Corbans vineyard scene from the winery's Website.

As one more piece of evidence that this Merlot thing has gotten out of control, here's one from New Zealand, a place not widely known for its reds. The good news, however, is that it turns out to be a rather pleasant red table wine, reasonably competitive at the $10 price point. I'm told that Longridge is a label of Corbans, one of New Zealand's larger and well-respected wineries.

Corbans 1995 "Longridge" Hawkes Bay (NZ) Merlot ($9.99)
Clear garnet color. Appetizing aromas of cassis and dark chocolate with an intriguing smoky edge. Flavors follow the nose, tart-cherry fruit with a slight, pleasant herbaceous quality. Quite acidic, but with plenty of fruit to hold it in balance. I didn't bring high expectations to a modest New Zealand Merlot, but it exceeded them substantially. U.S. importer: Dreyfus, Ashby & Co., NYC. (Jan. 23, 1998)

FOOD MATCH: Fine with a roast chicken.