Merlot (“mer-low”) is a dark, bluish skinned wine grape that’s widely grown in the South Burnett and was once thought to be the “go to grape” to plant in the region.   South Burnett merlot is typically a soft, well-rounded red with bright fruit flavours.

Merlot’s name is thought to derive from the Occitan word for “young blackbird” (Occitan is an ancient language spoken in some parts of France, Italy and Spain). However whether this is a reference to the grape’s dark-blue colour or the fondness that birds have for the grape is unclear.