Is Merlot gaining momentum?

If you’ve watched the film Sideways, it will come as no surprise to hear that Merlot has spent a significant proportion of the past 22 years being mocked as a moderate, middle-of-the-road and safe wine, unless it's blended with more noble grape varieties or comes from a specific and highly rated site, such as Masseto; the iconic 100% Merlot Super Tuscan from Bolgheri in Italy, which has long had a reputation as one of the world’s most collectible wines.For most Merlot, it's a different ...

by Joelle Thomson · source ↗

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Why catarratto is the Quincy Jones of white wine grapes

It is often the key secret ingredient in a lot of white wines, but the unsung hero of Sicily’s vineyards is taking its place in the sun Depending on where you buy and drink wine, catarratto will be very familiar or very obscure. There was a time in the 2010s when I’d have put good money on it being the house white in half of Hackney’s restaurants, and if you’ve ever picked up a sub-£15 natural white wine at an independent bottle shop, catarratto will probably have featured. If, however, you buy wine from bigger retailers and have a taste for fruity, sun-soaked whites, chances are you’ve been drinking catarratto without even knowing it. This is bonkers, given its prevalence. Catarratto is Sicily’s most widely planted white grape, accounting for roughly a third of the island’s vineyards; and, after sangiovese, it’s the second most planted grape in all of Italy. For decades, though, it was either destined for bulk wine, disappearing into tanks of anonymous, juicy table wines, or for use a

Is Merlot gaining momentum?

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Why catarratto is the Quincy Jones of white wine grapes