Merlot Seminar Fights Wine War

Filed in archive California Wines on April 22, 2006

Maybe we can blame it on Miles from the movie Sideways and his vehement dislike of merlot.

But, for whatever reason, Merlot has gotten a bad reputation.

Winemaker Chris Phelps and General Manager Stuart Harrison hope to change the anti-Merlot attitude, and they are taking their campaign on the road in a traveling seminar they call "Merlot Fights Back."

The seminar is only open for the trade and media right now, but plans are in the works to open it to the public. The tour started in March and will continue through the end of May. Check the website www.merlotfightsback.com to see if Chris and Stuart are headed your way.




Why are these two guys from Swanson Vineyards taking on the battle?

As they put it:

Swanson is singlehandedly trying to rescue Merlot from being maligned, re-introducing Merlot as the marvelous and complicated grape fundamental to magnificent red wines made around the world.

Why Swanson? Swanson Vineyards, founded in 1985 by Clarke Swanson, is the largest single producer of estate-grown Merlot in the Napa Valley, and is a leader in growing and vinifying outstanding Merlots. Swanson is taking a stand against the tide of negativity around Merlot: this seminar sets the record straight on a much misunderstood and maligned varietal.