Photo credit: Wines of BC
Merlot has a reputation, and it’s not an especially flattering one. It’s kind of like wallpaper - it’s all around us, but does anyone really pay attention to it?
It’s easy to like - almost too easy. Soft fruit, supple tannins, and familiar flavours. Even the name rolls off the tongue without a struggle. And while Cabernet Sauvignon gets seriousness, Pinot Noir gets romance, and Syrah gets swagger, Merlot gets ordered by the glass.
But what happens when Merlot brings its plummy popularity to British Columbia? Do the wines deserve a closer look?
According to the latest provincial wine grape acreage report, published in June 2026, Merlot accounts for 1,175 acres of insured vineyards, second only to Pinot Noir. Nearly three-quarters of that acreage is concentrated around Oliver and Osoyoos, where warmer growing conditions favour ripening. The figures reflect a vineyard landscape reshaped by the devastating freezes of 2022 and 2024, and cover only insured acreage rather than all BC plantings. But Merlot's importance to BC wine remains intact.
Bordeaux's most widely planted grape variety, Merlot has found a home in vineyards around the world. Its reputation rests largely on generosity: ripe fruit, approachable tannins and a texture that makes it easy to enjoy young. In the vineyard, it ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon and tolerates a range of soils, including moisture-retentive clay.
Our combination of warm summer days, cool nights and marginal northern viticulture can produce Merlot with considerably more acidity, tannin and tension than the stereotype suggests. Which raises a more interesting question for Merlot Day than whether BC can grow good Merlot.
Does BC have a recognizable style of Merlot of its own?
The 11 wines in this tasting suggest that Merlot's identity in BC is less about a particular flavour profile than how the wines are put together. Ripe plum and dark berries are familiar territory, but lively acidity and substantial tannins give many of these wines more structure than you’d expect from a grape with such an easygoing reputation. Some producers pursue concentrated, cellar-worthy expressions, while others favour softer, more approachable wines intended for immediate enjoyment. The best examples aren't necessarily the biggest or most complex, but those that deliver convincingly on their intentions.
Alderlea's Cowichan Valley Merlot is comparatively soft and fruit-forward, while Larch Hills offers an uncomplicated, everyday expression from the Shuswap. These wines aren't necessarily attempting to compete with the powerful reds of the South Okanagan. Rather, they demonstrate how Merlot's adaptability can work to its advantage.
The two 2024 wines made from American-grown grapes add another dimension. Deep Roots and Gehringer Brothers took very different approaches to their imported fruit, producing wines that reflect their respective winemaking choices rather than BC vineyard conditions. They're useful reminders that Merlot's versatility extends beyond geography.
So what is distinctive about BC Merlot? We certainly cannot claim a single, consistent expression. There is too much variation in growing conditions, winemaking choices and ambition for that. But across these wines, there's a recognizable sense of generosity supported by structure. BC Merlot may not have a signature flavour, but there’s something recognizable about how it feels that deserves more attention than I’ve given it in the past. I should know — I used to be one of its cynics.
Merlot may never inspire the same fascination as Pinot Noir, or command the attention given to Cabernet Sauvignon. But in BC, it has earned more than its considerable acreage. There is real character here, provided we're willing to look beyond the wallpaper.
For Merlot Day, I tasted 11 wines spanning four vintages, several growing regions and a wide range of styles. Nine were made from BC-grown grapes, while two used American fruit in response to the devastating 2024 freeze. All are 100% Merlot, and together they offer a revealing look at what this familiar grape can become.
Alderlea Vineyards 2023 Merlot
Vancouver Island Merlot is rare indeed, and this one is already sold out. Aging is done in older French oak barrels. This one has a darker profile of purple fruit - bramble and stewed plums, with some woody earth, cocoa, and spice. The acidity is rounded and well-proportioned, and the softer tannins offer a counterpoint to Okanagan examples. That allows the ripe fruit to step forward and present a very drinkable style.
Chronos Winery 2021 Merlot
Hand-harvested and sorted, these Merlot grapes are sourced from two Osoyoos sites, vinified separately and blended just prior to bottling. Aging is carried out in French and American oak for 18 months. Showing a slightly faded, brick-red rim, this wine has pronounced sweet plum, huckleberry, and dark berry aromas, with elements of root beer, cocoa, vanilla, and smoke. The palate delivers considerable structure of refreshing acidity and velvety tannins, and finishes with a whisper of smoke and bitterness.
