What is white Merlot?
White Merlot is the same as white Zinfandel, except it is made from the Merlot grape. There was a time when pink wines were known as “rosé” wines. Now they are known as “blush” wines. As with white Zinfandel, white Merlot derives it’s color by leaving the grape juice in contact with the red skins of the grape for a short period of time, usually hours or days. A deep red wine has the juices in contact with the skins for weeks. So, how did white Merlot come about? It started in the Languedoc region of France, which is located Southwest of the Rhòne region, along the Mediterranean Sea. That region does not grow the Zinfandel grape. Wanting to get into the white Zinfandel market, ten years ago Fortant Winery, of the Languedoc, invented the category of “white Merlot”. Blush wines are tremendously popular during the hot months of the year, because they are served chilled, and they can be drunk with fish or meat, and are generally inexpensive. Data from ACNielsen/Adams indicates that Chardonn
