White Merlot
Perfect for Those Hot Summer Days
White Merlot is a white wine that is made from the Merlot Grape.
It is often considered to be very similar to White Zinfandel
because they are both created using the same fermentation process. White Merlot gets it diluted colour by reducing the amount
of time that the grape juice is in contact with the red skins of the Merlot grapes. For White Merlot this is usually hours,
as opposed to deep red wines which are typically in contact with the grape skins for weeks.
White Merlot originated in the Languedoc region of France. This region does not grow Zinfandel grapes but wanted to capitalize on the wide spread popularity of White Zinfandel wines. Also, white wines are generally more popular during the summer months because they are often served chilled and can be drunk with a wide variety of foods. (They also tend to be a lot less expensive than red wines.) Thus, the White Merlot was born.
There are a variety of White Merlot wines available. Such as, Fortant's White Merlot which is a slightly sweet white wine that sells for around six dollars a bottle. You might also look for the Beringer's White Merlot, a sweet white wine which is very similar to White Zinfandel and only costs around five dollars a bottle.
White Merlot wines from France became a near-instant hit with consumers and it didn't take long before several Napa Valley wineries also began producing White Merlot wines. White Napa Merlot wines are usually very sweet and best served chilled, making it a great summertime wine. You can expect to pay around ten dollars a bottle for most White Napa Merlot wines.
White Merlot wines are continuing to increase in popularity and, with the availability of both sweet White Merlot wines and dry White Merlot wines, there already seems to be lots of choices out there.
White Merlot wines are fast becoming one of the most popular summertime wines and their low price makes them a great value for money when compared to other popular summertime wines like Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. (see also Merlot Wine Recommendations and Napa Merlot)
