How wineries achieve Meritage status

For a winery to be permitted to use the Meritage name for a wine, the honor must be earned. But before we dig deeper, is it “Mār-a-tij” or “Mār-uh-tazh?” 

Once again, we defer to our resident expert, Jim Sperk, of the Northern Ohio Wine Guild for the history of the wine and its correct pronunciation.

“There was a group in Napa and Sonoma that was interested in a prestigious wine that replicated those originating in Bordeaux, France,” Jim says. “In France, laws govern the types of grapes that can be used in making wine in specific regions. In Burgundy, for example, only the pinot noir grape can be used to make red wine. In Bordeaux, there are only eight grapes that can be used, and the wine must be a blend of at least two of those grapes. Those eight grapes are cabernet sauvignon, cab franc, merlot, petit verdot, gros verdot, Saint-Macaire, malbec and carménère.” 

Jim explains a contest was designed in California by the Meritage Association, (now Alliance) to develop a name that could be used by wineries outside of France utilizing the Bordeaux format. The Association stated that the winning entry should be a unique name to honor the “merit” and the “heritage” of the Bordeaux tradition. See where we’re going with this?

Meritage, pronounced Mār-a-tij, is a contraction or portmanteau of the words “merit” and “heritage.” Any winery wishing to name its Bordeaux-style blend Meritage would have to submit a sample to the Alliance for approval. If the Alliance approves, the winery receives permission to use the name but must pay the Alliance a sum of $1 for each case of Meritage wine it produces.

“There is a note of distinction for those who go the extra mile and earn the right to call their wines Meritage,” Jim says. “Of the more than 400 wineries in Ohio, I am aware of only three that are permitted to use the Meritage name.”

However you pronounce it, a Meritage wine might be what you’ve been looking for to offer family and friends this holiday season. 

For information about the Northern Ohio Wine Guild, contact Jim Sperk at tinymoonwines@usa.net.