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[bizgaltada]

what's the diff between a Merlot and a Shiraz?

[Innkeeper]

Hi Bizgaltada, and welcome to the Wine Board. Merlot and shiraz (a.k.a. syrah) are different red grapes. Merlot has been used in Bordeaux as a blending grape for the regional wines for centuries. Syrah has been in use even longer in the Rhone Valley. In the "New World" both have been grown and made into varietal wines in America, Australia, and South Africa. Merlot is produced that way a lot in South America. In Australia the two are sometimes blended together.

The primary difference between them characteristically is that merlot is rather one dimentional that can be added to by the age of the vines, terrior, contact with oak, and blending with other grapes. Shiraz/syrah by itself produces a multi dimentional wine that goes into some of the world's great wines such as Hermitage and Cote Rotie from the Rhone, and the Penfolds Grange from Austratia. Merlot blended with other grapes makes some great ones too including Chateau Petrus from Pomerol. There are no great varietal merlots.