Editing Merlot (section)

=== United States ===
Merlot is grown across the United States—as of 2015, it is the fourth most planted wine grape<ref name="OIV-2017" />—with [[California (wine)|California]] and [[Washington (wine)|Washington]] growing the most. Other regions producing significant quantities of Merlot include [[New York wine|New York State]] with {{convert|365|ha|acres}} in 2006 with most of it in the maritime climate of the [[Long Island AVA]] and multiple regions in [[Ohio (wine)|Ohio]]. In [[Texas (wine)|Texas]], Merlot is the second most widely planted red wine grape after Cabernet Sauvignon with {{convert|117|ha|acres}}. In Virginia, the grape was the most widely planted red variety with {{convert|136|ha|acres}} in 2010, most of it in the [[Monticello AVA]] and [[Shenandoah Valley AVA]], while [[Oregon (wine)|Oregon]] had {{convert|206|ha|acres}} in 2008 with most planted in the [[Rogue Valley AVA]].<ref name="Wine Grapes"/><ref name="Goldstein pg 148-152"/>

==== California ====
[[File:California Merlot box.png|left|thumb|The style of Merlot in California can vary with the grape being found all across the state in both warmer and cooler climate regions. While regional examples of California Merlot exist from places like Napa Valley and Sonoma, many bottles are labeled simply as ''California'' Merlot.]]
In the early [[history of California wine]], Merlot was used primarily as a 100% [[varietal]] wine until winemaker [[Warren Winiarski]] encouraged taking the grape back to its blending roots with Bordeaux style blends.<ref name="Taber pg 108">G. Taber ''Judgement of Paris'' pg 108 Scribner 2005 {{ISBN|0-7432-4751-5}}</ref> Others saw its potential as a stand-alone labeled varietal: The first wineries to market Merlot as a varietal in the post WWII period were Louis M. Martini winery, which made a non-vintage dated Merlot, a blend of the 1968 and 1970 vintages, and [[Sterling Vineyards]], which issued the first Merlot with a vintage, 1969<ref name="Goldberg, NYT, 02251987">{{cite news |last1=Goldberg |first1=Howard |title=Wine Talk: Merlot's underestimated qualities easily win admirers |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/02/25/garden/wine-talk-331187.html |access-date=13 April 2022 |publisher=The New York Times Company |date=February 25, 1987 |location=Section C |page=14}}</ref> —Sterling's winemaker, [[Ric Forman]], was an early advocate of Merlot as a varietal bottling.<ref name="UC Berkeley Oral History, 1996">{{cite book |last1=Hincke |first1=Carole |title=The Wine Spectator California Winemen Oral History Series: Mostly Merlot: The History of Duckhorn Vineyards |url=https://digicoll.lib.berkeley.edu/record/217920?ln=en |via=UC Berkeley Library Digital Collections |publisher=UC Berkeley Library |access-date=11 April 2022 |page=61 |format=PDF |date=1996}}</ref> Following the "Merlot wine craze" of the 1990s, sparked by ''[[60 Minutes]]'' [[French Paradox]] report, sales of Merlot spiked, with the grape plantings of over {{convert|20640|ha}} in 2004. A study published in ''Wine and Vines'' magazine indicated that the 2004 movie ''[[Sideways]]'', where the lead character is a [[Pinot noir]] fan who expresses his disdain of Merlot, caused a decline in Merlot sales in the US after its release (and an even larger spike of interest in Pinot noir).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.winesandvines.com/features/article/61265/The-Sideways-Effect|title=The 'Sideways' Effect|last=Cuellar|first=Steven S.|date=January 2009|work=Wines & Vines|access-date=2017-09-04}}</ref> By 2010, plantings of California Merlot had dropped slightly to {{convert|18924|ha|acre}}.<ref name="Wine Grapes"/><ref name="SundayTimes2">{{cite news
  | last = Harlow
  | first = John
  | title = Oscar winner knocks sales of merlot wine sideways
  | newspaper = [[The Sunday Times]]
  | date = 2006-03-06
  }}</ref><ref name="SundayTimes">{{cite news
  | last = Simon
  | first = Joanna
  | title = Sauce
  | work = Food & Drink
  | page = 47
  | publisher = [[The Sunday Times]]
  | date = 2006-06-04
  }}</ref> Following that dip, Merlot plantings rebounded, totaling approximately 39,000 acres in 2020.<ref name="CA Grape Acreage 2020">{{cite web |title=California Grape Acreage Report, 2020 Summary |url=https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/California/Publications/Specialty_and_Other_Releases/Grapes/Acreage/2021/grpacSUMMARY2020Crop.pdf |website=NASS.USDA.gov |publisher=National Agricultural Statistics Service |access-date=11 April 2022 |page=5 |date=April 20, 2021}}</ref>

In California, Merlot can range from very fruity simple wines (sometimes referred to by critics as a "red [[Chardonnay]]") to more serious, [[oak (wine)|barrel aged examples]]. It can also be used as a primary component in [[Meritage]] blends.<ref name="Wine course pg 142-143"/>

While Merlot is grown throughout the state, it is particularly prominent in [[Napa Valley AVA|Napa]], [[Monterey AVA|Monterey]], and [[Sonoma County wine|Sonoma County]]. In Napa, examples from [[Los Carneros AVA|Los Carneros]], [[Mount Veeder AVA|Mount Veeder]], [[Oakville AVA|Oakville]] and [[Rutherford AVA|Rutherford]] tend to show ripe [[blackberry]] and [[black raspberry]] notes. Sonoma Merlots from [[Alexander Valley (AVA)|Alexander Valley]], Carneros and [[Dry Creek Valley (AVA)|Dry Creek Valley]] tend to show [[plum]], [[Tea|tea leaf]], and [[Prunus serotina|black cherry]] notes.<ref name="Goldstein pg 148-152"/>

==== Washington State ====
In the 1980s, Merlot helped put the Washington wine industry on the world's wine map. Prior to this period there was a general perception that the climate of Washington State was too cold to produce red wine varietals. Merlots from [[Leonetti Cellar]], [[Andrew Will]], [[Columbia Crest]], and [[Chateau Ste. Michelle]] demonstrated that areas of the [[Eastern Washington]] were warm enough for red wine production.<ref name="Gregutt pg 70">Gregutt, P. (2007). ''Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide'', p. 70. University of California Press. {{ISBN|0-520-24869-4}}</ref> Today it is the second most widely grown red wine grape in the state (after Cabernet Sauvignon), following many years of being the most widely planted variety, and accounts for nearly one fifth of the state's entire production. In 2011, there were {{convert|3334|ha|acres}} of Washington Merlot in cultivation.<ref name="Wine Grapes"/>

[[File:Columbia Valley Merlot cropped.png|right|thumb|Washington Merlots from the Columbia Valley are often noted for their deep color.]]
It is widely planted throughout the [[Columbia Valley AVA]] but has earned particular notice from plantings grown in [[Walla Walla Valley AVA|Walla Walla]], [[Red Mountain AVA|Red Mountain]], and the [[Horse Heaven Hills AVA|Horse Heaven Hills]].<ref name="Gregutt pg 70"/> Washington Merlots are noted for their deep color and balanced acidity.<ref name="Wine course pg 142-143"/> The state's climate lends itself towards long days and hours of sunshine with cool nights that contributes to a significant [[diurnal temperature variation]] and produces wines with [[New World wine|New World]] fruitiness and [[Old World wine|Old World]] structure.<ref name="Goldstein pg 148-152"/>