A plush, supple wine, with plenty of boysenberry and mulberry fruit really leading from the top, and then blossoming into plum and blueberry jam. Subtle hints of clove and vanilla make the flavours more complex, but it's not a wine to think about too much - just pop, pour and enjoy.

Origin: It’s believed that the first wines made were in the Medoc region, in the west of France. Mainly Grown In: France leads the way here, with Bordeaux the big one. Also California, South Australia, central and northern Italy, plus Argentina. Key Facts: No matter how mer-little you know about wine, chances are you’ve heard of Merlot (pronounced “Mer-low”). Merlot is like a Golden Retriever; dependable (it ripens reliably well), lovable (especially for its chocolatey and soft plummy flavours), and able to get along with pretty much everyone (a champion in some of the most prized blends on the planet). Merlot is so approachable and smooth that it is often described as tasting “velvety”. Not sure when you last licked some velvet, but we did, and the Merlot definitely tasted much better than velvet. However, velvety is a fair way to describe the soft cushion-like comfort of how Merlot rolls across the palate — yum! Fun Fact: Merlot was voted 'most hated wine' an astonishing 10 years in a row, all due to the 2004 film 'Sideways' - which misrepresented a characters dislike of Merlot and caused an estimated $10million+ in damage to Merlot sales!!!