by Elisa Cavazza

Today, 7 November, is the International Merlot Day and we want to tell you some interesting facts about this grape variety, which is among the most important in the world.

Merlot is one of the most loved and well-known vines in the world. Do you know why it has been given this name? Lore has it that its name comes from the Italian word ‘merli’, meaning blackbirds in English, which have ‘a sweet tooth’ for the grape vine’s berries, whose color is also very similar to the birds’ feathers.

The Focus 2019 data of OIV (International Organization of Vine and Wine) ranks Merlot second among the most cultivated wine grape varieties. It is grown on a surface area extending over 266.000 hectares  ̶ equivalent to 3% of the world’s vineyards.
Thanks to its chamaleonic features, this grape adapts to the most diverse climate regions, therefore it is present extensively in 37 different countries.  All over the world, this variety is vinified separately, with very different results, however, as it is extremely versatile it can also be used in blends: the most well-known being the Bordeaux blend, in which it is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon. In Italy, it is often used  ̶  especially in the Bolgheri area  ̶  to produce Super Tuscans. However, it is in Veneto, more precisely in our beloved Colli Berici, that Merlot finds an outstanding growing area. In 1926 it was planted in the Ponte di Barbarano experimental vineyard and gave excellent results, so much so that the grape vine was included in the varieties which were recommended to reconstruct post-phylloxera grape varieties in the Colli Berici. It quickly became increasingly important and popular in wine production in our territory.

We Cavazzas have been growing Merlot grapes with great satisfaction for several decades in different areas of our territory and we have learned how to take care of every single vineyard in a specific manner, to enhance the features of the different soils and therefore obtain distinctive prized features.

At Tenuta Cicogna, in the Colli Beric DOC area  ̶   traditionally suited to Merlot  ̶  we are working actively on a winemaking project aimed at achieving the highest quality for our wines. Our Merlot Cicogna Colli Berici DOC Cavazza is aged for 12 months in small French medium-toasted oak barrels, then bottle aged for a further year. A firmly structured, concentrated and lingering wine: a good ‘older brother’ of the Merlot Veneto Igt Cavazza, which instead highlights clean varietal aromas obtained in steel tanks. Plush and elegant, it allows us to truly discover the soul of this grape variety.

As I mentioned before, the Merlot grape is suitable for blends, thus we obviously exploit this admirable quality. We produce a unique blend of Colli Berici Merlot and Syrah, all grown in south-facing, limestone soil vineyards, which lend warm, mouthfilling nuances to  our Fornetto Rosso Veneto IGT 2018 Cavazza that is cask-aged for six months.
Which of these Merlots do you like most?

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