Let the WineAlign Critics help you find the Right Wine
for the Right Price, Right Now!
By John Szabo, MS This feature was commissioned by Closson Chase Vineyards. It must have been sometime in 1999 when first heard about ambitious plans for a winery at the corner of Closson and Chase Roads in Prince Edward County. It was also the first time I had heard of PEC, a region that was […] More
If I Could Buy Only One – November 19 VINTAGES Release
We asked our writers, “If you could buy only one wine from this release, which one would it be and why?” ($54.95, Vino Wine Merchants Inc. (Profile)David Lawrason – Here’s a cellaring candidate and a great value in Barolo. I found myself smelling this wine a half dozen times before taking a sip. The Aurelio […] More
Irish Whiskey – Special Report
By Stephen Beaumont for WineAlign Ask any spirits industry observer and they will tell you that Irish whiskey is one of the hottest categories around these days. They’re right, although by Irish whiskey they really mean Jameson, since the Pernod Ricard-owned powerhouse accounts for the vast majority of Irish whiskey sales in North America, as […] More
National Wine Awards of Canada
Discover Canada's best wines! In 2021, 24 judges tasted over 2,200 wines from 260 wineries across the country to identify Canada's top wines.
View Award-Winning WinesThe Exchange
The Exchange is a club that taps into the world of wines beyond retail stores and delivers a curated, mixed case of top quality wines directly to your door. All the wines are 90pts+ and have been carefully chosen by our panel of critics for their quality and value.
View The ExchangeMarket Matcher
Looking to find new export markets for your wines? Looking for new wines to import into your market? Market Matcher connects wineries with importers.
View Market Matcher
Merlot is a red wine grape that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. Merlot-based wines usually have medium body with hints of berry, plum, and currant. Its softness and "fleshiness", combined with its earlier ripening, makes Merlot a popular grape for blending with the sterner, later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, which tends to be higher in tannin. Along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, Merlot is one of the primary grapes in Bordeaux wine where it is the most widely planted grape. Merlot is also one of the most popular red wine varietals in many markets.
