Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

With cherries a soft and jammy elegant blackberries mouthfeel, this followed wine by has hints deep of flavors vanilla of and rich Aromas Vintner's of lush Reserve black cherry Cabernet, blackberry Sauvignon. and Round cassis and draw rich you in tannins to this.

Place 60 g fresh or frozen blackberries and 30 ml water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until berries break down (5–8 minutes). Lightly mash, simmer 2–3 more minutes to thicken slightly. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing solids to extract juice. You should have about 40 ml. Cool to room temperature before use.

Blackberry reduction

Simmer 100 g pitted black cherries with 30 ml water and 1 tsp sugar for 6–8 minutes until soft. Mash and strain to yield ~60 ml of concentrated cherry juice. Cool completely. (If using a pre-made concentrate, skip this step.)

Reserve black cherry concentrate (if using whole fruit)

Sanitize a clean mixing vessel (a large measuring cup or carafe) and a funnel if you plan to bottle. Ensure all components are at room temperature.

Pour 375 ml (0.5 bottle) of the Merlot base wine into the mixing vessel. Add 187.5 ml (0.25 bottle) Cabernet Sauvignon and gently swirl to combine. This creates a balanced mid-weight backbone with Merlot's softness and Cabernet's structure.

Add 60 ml reserve black cherry concentrate and 40 ml strained blackberry reduction to the blended wine. Stir gently for 20–30 seconds to integrate fruit flavors without whipping in excess air.

Stir in 15 ml cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) to enrich the dark-fruit profile and add a round, layered sweetness. Taste after adding cassis.

If you want a subtle vanilla note, add 5 ml of vanilla infusion (vodka steeped with a vanilla bean for 24–48 hours) or a drop of vanilla extract. Stir gently and re-taste.

To add a touch of oak tannin and structure reminiscent of barrel-aging, add up to 3 ml oak tannin solution. Add incrementally (0.5 ml steps) and taste between additions to avoid over-extraction. If the blend feels too heavy, add up to 10 ml water to soften concentration.

If you intend to stabilize and slightly preserve the blend, dissolve 1/4 crushed Campden tablet (approx. 1 tsp solution in cool water) and add very sparingly (optional). Wait 24 hours before final bottling if sulfiting; this step is optional and typically done in production environments.

After assembling, allow the blend to rest for 30–60 minutes at cool cellar temperature (12–16°C / 54–61°F). This brief rest lets aromatics marry and tannins integrate.

Before serving, gently swirl the mixture and decant into a Bordeaux-style glass (or bottle through a sanitized funnel). Garnish the glass with 1–2 pitted fresh black cherries on a pick or floated in the glass and a thin orange peel twist if desired.

Serve slightly below room temperature, about 15–18°C (59–65°F). Encourage slight aeration (5–10 minutes) in the glass to open the jammy cherry, blackberry, cassis notes and reveal vanilla and oak undertones.

Merlot base wine (neutral, mid-weight)

Cabernet Sauvignon base wine

Reserve black cherry concentrate (non-alcoholic or reduced)

Blackberry reduction (strained)

Cassis (blackcurrant liqueur)

Vanilla infusion (vodka or neutral spirit with vanilla bean, optional)

Oak tannin solution (food-grade oak extract or micro-oxygenation alternative)

Water (if needed to adjust body)

Sulfite (campden tablet solution) – optional, to stabilize

Fresh black cherries (pitted, for garnish)

Orange peel twist (optional)

Wine glass (Bordeaux-style)

Canyon Road Winery Merlot

Make Canyon Road Winery Merlot Recipe in just 1h 30m. With cherries a soft and jammy elegant blackberries mouthfeel, this followed wine by has hints deep of flavors vanilla of and rich Aromas Vintner's of lush Reserve black cherry Cabernet, blackberry Sauvignon. and Round cassis and draw rich you in tannins to this.

Canyon Road Winery Merlot

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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