Four Seasons Merlot | Warm Up Chilly Nights

"Give me books, French Wine, fruits, fine weather and little music played out of doors by somebody I do not know " 

      -John Keats

The quote sums up the post entirely. A nice wine with a perfect meal is truly a manna for those who enjoy the drinks.  I am not one who enjoys chilly nights with a wineglass.But for a long time I have been planning to cook with it thus overcoming my aversion.

And thats the reason why I joined Four Seasons Team GingerClaps. But when I got a bottle of Four Seasons Classic Merlot , I turned to my friends who enjoy their wine and know a thing or two about it.

What is Merlot ?

The wine got it name from the Merlot grapes which is a primary grape in French wines and can be abundantly grown in our own Western Ghats.Thus making it a perfect Indian wine. The dark colour of the grape  or the French word for it "Merle" gave it its name Merlot.

 Red Wine is a wine variety made predominantly from grapes along with other fruits. Merlot is a still ,dry red wine meaning it is a non sparkling wine made mostly from grapes and all the sugar in the grapes have been converted to alcohol.Or in other words "dry" is the opposite of "sweet".

 In general, Merlot is  perfect for cooking as its not too sweet. You can use it in sauces, soups and desserts and it blends in perfectly.

 Taste & Texture:

 Wine Tasting is a process in itself.You follow the 5 S steps -see,swirl,sniff,sip and savor. 

You see the colour of the wine. It tells you the type and percentage of grape use. For red wines the colour might vary according to the grapes.

You swirl the wine in glass . This releases oxygen and makes it more aromatic. It also helps see the various colours it can take.

After this visual tasting comes the sensory tasting. You sniff the wine which tells you how it might taste in the mouth. 90 % of taste is in smell.

Next take a sip and let it warm your mouth. This releases more aroma and you can feel the wine travelling inside.

You can savor it slowly taking time to appreciate the taste and texture.

Merlot is ruby red in colour and had a sharp aroma. It is medium bodied and is fruity or berrylicious. The body of the wine refers to the texture or its ability to coat the mouth and linger there.

Aging:
The older the wine finer the taste will be. Aging increases its quality.Ofcourse a wine is perishable and ability to age is influenced by variety of grape, vintage, winemaking style etc.

The bottle I had was just few months old and was slightly sharper. But my friends assured me that a few months down it will be fine.Also another thing we noted that there was no cork or stopper. I had heard about the winecork /bung/stopper which seals off the content but it was not there in this bottle.

Pricing:
A 750 ml bottle of Merlot is aptly priced at Rs.650/-. It is worth what you are paying for. Remember always buy wine per bottle than per glass.

Enjoy your drink with your food. Merlot pairs well with all Indian dishes especially rich gravies. I have read it goes well even with a bar of Kitkat!.

No matter what your food is Merlot is perfect for your evening and enjoy and savor each drop.

More information on Merlot and other Indian wines  is available at Four Seasons Wineyards. And don't forget to like  your Merlot in Facebook.