Merlot�is a dark blue-colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to be a diminutive of merle, the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the color of the grope. Its softness and �fleshiness�, combined with its earlier ripening, makes Merlot a popular grape for blending with the sterner, later-ripening Cabernet Souvignon, which tends to be higher in tannin.