The best way to understand the Merliance message is to taste it! Open your mind–and your palate–at these fun, informative events!

Mostly Merlot:
The Signature Wines of Long Island

Through September 14 at member-wineries

These special Wine Salon programs each feature a different Merliance winemaker, his unique perspective and some beautiful wines to illustrate why we believe merlot and merlot-based blends are the signature wines of the region. Read on!

Why Merlot and Merlot-Based Blends?

Photo credit Randee Dadonna for Edible East End, High Summer 2012

The Long Island Merlot Alliance was formed in 2005 by Long Island wineries dedicated to advancing the quality in the production of merlot-based wines as the signature wines of our region. In 2012, we evolved our mission to underscore our support for merlot-based blends and changed our name to simply, Merliance, a blended word based on merlot–just like our cooperative wine and our mission. Merlot is the most widely planted grape, consistently performs well in our terroir and, because it’s so often used in blends, enriches all red wines of our region.Read more about our organization in the Edible East End feature story, “Reveling in Red,” published in the High Summer edition, 2012.