Heritage of Meritage

There are many people in the wine world, even expert wine enthusiasts and professionals, that pronounce the word ‘Meritage’ incorrectly. They have a tendency to Frenchify the word ‘Meritage’ by pronouncing its last syllable with a ‘zh’ sound, as in ‘garage.’ The Meritage Alliance specifically states that the word should be pronounced to rhyme with ‘heritage’- MEH-rih-tij. This is a made-up word, registered as a US trademark, that wineries use to identify their Bordeaux blends.

The Meritage Association was formed in 1988 by a small group of Napa Valley vintners increasingly frustrated by U.S. regulations stipulating wines that contain at least 75% of a specific grape must be labeled as that varietal. Interest was growing to create Bordeaux-style wines, which by their blended nature fail to qualify for varietal status. Wineries sought to create a recognizable name for their high-quality blended wines and it was getting hard to keep track of them all. As these wines cannot call themselves "Bordeaux" without infringing upon the Bordeaux region's legally protected designation of origin, the Meritage Association organized this collaborative effort to define a "Bordeaux Blend" of grapes that was done on non-French soil. They had over 6,000 people submit choices for the name of this blend, and "Meritage" won. This is a deliberate combination of the words "Merit" and "Heritage". By 1999, the Meritage Association had grown to 22 members. Shifting its focus from trademark policing to education and marketing resulted in swift growth. By 2003 the Meritage Association had over 100 members, including its first international participants. In May 2009, the Meritage Association announced that it has changed its name to the Meritage Alliance. As of August 2009, the Alliance had over 250 members.

So now that you know the history and correct pronunciation of the word ‘Meritage’, lets get into what exactly makes up a Meritage wine. First off, its a blend of Bordeaux varietals. No grape can be over 75% of the blend or else it is designated as that varietal. In order to be considered a red Meritage the blend must be made up of at least two of the following grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot. A white Meritage must be made up of at least two of the following grapes : Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon. Also, in order to earn the name "meritage" the wine can't be a mass-marketed wine. The winery's release of a Meritage must be under 25,000 cases. It has to be a "high-end" wine for the winery - it can't be their bargain basement offering and is intended to showcase the high quality wines.

At Deerfield, we take pride in our Meritage wines. Winemaker Robert Rex makes two different types of these blends with unique specifications. The Deerfield Meritage is made from the above mentioned Bordeaux grapes from a single vineyard. The Deerfield DRX is made from the best tasting barrels of the Bordeaux varietals in the wine cave (marked with an “X” by the winemaker). These our our flagship wines!