by Bennett Kalafut

Created on: November 01, 2006   Last Updated: August 07, 2010

Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are the most common red varietals found on American wine shelves (with Syrah, Zinfandel, and Pinot Noir perhaps jockeying for a distant third), and along with Cabernet Franc they form the core of the esteemed reds from Bordeaux in France and the "Meritage" blends of California.

Both also tend to pair well with the same foods - beef, pasta, pizza - although I'd generally favor Cabernet with robust dishes like lamb, chili, or curry, and would be more apt to serve Merlot with pork, duck, or veal dishes that would be overwhelmed by Cab.

Both, unfortunately, are overplanted and thus popular components of barely drinkable bulk wine. As jug or generic magnum wine I'd say there's no difference between them at all, although due to the recent Merlot fad it can be said that its situation is worse: most Merlot is insipid. Stay away from jug and magnum Merlots and anything selling for $2.99 or with a store label from Languedoc. Magnum Cabernets can be adequate for a party.

Cabernet tends to be more tannic, more robust, and spicier, occasionally even earthy or with barnyard notes; Merlot is more likely than Cab to have floral notes in the bouquet and on the finish. Whereas the fruit backbone of Merlot often tends towards pie cherries and blackberries, Cabernet Sauvignon - although less so than its cousin Cabernet Franc-can have prune or currant-like notes.

That having been said, both of these varietals, in the hands of a skilled winemaker, can be highly expressive of terroir, that is, the local soil and micro-climate, so much so that I've had Merlots as robust as Cabernet and soft Cabernets that could be confounded with Merlot. Taste, talk to the sommelier or wine-shop help, and know that the two are similar enough that you won't usually ruin a meal by mistakenly choosing one over the other.

Learn more about this author, Bennett Kalafut.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.