Meaning & use
Merlot wine
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable or uncountable
A red wine made from Merlot grapes, typically soft and fruity.
Grammar: Can be countable when referring to a type or a glass: 'a Merlot wine'; uncountable when talking about the liquid in general: 'I like Merlot wine.'
Patterns
- a glass of Merlot wine
- Merlot wine from Bordeaux
We ordered a bottle of Merlot wine to go with the steak.
Merlot wine is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon.
This Merlot wine has a smooth, fruity flavor.
Word forms
| plural | Merlot wines |
|---|
Common combinations
- a bottle of Merlot wine
- He bought a bottle of Merlot wine for the party.
- Merlot wine from Chile
- Merlot wine from Chile is often good value.
- dry Merlot wine
- She prefers a dry Merlot wine with dinner.
- Merlot wine tasting
- We went to a Merlot wine tasting last weekend.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Merlot
- Often used alone to mean the wine, especially in informal contexts: 'a glass of Merlot'.
- red wine
- A broader term; Merlot wine is a specific type of red wine.
Commonly confused: Merlot wine or Malbec?
Merlot wine vs Malbec
Another red wine grape; Malbec wines are usually darker and more tannic than Merlot.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'Merlot wine' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 1 correctly uses 'Merlot wine' as an uncountable noun after a verb. Option 0 is wrong because 'Merlot wine glass' is not a standard phrase; option 2 uses it as a verb; option 3 uses it as an adjective.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Merlot wine”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.