Ah, California Merlot. The unsung hero of countless wedding banquets, airport lounges, and (ahem) company Christmas parties with an open bar.
We talk like Merlot went away sometime in the early 2000s…but really, it never did. It just shuffled off to the back bar to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and the lightly oaked domestic Chardonnay.
“Here I am,” it says. “Soft and fruity and reliable. Pick me! Or don’t–my feelings have been hurt worse before.” And so, you order the Merlot. The bartender fills it to the rim, slides it over on a cocktail napkin, and you wander off to go find a cheese cube or a turkey pinwheel.
If you’ve come across this review, it’s probably because you’re sitting or standing across from a bottle of Hayes Ranch California Merlot, Googling it to find out if it’s something you should actually drink.
That, of course, depends on the occasion and your current desire for alcohol. But if you have a flight to board or a toast to make, then here’s what you’re likely to find in this dependable glass-filler:
A cheery, deep-ruby color with the vibrant hue of industrial filtration. The nose is sweet-smelling and plummy, with dark fruit, vanilla extract, cherry, and cola. On the palate, black cherry with chocolate sauce, light menthol, and dried herbs. There’s some residual sugar (okay, rather a lot), but just enough acidity to make it balanced instead of cloying.
At 13.5% ABV, this Merlot is the perfect strength for a work event: Enough alcohol to make you feel like you can dance when the DJ inevitably plays “Pink Pony Club”–but not enough to make you quake in fear when the lady from HR sits down at your table.
An informal poll of bartenders and party-goers confirmed it: The house Merlot was tastier than the house Cab and Chardonnay, but less good than the Sauv Blanc (from Whitehaven). Neither wine was the hit of the night, though. At a gathering of (mostly) millennial tech workers, every drink loses out to the bourbon Old Fashioned.
Another #MerlotThursday is in the books, and so is another year. As 2026 begins, I hope to encounter many new wines and taste them with both precision and openness. To appreciate excellence where I find it, but to obsess over it less. To try to see some good in everyone and everything.
And so, let me raise a glass to Hayes Ranch California Merlot: It’s red, it’s liquid, it tastes alright. 👍 🍇
Bottle: Hayes Ranch California Merlot (NV) – United States
Variety: Merlot
ABV: 13.5%
Average retail: $9
My rating: 7.2 (out of 10)
Pour yourself a Merlot and join in! Or, see past #MerlotThursday reviews here.
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.
Leave a Comment