Is Merlot a grape or a blend of wines?

[jimbofal@aol.com]

Someone told me once that Merlot is not an actual grape but is a blend of Cabernet plus something else. Is this true or is it an actual grape variety?

Have I been misled all these years?

[Innkeeper]

Hi Jim, and welcome to the Wine Board. Merlot is a grape, and in many wine regions of the world is made into a varietal wine with the same name. The confusion you refer to most likely comes from Bordeaux. There are several subregions there, and are frequently refered to those on the east and west or right and left side of the river. An incorrect simplification is that the regions on the west side make their wine from cabernet sauvignon and that those on the east side, primarily St Emilion and Pomerol, make their wine with merlot. Both are incorrect. All Bordeaux is blended wine. The simplification is correct only in regard to the primary grape in the blends. In St Emilion and Pomerol cabernet franc is blended in some cases in almost equal volume with the merlot, and a little cabernet sauvignon is almost always in the blend. Hope this answers more of your questions than it raises new ones.