A few weeks ago, I wrote a piece on Merlot for the March issue of Decanter magazine – specifically whether it is finally experiencing something of a comeback following what could be described as its Sideways Years.

Impossible to research into Merlot without bumping in to, again and again, its most popular buddy – both rival and in fact sibling – Cabernet Sauvignon. Today they hold the two top spots as the world’s most planted varieties, with Cabernet the most well-travelled grape with almost 300,000 hectares (ha) planted globally. Back in 1990 they were in 8th place (Cabernet) and 7th (Merlot).