Meritage / Claret

“mera-tige”

“clare-it”

Many of Virginia’s best reds wine are Meritage. It has won nine Governor’s Cup awards in the last five years — as much Petit Verdot. 

Meritage isn’t a single grape, but a blend of traditional grapes from Bordeaux: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Saint-Maclaire, Gros Verdot and Carmenere.  

“Claret” is an old English term for red Bordeaux, so you’ll sometimes see that name used instead.

When done right, blends produce something more complex and balanced than a single grape varietal could have produced. For example, one grape adds color and tannins, a second adds a special aroma, and a third adds flavor. They all harmonize to produce something greater than the sum of its parts. Blends are also a good way for winemakers to hedge their bets against Mother Nature in case a particular varietal is inconsistent in quality from year to year. Many of the most popular wines of the world are blends, including Chianti, red Bordeaux, Rioja, Champagne and Port. 

There are two things you should know:

First, Meritage wines may taste differently from vineyard to vineyard depending on each winemaker’s unique blend. 

Second, not all Meritage blends are labeled as such. Barboursville Vineyard, for example, has won the Governor’s Case several times with their “Octagon” blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Petit Verdot. That makes it a Meritage wine, but they don’t market it as such. 

Tip: Meritage looks like a French word, but it was coined in Napa Valley in 1988 to promote California’s Bordeaux-style wines. It’s a portmanteau of “merit” and “heritage.”  So pronounce with an American accent, not a French one. 

Serve at 60-68 degrees.