okay what is what?

[winophite]

Hi vL, merlot is a type of grape. There's propably hundreds of different merlot veriaties, but generally all have a similar "merlot" characteristic. Chardonnay is also a grape type, as is pinot noir, zinfandel, and many others. French wines however are named after the region they were grown, under strict rules as to what they CAN grow and use. In the Burgandy region,(many seperate villages, each with their own wine)) for ex, the grapes are pinot noir in their red.

Red or white has as much to do with the way the wine was fermented as with the type of grape used. For example zinfadel can be either a big red or a somewhat sweet white, (which actually has a pink blush)

I've read "wine for dummies" and found it very informative. Also another reccommendation here is I think Andrea zimmer Robinson...someone will correct me on this and supply the title I"m sure

This site helps a lot too. Welcome to the board. WP