We are all mortal until the first kiss and the second glass of wine.

Eduardo Galeano, Uruguayan author

I've said it before and I feel the need to say it again folks, you have to be a plonker to make a bad Merlot. But the wine world must be recruiting from plonker central because the shelves are full of rubbish these days.

Yeah, okay, I rarely like anything under a tenner and anything under six quid should be washed down the drain but even in the twilight area between the two, there's no excuse for a lot of the rubbish out there right now.

Merlot is a grape that gives and gives again to the winemaker, with plummy fruit, soft tannins and an affinity for oak, so how on earth do so many of them knock out thin watery rubbish?

Merlot is of course one of the great grapes of Bordeaux, where it leads the blends in some of the finest wines on earth, such as Petrus. Thankfully, top-drawer Merlot can be found all over the world these days. The Aussies and Chileans are unbeatable at the entry level area (remember, it’s my entry level so ten to fifteen quid folks) but many of the Aussies seem to be just too juicy at the higher end while the Chileans still plateau a little. California Merlots are like liquid velvet on your palate, the Italians are more refreshing and the New Zealand versions can be a bit too leafy without food.

But if its a special occasion, I still turn to either Bordeaux or South Africa. For the best Merlot-dominated clarets, aim for Pomerol, Lalande de Pomerol and St Emilion, but the main disadvantage with that region is that the quality varies tremendously depending on the vintage so knowledge and a stretchy wallet are essential.

South Africa tends to make Francophile-style wines in that they aren't afraid to show the tannins and acidity, but they also add some of the velvet effect that we take for granted from California so for me, they are some of the finest food wines in the world.

While on the subject of food wines by the way, a report in this week's Daily Telegraph at last debunks the idea that red wine should only be paired with red meat and white with fish, but if you’ve paid attention to these columns, you will have noticed that I've been saying that for over five years!

Anyway, back to South Africa, here's a few vineyards to watch in 2019: Vergelegen (pronounced furky lurkin), Journeys End, Meerlust Klein Zalze and Laibach are all producing wines with depth and complexity and, most important of all for the consumer, consistency, so watch out for anything red from them and although this column is about Merlot, I should add that De Wetshof are producing some truly world class Chardonnays at present, right up there with the best of Burgundy. Anyway folks, Im off to liberate a cork or two so pip pip for another week.

Watford Observer:

Meerlust Red, South Africa

Lively fruit on the nose with cassis, vanilla and chocolate all coming through on the palate. I've enjoyed this wine for several years and it’s never let me down.

Wine Rack £13.19

Watford Observer:

Bain's Kloof Merlot SA

A really lovely easy drinking wine with plenty of fruit, soft tannins and hints of chocolate on the finish. Well worth a tenner of anyone's money.

Corney & Barrow £9.95