Planning an upcoming event and want to learn how to serve merlot?

If you're unaware of the specifics of serving this plump and velvety varietal, this is the place to learn all about it.

Here, I will give you a overview of this popular red wine, as well as offer you some tips and tricks for serving merlot wine that will help make your event a success-- and will result in your wine tasting as close to perfect as possible when you serve it.

Want to learn more about wines and menus? Visit my page on choosing wine, where you can learn about some other dry red wine types, too.

All About Merlot Wine

When learning how to serve merlot,you'll find that this wine in and of itself is a rather peculiar varietal. Why? Because it defies some of the standard assumptions about red wines.

Tannins and Alcohol Levels in Merlot

As is commonplace with red wines, Merlot does indeed contain tannins. But unlike most dry red wines it contains a lower percentage of tannins and a higher alcohol content.

What this means when serving Merlot wine: This wine's tannin levels allow it to be coupled with foods not traditionally considered good accompaniments to red wines, such as shellfish, shrimp, and salmon.

Merlot Types and Flavors

Merlot has a floral yet fruity scent, and gives off hints of roses mixed with plum and violets mixed with cherry. Flavor-wise there are three variations of the Merlot:

• Soft
• Medium, and
• Full-flavored

In learning how to serve merlot wine, it's important to note that each "class" of merlot has its own unique flavor and richness. Which means it also has its own ideal food pairings.

How to Serve Merlot

Merlot is a great wine choice for a dinner or formal event, and will pair well with a variety of foods due to the different varieties of Merlot and its range of flavor fullness.

Pairing Merlot with Food

How to serve merlot with food is going to depend on what, exactly, you're eating. For instance, a full flavored merlot will be extremely rich and thus great to go with heavily seasoned foods, while a soft merlot whose subtle fruity flavor accompanies white meats such as pork or chicken as well as salads. The medium flavored variant goes well with pork, veal, or lamb as well as most pastas.

Merlot Serving Temperatures

In terms of serving a Merlot, the most obvious question is "chilled or room temperature?" While most red wines are served at room temperature, many Merlot wines thrive best when slightly cooler-- at around 63 or 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prior to being served, a Merlot should remain refrigerated at around 60 degrees. Do not serve the wine too cold, as this will stagnate a majority of the flavor of the wine and lead to an overall unimpressive wine experience.

Letting Merlot Breathe

Immediately prior to serving, the Merlot should be allowed to breathe for at least 20 minutes. This will allow for the flavors to open up and the tannins to soften, as well.

What Merlot Wine Glasses to Use

When learning how to serve merlot, much attention needs to be paid to the glassware, as it can essentially make or break the experience of tasting the wine. Stemmed glassware works great with Merlot, as it allows the hand to subtly warm the wine just enough to completely open up the robust flavor potential. A tulip or large bowl shaped glass will allow the flavors and aroma of the Merlot to build and will accentuate the tasting greatly.

When looking for the best merlot glassware, a stemmed, bowl-shaped glass will work best-- Riedel O Bordeaux-style glassware is the optimum choice.