When wine grapes first started being grown in California, a lot of the major companies found out that they could grow Merlot grapes fairly quickly, and have them still be decent, and they wouldn't have to spend nearly as long waiting for the vines to mature as they would if they were growing Cab Sauv or Melbeck or the like. So within about 3 years, there was a
huge flood of merlot on the market, and it was kind of looked at by wine people as a joke wine, since there was so much and it had all been run off so quickly and so easily. The stereotype has stuck, since Merlot is still incredibly easy to grow quickly and make an "okay" wine out of, and as a result California Merlot is kind of looked down on among wine snobs.
Also a picture I guess.
Y/N on piercing potentially?