How to Serve Merlot Wine
Learning how to serve merlot wine begins with knowing its characteristics. Softer and less tannic than cabernet sauvignon, merlot is medium-bodied and favored for its easy drinking and plummy quality. Fruitier than cabernet sauvignon, merlot has taste layers of berry, plum and red currant. Most merlots do not age as long as cabernet sauvignons and should be drunk soon after purchase. Merlot is a versatile wine that pairs well with many dishes, including beef, pork, lamb and tomato sauce dishes.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
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1
A wing corkscrew
corkscrew image by Leonid Nyshko from Fotolia.com
Open the bottle by cutting the foil just under the lip of the bottle and removing the cork with any type of corkscrew.
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2
Ignore the need to let the wine breathe. Merlot is a soft, less tannic wine than cabernet sauvignon and does not need to breathe. Removing the cork and letting the wine stand in the bottle does nothing to aerate the wine. The only way to aerate a wine and allow it to breathe is to decant it. Letting the wine sit in a wine glass for a while will also work.
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3
Always use the proper wine glass.
wine glass image by timur1970 from Fotolia.com
Use the proper wine glass. The "Bordeaux" glass is best to use with merlot. It is taller and wider at the bottom of the bowl, with a fairly narrow rim which concentrates the wine's aroma and enhances the wine's complexities. The wider bowl of the Bordeaux glass will aerate the wine, releasing its aroma.
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4
Pour merlot down the center of the glass, allowing it to churn a bit to release its aroma. Don't tilt the glass and pour the wine down the side as though pouring beer. Fill the glass no more than halfway.
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- Photo Credit merlot image by Lele from Fotolia.com corkscrew image by Leonid Nyshko from Fotolia.com wine glass image by timur1970 from Fotolia.com wine glass image by Alexandr Shebanov from Fotolia.com a glass of wine image by Pix by Marti from Fotolia.com
