Provencal Eggplant Stew + Decoy Merlot for #MerlotMe

 #WinePairingWeekend writers have celebrated #MerlotMe every October for the last seven years, reports Jeff Burrows of Food Wine Click.  Here are my past posts:

2021  Boterra and Creamy Lasagne Soup

2020  MerlotMe and No Noodle Lasagne

This year I received a delicious bottle of Decoy Merlot to taste. It is a fantastic Merlot.  I went to wine.com to look up their tasting notes and this is what they said:  From its plush, refined tannins to its rustic undertones, this alluring Merlot offers juicy layers of black cherry, raspberry, and plum. On the palate, the flavors are pure and polished, with a mouth-coating texture that carries the wine to a luxurious, fruit-filled finish. 

We served it with a French eggplant stew and boy, those two together were fabulous.  The Merlot is delicious with vegetarian dishes and chicken.  We added roast chicken to our dish and the wine just made the entire dish so delectable.  We will do this again, especially in the fall.

• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm shares "Merlot: Smooth, Savory and Sustainable"
• Cindy at Grape Experiences shares "Comfort Food and Wines for Fall: Savory Slow Cooker Chicken and Classic Merlot"
• Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares "Mushrooms, Truffles, and a Wine from a Cal Alumna"
• David at Cooking Chat shares "Everyday Pasta Sauce with Ground Beef and Chickpeas"
• Jane at Always Ravenous shares "Fall Food Pairings with Merlot"
• Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles shares "#MerlotMe with figs, cherries and a nice grilled steak"
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass shares "Kicking off #MerlotMe month with Napa Valley wine and no-bake lasagna" 
• Jennifer at Vino Travels shares "Warm up with Merlot and Pappardelle Bolognese"
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator...Gwendolyn Alley shares "Smoked Lamb/Beef Meatloaf Says #MerlotMe with Sonoma’s Decoy and Washington’s Pedastal"
• Jeff at Food Wine Click! shares "Merlot and 40 Cloves of Garlic"