(RapidCityJournal) - In this warm weather, I should be drinking crisp, refreshing summer whites and roses. I must confess, however — and the pinot noir lover in me cringes a bit — but I have been drinking merlot. My personal wine journey began in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, where I became infatuated with pinot noir. On my dream vacation last summer, I toured the vineyards of Burgundy, France, where pinot noir is king. Aided somewhat by the cult wine movie, "Sideways," I have always been an anti-merlot person. So, why this sudden interest in merlot?