Meritage
This month’s red Limited Edition from Winexpert is a Meritage. What is a Meritage?
Meritage is a term coined by the United States to brand wines produced in the US that mirror French Bordeaux style wines. As many of you are no doubt aware, under global patent laws, nations protect their domestic wine industry from “copycat” wine designations. In other words, no non-French winery can brand their wine as Bordeaux.
US wineries wishing to produce similar wines to the French Bordeaux wines now produce them as Meritage. The name Meritage, comes from the compound of words Merit and Heritage. Under the Meritage rules, the wine must be a blend of two or more of the traditional Bordeaux grape varieties (Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Gris Verdot, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and St. Macaire). It can not contain more than 90% of any single variety.
Can’t wait to try this one!