Sunday, March 8, 2009


What is Meritage?
Meritage wine is made from a blend of Bordeaux grapes. There's Red Meritage and White Meritage. To use Meritage on a wine label, winemakers must be a member of the Meritage Association.
Red Mertitage is made from a blend of two or more of the following grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Carmenere, St, Macaire and Gros Verdot
White Meritage is a blend of of two or more of the following grapes: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Sauvignon Vert.
No single variety can comprise more than 90% of the blend.
Washington State has approximately 20 Meritage members, Oregon has 4 members, Idaho has 1 member and British Columbia has 6 members. Contrast this to California which has approximately 131 members.
Membership consists of a total of about 200 wineries, in six different countires: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, Mexico and the United States.
Meritage is a combination of two words: "Merit" and "Heritage"

6 comments:

  1. Does this mean I have to take out a bank loan to buy a bottle?

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  2. There are some hard money lenders out there that I could recommend.

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  3. Now I know why I like Meritages.

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  4. I am a wholesaler of fine wines and liquors in Waukesha, WI and I was approached by a friend, who had gotten a bottle of De Beaumont Cellars VSR 2006 Meritage, as a gift from a friend. They really enjoyed the wine and asked me to find out where they could get more. If there are any suggestions, please let me know at sherryswine@wi.rr.com

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  5. Prior to Meritage, these Bordeaux blends were just labeled Red Table Wine which is what Gallo Hearty Burgundy is considered. The Meritage designation gives these wines an appropriate place on a wine list or shop shelf, and it gives the consumer both a better idea of what style of wine to expect and an assurance from the winemaker that this is the best quality effort in blending.

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