Meritage

Meritage wines are provocative red or white wines crafted solely from specific "noble" Bordeaux grape varieties and are considered to be the very best wines of the vintage.

Meritage, pronounced like heritage, first appeared in the late 1980s after a group of American vintners joined forces to create a name for New World wines blended in the tradition of Bordeaux. The word was selected from more than 6,000 entries in an international contest. Meritage combines "merit", reflecting the quality of the grapes, with "heritage", which recognizes the centuries-old tradition of blending, long considered to be the highest form of the winemaker’s art.

Many Meritage wines have proprietary names in addition to, or rather than, Meritage. In order to obtain a license and use the term Meritage on a label, a wine must meet certain criteria.

Red Meritage

Red Meritage wines historically have been among the world’s most highly rated wines. They are prized for their smooth, silky texture and complex, robust structure. While they age beautifully — often for decades — most are also very drinkable in their younger years.

A Red Meritage is a blend of two or more of the red "noble" Bordeaux varieties:

• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Cabernet Franc
• Malbec
• Merlot
• Petit Verdot
• Gros Verdot
• Carmenère.

If the blend includes any other grape variety, it is, by definition, not a Meritage. Also, to qualify as a Meritage, no single grape variety can make up more than 90% of the blend.

White Meritage

White Meritage wines, while rare, are some of the most elegant and exquisite white wines crafted. The perfect accompaniment to seafood and poultry, White Meritage is a very food-friendly wine, but also is superb just on its own. Unlike many white wines, White Meritage is perfect for cellaring — growing more complex with age.

To qualify as a White Meritage, a wine must be a blend of at least two of three specific white "noble" varieties

• Sauvignon Blanc
• Semillon
• Muscadelle du Bordelais

No single variety can make up more than 90% of the blend. The wine does not qualify as a Meritage if the blend includes any other grape variety.