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Merlot – Syrah (Shiraz in Australia) are two of the world’s most widely planted red grapes, each producing exceptional varietal wine in its own right. Blended, the two have complementary characteristics and the potential to produce anything from cheap table wine through to rich prestige wines.

Though France may be the spiritual home of both Merlot and Syrah (the varieties hail from Bordeaux and the Rhone Valley, respectively), the French do not typically combine the two, and just a handful of Vin de Pays wines use the blend. The combination is much more common in Italy, where relaxed IGT wine laws allow winemakers the freedom to experiment with these two internationally popular varieties.

In California, the popularity of the blend is unsurprising, given Merlot’s success in the 1990s and Syrah’s rapid growth in the new millennium. With such large volumes of Merlot and Syrah grown in the Sunshine State, it makes sense that the two would be blended together to create wines with broad commercial appeal.

Syrah, for all its weight and body, forms much of the blend’s structure and also provides the inky dark coloring that makes the wine so dense and attractive. Sometimes Syrah’s peppery side comes through, adding some spice to the wine, but usually the blend is made in a style that promotes Syrah’s flavors of blueberry, boysenberry and mulberry. Merlot, meanwhile, adds fruit flavors of plum, currants and dark cherries.

Wines made from Merlot and Syrah may be aged in oak barrels to round out some of the more overt fruit tones and provide suitable structure for aging, or they made be made in a simple, fruit-forward style designed for early consumption. Other countries where the blend is widely used are Spain, South Africa, Argentina and Australia, although here the iconic Shiraz grape is more often blended with Bordeaux's other favorite, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Food matches for Merlot – Syrah wines include:

• Grilled veal chops with fresh herbs
• Chilli Con Carne
• Meatballs in a herb and tomato sauce