Merlot
Bordeaux, Napa, Italy, Chile
Medium-bodied red. Less tannin than Cabernet, more than Pinot. Often blended (e.g. Bordeaux blends).
- Congeners
- Moderate
- Histamines
- High
- Polyphenols
- High
- Sulfites
- High
- Tannins
- High
- Sugar
- Low
- Additives
- Moderate
- Calories
- 125
- Carbs
- 3.7g
15.8g ethanol at 13.5% ABV. 110 from alcohol, 15 from carbohydrate.
In its favor
- ✓Softer tannins than Cabernet
- ✓Wide price/quality range
What to watch
- !Still high histamine and sulfite
Factor by factor
Congeners Moderate ▾
Byproducts of fermentation (methanol, acetaldehyde, fusel alcohols). Strongly linked to hangover severity; darker, less-distilled spirits carry more.
Histamines High ▾
Produced by bacteria during fermentation/aging. Trigger flushing, headaches, congestion in sensitive drinkers. High in red wine, beer, aged spirits.
Polyphenols High ▾
Plant compounds with antioxidant activity. Slightly protective at low doses but at high concentrations may worsen hangover via tannin/quercetin reactions.
Sulfites High ▾
Preservatives (SO₂) added to wine and some beers. Common trigger of headaches, asthma, and allergic-type reactions.
Tannins High ▾
Astringent polyphenols from skins, seeds, barrels. Bind proteins, slow alcohol clearance, and aggravate dehydration-style symptoms.
Sugar Low ▾
Residual sugar amplifies hangover via blood-sugar swings and dehydration. Liqueurs and cocktails are the main offenders.
Additives Moderate ▾
Colorants, flavorings, glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbates. Cheap spirits and ready-to-drinks often hide these in trade-secret formulas.
Merlot is the Cabernet-lite. Same reaction profile, dialed down a notch.
Merlot questions
How many calories are in a glass of Merlot? ▾
About 125 calories in a 5oz glass at 13.5% ABV. 110 come from the alcohol and 15 from carbohydrate.
How many carbs are in Merlot? ▾
3.7g of carbohydrate per 5oz glass. The producer does not publish a sugar figure, and in beer most of that carbohydrate is unfermented starch and dextrins rather than sugar.
Is Merlot gluten-free? ▾
Yes. Merlot is made from grapes. There is no wheat, barley or rye at any stage.
Does Merlot give you a bad hangover? ▾
Merlot scores 7/10 on the SpiritFacts Hangover Index, against 8/10 for red wine overall. The main drivers are its histamines, polyphenols, sulfites and tannins.