# What do people pair a merlot with? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking, liquor-alcohol\ **Created:** [January 16, 2021, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-pair-a-merlot-with/930638 "2021-01-16T00:25:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-pair-a-merlot-with/930638/1 "2021-01-16T00:25:42Z")
I find merlot to be sweet, and doesn’t really pair well with anything. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-pair-a-merlot-with/930638/2 "2021-01-16T01:58:28Z")
Strong flavors like beef and cheddar… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-pair-a-merlot-with/930638/3 "2021-01-16T02:04:03Z")
[Nothing.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyxvCZWX0qs) But yeah, strong flavors. BBQ even. ---
**Author:** ![Mars\_Horizon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mars_horizon/32/2804_2.png) [@Mars\_Horizon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mars_Horizon)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-pair-a-merlot-with/930638/4 "2021-01-16T02:59:54Z")
I like to sit down and enjoy my Merlot with a good [movie](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375063/) ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-pair-a-merlot-with/930638/5 "2021-01-16T03:10:02Z")
Hawaiian Punch is a good mixer with merlot. Garnish with a sour gummyworm, a couple of pieces of candy corn, and consume while chewing Bubble Yum for maximum flavor. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-pair-a-merlot-with/930638/6 "2021-01-16T03:46:26Z")
Beef merlot is just an urban legend, then? ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-pair-a-merlot-with/930638/7 "2021-01-16T03:59:15Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Hawaiian Punch is a good mixer with merlot. Garnish with a sour gummyworm, a couple of pieces of candy corn, and consume while chewing Bubble Yum for maximum flavor. Man. You are too erudite for me. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-pair-a-merlot-with/930638/8 "2021-01-16T03:59:36Z")
I love merlots. I’m part of a poker posse that drinks a lot of it. We pair it with food. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-pair-a-merlot-with/930638/9 "2021-01-16T04:09:53Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I find merlot to be sweet Huh? 😕 You weren’t by chance drinking white Merlot, were you? Otherwise most styles are dry to very dry. As previously mentioned good with beef, rare to well done, and cheddar, the sharper the better. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-pair-a-merlot-with/930638/10 "2021-01-16T04:13:27Z")
Sure, but what temperature is optimal? ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-pair-a-merlot-with/930638/11 "2021-01-16T04:17:21Z")
Always consumers choice. Call me a philistine but I prefer dry wines slightly chilled, just a whisper above room temperature. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-pair-a-merlot-with/930638/12 "2021-01-16T04:19:20Z")
Beef is good with merlot, especially roasted. It’s not bad with spicy food - sweet cuts heat - but I like beer better, and might choose Gewurztraminer too. But I’m not traditional when it comes to pairing, unless both the food and wine are amazing (in which case I might look it up, despite the unreliability of some experts). ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-pair-a-merlot-with/930638/13 "2021-01-16T04:20:45Z")
Okay. But I was wondering about the temperature of the _Hawaiian Punch and gummy_. Call me a snob, but I like the Punch cold and the gummy at room temperature. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-pair-a-merlot-with/930638/14 "2021-01-16T05:17:17Z")
A glass is all I need. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-pair-a-merlot-with/930638/15 "2021-01-16T05:20:46Z")
Drinkin’ outta da bottle’s too good for you eh? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-pair-a-merlot-with/930638/16 "2021-01-16T05:24:09Z")
RIGHT! That’s a fair cop. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-pair-a-merlot-with/930638/17 "2021-01-16T05:33:44Z")
I tend to think of merlot as drier than a lot of other cheap red wines. I’m far from a connoisseur (see: cheap red wines), so I only know a little bit–but compared to lots of the under-$10 bottles, it’s got a nice tannic kick. Is that not how others think of it? A bit of Googling shows that there’s a huge variety of merlot, some of which is syrupy. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-pair-a-merlot-with/930638/18 "2021-01-16T05:40:44Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Okay. But I was wondering about the temperature of the _Hawaiian Punch and gummy_ . Call me a snob, but I like the Punch cold and the gummy at room temperature. Heat the wine for 30 seconds in the microwave, add Hawaiian Punch, wipe the rim of the glass with the gummyworm to get a gelatin layer, and the stick it in the fridge until it starts to congeal. Some will suggest adding an ice cube to speed up the process but only a cad would dilute this fine cocktail with melted ice. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-pair-a-merlot-with/930638/19 "2021-01-16T15:10:59Z")
Adding some grenadine to that might help bring out more sweetness. Slight chilling often brings things below room temperature. But it depends where you are starting from. Mulled wine? Mulling that over. Mull. Just like saying that word. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-pair-a-merlot-with/930638/20 "2021-01-16T16:07:05Z")
The mention of mulled wine reminds me of sangria, which is a good use of merlot. And then you just have to find something which pairs with sangria, such as tapas, tacos, etc. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-pair-a-merlot-with/930638.md?page=2)