook

*Disclosure: I received compensation in the form of wine samples for recipe development and generating social media traction. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the organizer and sponsors of this event.

Comments

  1. Gorgeous photos! Your posts always make me so hungry. I wasn't planning to do any additional Merlot pairings this month but now I'm rethinking that decision...

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  2. You've given me so many more delicious pairing ideas. The Chorizo-Stuffed Caps sound particularly delicious! YUM!

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  3. I absolutely agree: merlot plays well with others! From tuna to pork to chicken to duck to beef!

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  4. Moving from your L’Ecole to St Supery descriptions, you have me dreaming about a sip of each. Jake must have one happy palate with your variety of dishes, they all sound amazing!

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  5. So much deliciousness! I love the wide range of pairings you have tried!

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  6. So much deliciousness in this post! I, too, received this Merlot and quite enjoyed it. Now I wish I had been more adventurous with my pairing.

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  7. Anyone wondering what to pair with Merlot has only to turn to you!

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  8. I love your pairings Cam, especially the Chorizo-Stuffed Caps, Roasted Mushrooms and the Tagine!

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  9. chorizo and merlot sound fantastic!!

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