The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
When you mention eggplant, most people run. Many eggplants found in the big grocery stores are a sad example of a poorly farmed and past-its-prime vegetable. Merlot is like the eggplant of wine. The Merlot grape has suffered from poor farming, but in the right hands, it can soar much like a well-farmed, fresh eggplant properly prepared. RSV’s Merlot is a beautiful example of what Merlot can achieve when grown in the right location, picked at the right time and crafted with a delicate hand. It is elegant and restrained with enough plum and cherry fruit to balance the scent of dried herb so valued in Old World Merlots. Tasted blind, RSV’s Merlot could easily be mistaken for an elegant Merlot from the Right Bank of Bordeaux.
A good eggplant will be shiny, smooth and heavy like a bowling ball. When cut open, the seeds and flesh should be pale and tender. A fresh eggplant will have a fruity smell and sweetness in its juice. Start with a purple bowling ball like eggplant and you will have success in winning over the most reluctant of eggplant eaters.
Merlot with eggplant isn’t your typical match. The sweetness of the eggplant with the tender herbs brings out the fruit and marries nicely with the wine’s overall flavors and body. Sprinkle a little cheese over the top to send it all home.
Embrace the good of the eggplant and RSV’s Merlot and leave the bad and the ugly in the dust!
Until the Next Wine….
Maria
