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The Oxford Times Wine ClubMerlot — the Alan Titchmarsh of grapes
On my recent travels I stumbled into a wine shop that not only sold wine but books, gadgets and many other things besides. I was obviously in something of a spendthrift mood because I flew home with a snazzy little apron, emblazoned with the words "Professional Wine Taster . . . hiccup" and a slightly random selection of wine and food cookery books.
I'm a touch surprised by my decision to buy Julie Le Clerc & Vic Williams Vineyards of New Zealand Cookbook. It's a series of recipes designed to match wines from a particular wine estates and it's the sort of book I normally run a million miles from. I tend to look for cookery writers who have the reliability of Delia Smith, the comfort of Nigel Slater and the fun of Nigella Lawson.
I also find the idea of recommending one wine, from a particular estate, to accompany the dish more than a bit irksome. It's as though we've lost the ability to do any thinking for ourselves.
Why then did I buy it? Well, it's as simple as this - I have a serious soft spot for both merlot and for beetroot (roasted, not pickled!) and it's not often that you find a writer happy to enthuse about the merits of both. For once, the ripe, moreish qualities of merlot are celebrated alongside the sweet flavours of slow-roasted beetroot.
It's a luscious, indulgent and utterly irresistible partnership. I urge you to give it a go. If you're thinking that you might need something else other than a plate of beetroot and a bottle of fruit-laden merlot, try a bit of roast beef or venison to make the plate complete.
But let's get back to merlot. Its well-documented bashing in the film Sideways did little to enhance its reputation among the world's more earnest (dare I say, snooty) wine-drinkers and there's still an astonishing tendency to dismiss it out of hand.
My personal view is that if merlot were a person it would be a jovial, welcoming companion. The kind of person you'd always want in your group, no matter where you were or who you were with. In essence, an Alan Titchmarsh grape.
The connection between Merlot and Bordeaux is unbreakable and it remains the area's most widely grown grape variety. While not losing its French stronghold, merlot has seen its plantings increase around the world. You'll find it as far afield as New Zealand, Chile, China and North and South America and its appeal shows no sign of waning.
Its wines are round and supple; flavourful and textured; brilliantly adaptable and nearly always appetising. What, I ask you, is there not to like? I like to think that even its name tells a story about its enduring popularity.
It is said the merlot comes from the regional French word for a young blackbird. Some say that the grape was named after the birds' deep blue and black colouring, while others (myself included) prefer to believe it came from the blackbird's love of the grapes' natural sweetness and fruitiness.
I'm not ashamed to share the same tastes as the humble blackbird. I say bring on the merlot . . . and don't forget a few slices of beetroot too.
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2:55pm Thursday 17th January 2008
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