California Merlot, for years, has been famously down on its proverbial luck. But that hadn’t stopped the slide in the reputation of California Merlot. Elias Fernandez, legendary winemaker at Shafer Vineyards in the Napa Valley, explained that, once Cabernet Sauvignon began to be planted in the proper places, its stock began to skyrocket. Currently, Merlot is the second leading red varietal after Cabernet Sauvignon purchased in the U.S. Merlot, Thomas pointed out, is just as expressive of the place in which it is planted as Cabernet Sauvignon.

Source: Forbes November 25, 2016 18:47 UTC