Bordertown Vineyards & Estate Winery 2022 Merlot (Bronze, Pacific Rim Wine Competition)
100% Osoyoos Merlot, the wine is matured in French oak for 12-18 months. Primarily dark fruit takes the stage here, a mixture of blueberry and cherry cola, with a mushroomy, woodsy character, crushed rock, and oak spice. Bright acidity and fine tannins provide fresh structure to this full-bodied and concentrated red, while smooth milk chocolate presents Merlot’s softness in a south Okanagan way. The wine closes with a pleasantly bitter finish.
Gehringer Brothers 2024 International Series Merlot
Made in BC from California grapes, the International Series Merlot was produced while Gehringer Brothers’ vineyards were undergoing significant replanting due to cold damage. Taken in a different stylistic direction, extraction is minimized and the resulting wine is pale ruby and medium in body at just 12.8% abv. The nose opens warmly with currant, plum, boysenberry, nutmeg and allspice. There is a gentle frame of plush acidity and powdery tannin, finishing with a balanced profile of fruit and spice.
Larch Hills Winery 2022 Merlot
Shuswap Merlot offers a different expression while remaining familiar. Highly aromatic, with bright blackberry, dried roses, currant, plum, raspberry jam, and baking spices. Tannins and acidity are soft and mellow, suiting this producer’s approachable style. Compact and straightforward, this is an everyday Merlot with good value at $25.
Dirty Laundry Winery 2023 Merlot
Dirty Laundry sourced this Merlot from Osoyoos, maturing for 18 months in 30% new French and American oak. Aromas of stemmy plum and black fruits are further enhanced with bay leaf, sage, and cedar. The palate manages to balance vibrancy, serious tannin texture, and voluptuous flavour concentration while maintaining composure at a modest 13.5% abv.
Hidden Vines 2023 Merlot
Sourced from the Skaha Bench, this Merlot is aged 15 months in 80% new French oak, and weighs in at 15.5% abv. It’s a big wine that carries power and structure, but with freshness. Boysenberry and dark fruit aromas are plump and ripe, complemented by dried herbs and plenty of woodiness and spice. Ripeness is also reflected in the acidity and supple tannins, which lay the path for a multi-dimensional finish. The oak is a bit bold but the fine texture and potpourri fragrance provide levity and room to breathe.
Black Market Wine Company Estate Series 2022 Merlot
Harvested from the estate’s Conviction Ridge Vineyard in Kaleden, these vines were planted in 1985 and have naturally low yields. This Merlot is barrelled for 30 months in 40% new French oak. The nose presents concentrated dusty plum, blackberry, cherry, mocha, and baking spices. Rounded acidity, abundant fine tannin, and succulent flavours frame a stout yet alluring palate. Great length in the finish, and built to age.
Wesbert Winery 2022 Estate Merlot (Bronze, National Wine Awards of Canada)
This supple and brooding Naramata Bench Merlot spends time in oak, aging for a total of 3 years. The ripe fruit profile offers lifted plum and cherry, bramble, red apple, prune and dried currant, and modest spice. Juicy acidity and grippy tannins give this Merlot more serious appeal, although the firm structure slightly overshadows the fruit.
Deep Roots Winery 2024 One Night Stand Merlot
A fleeting affair, the One Night Stand series is a love letter to the 2024 vintage, when Deep Roots sourced fruit from Washington due to extensive freeze damage. The Merlot displays Deep Roots’ signature full-flavoured and structured style of elevated acidity and chewy tannins. Pronounced cherry cola and ripe blueberry and blackberry aromas integrate with irises, toasted spice, and tobacco. There’s a touch of volatile acidity but not enough to distract from the main show. Finish is long and fruity.
Black Sage Vineyard 2022 Merlot (Silver, National Wine Awards of Canada; Bronze, International Wine & Spirit Competition)
South Okanagan Merlot is destemmed and fermented with regular pump overs to facilitate extraction of tannin and flavour. It then spends 12-14 months in French and American oak. Initially quite spice-forward and woody, the ripe blackberry, cherry, and plum gradually assert themselves and fill out the nose and palate for a more balanced profile. There’s great structure with mouthwatering acidity and firm but gentle tannin, transitioning into a long espresso finish. A ripe and fresh style that still shows some restraint.
Blog post written by: Matt Tinney, Contributor, uncorkBC