Merlot is a red wine grape variety with strong historic ties to and the southwest of France. It is the predominant variety in most wines from and , the area in which the variety originated. Merlot is now widely planted in wine regions across the world and, in terms of the volumes of wine produced internationally, it is rivaled only by its Bordeaux companion, .
Merlot is an early maturing grape variety and can ripen fully even in slightly cooler climates. This reliable ripening is a main factor behind its increased presence over recent decades in the and (mostly replacing white varieties) Entre-Deux-Mers areas of Bordeaux. Its key drawback is that the early-developing flowers are more susceptible to frost damage in spring.
