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Though commonly referred to as simply Merlot (mehr-LOH), the grape is really Merlot Noir. And, yes there is a Merlot Blanc variety as well. In French the word merlot means "young blackbird," probably alluding to the grapes beautiful dark-blue color.

Merlot traces its ancestry to the biturica variety.

It was brought to France in the first century. From this stock came many of the varieties we know today - Cabernet, Malbec, and so on. The "Merlot" grape was not named as a distinct variety until the 1800's. It is known as a Noble Bordeaux varietal.

Merlot is not well suited for long aging, so until recently the wine made from Merlot grapes was used solely as a blending wine. Soft and compliant, it was used to mix with Cabernet in the French Bordeaux wines. It would bring a more mellow aspect to these wines.

Recently, Merlot has been discovered as a delicious wine in its own right. It is being grown for that purpose primarily in California and Chile and some other wine regions. It tends to be more tolerant of soil conditions than a Cabernet vine is, and while it buds earlier, it also can be harvested earlier.

Not quite as harsh as other reds, Merlot has less tannin than a Cabernet and can therefore be drunk earlier. It is mellow but still complex and a bit chewy. Merlot is known for the flavors and aromas of plums, black cherry, violets, mint, raisins, peppery, spicy and orange. It also has been known to have tobacco and licorice tastes. It is a perfect match for beef and other medium-heavy dishes. Try some with a rich, red pastat dish, or even a heavy chicken dish. Merlot is also an excellent compliment to chocolate.

In the Old World, Merlot is less important. The big exception is Italy where 14 of the 20 wine regions (mostly in the northeast) grow that grape.Friuli, Alto Adige, Veneto and Trentino are the main areas, producing soft, ripe and plummy wines in a rather lightweight un-Italian style. More promising are the Tuscan and Umbria regions further south.

The other success story is in Chile. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have both been grown there for centuries, leading some to describe it as the "Bordeaux of the southern hemisphere." It takes on a rich, fruity, almost smoky quality.