Fish Eye Merlot

That's all I needed to hear. Thanks...

Is that good or bad? Keep in mind I don't have much to compare it to. What's a good Merlot I should try that's not too expensive.

Sorry, for the clipped reply. I'm not a big Merlot fan, because it's a little to "light" for me, but if you think that the merlot is harsh, that probably means the cabernet savignon is even harsher.

Also, be aware that I too am a newbie, so, what I like isn't necesarilly any indication of anything. What I read about the Pinot Grigio, that you wrote, though, sounded pretty good!

With regard to merlots I've had that I've liked...Dante, I think, from California...there have been others, but I can't really recall any...I'm usually a syrah/shiraz drinker.

There are other "everyday" merlots that are ten times better than Fish Eye products. Try these:

Pepperwood Merlot $6.99 Smoking Loon Merlot $5.99 Moulton Cadet $5.99 (A cheap bordeaux that is mostly Merlot)

The above prices are typical in Portland, Oregon.

I like Pepperwood Pinot Noir and Cabernet. The little Penguin makes some decent stuff too.

I don't really like Little Penguin (or Yellow Tail for that matter) all that much. I'll check out the pepperwood. never tried Smoking Loon either...

Thanks, I'll try those out. I do remember seeing Smoking Loon at the store.

I'm still trying to find what my usual will be. I don't think it will be Merlot but I've only tried Merlot and Pinot Grigio so far and probably not a good brand for either. I've got a lot of drinking to do ;-)

Bruce

Three, that come to my mind, though are more expensive are:

1. Joseph Phelps Napa Merlot
2. Groth Napa Merlot
3. Duckhorn Napa Merlot (really starting to get up there, but worth the splurge_
4. Milat Napa Merlot (not likely to find often at retail, but again, worth the effort

I'd suggest splurging on a bottle of Duckhorn, just to get a benchmark. This will not likely be one's "go to" Merlot, because of the price, but well worth doing once.

Costo stores (Western US) often have the J Phelps and Groth at around US$25/ btl. IMO, Merlot, like Pinot Noir, are tough grapes to make really good wine from without the $'s required. A ton of inexpensive Merlot & PN are on the market, but very few offer real flavor and reward. If one has a limited budget for experimentation, I'd say to try several bottles from different producers, then on the next buying trip, buy just one, similar to the ones that I have listed (yes, one bottle will make about the same budget hit, as several lessor wines). Try it over the course of an evening, or few evenings, just to see where this grape can take you. One caveat: after you taste a really good Merlot, you might not want to go back - be warned!

Note too, that the list that I included is a quick, off-the-top-o-the-head, and is NOT intended to be inclusive of all of the good ones. There are many out there, but these are perinnial favorites of mine.

Hunt

Thanks for the suggestions. I am mostly looking at inexpensive wines but I don't mind trying some good stuff once in a while. I'll definitely try the Duckhorn and look for the others.

Bruce

Is this what you're talking about? Ouch!

Yes, though it is above the price of a half-case of many others. IMO, this is one of the paradigms in US Merlot, that is easily available. The others, listed above, are a little more than half the price. I'd recommend doing this with part of the budget, earmarked for about six less expensive, just to taste it. From there, one can usually gauge the others by this one. It's a "special occasion" Merlot, but I feel well worth the $. With a wine like this, go very slowly in the tasting. Play with the wine in the glass for a good long while. Do not serve it too warm, especially as it will warm up if your ambient temp is normal US interior temp. While there are other really good US Merlots, most are either more expensive, or not easy to find, depending on where in US one is.

Hunt