REVIEW article
Front. Sustain. Food Syst.
Sec. Sustainable Food Processing
Volume 9 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2025.1675782
The Resilient Merlot: From Global Growth to Sustainable Viticulture and Winemaking in the Age of Climate Change
Provisionally accepted
- Universita degli Studi di Udine Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari Ambientali e Animali, Udine, Italy
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Merlot, a grape variety with a rich history and significant genetic diversity, has become one of the most influential cultivars in the global wine industry. Its adaptability to diverse climates has enabled extensive cultivation in major wine-producing regions, including France, Italy, the United States, Australia, and Chile.. This adaptability, combined with its ability to produce consistently high-quality wines, underline the importance of reviewing and understanding its future potential. Merlot originate from a cross between Cabernet Franc and Magdeleine Noire des Charentes, have endowed it with a unique versatility and resilience. These traits have not only facilitated its widespread cultivation but also made it a key player in the face of global viticultural challenges, particularly those posed by climate change. Merlot’s early ripening nature and resistance to certain diseases make it an essential cultivar for regions facing increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. In this context, this review aims to highlight the importance of this grape variety by detailing the factors that contribute to its aromatic complexity and sensory appeal, which make Merlot wines are highly appreciated by both consumers and end experts due to its balanced aromatic profile. As the wine industry grapples with the effects of climate change and shifting consumer preferences, understanding Merlot’s strengths and potential becomes even more critical. By integrating genetic, agronomic and oenological perspectives, this work emphasizes Merlot’s current significance and highlights its strategic importance for the future of global viticulture.
Keywords: merlot, Wine, Winemaking, Fermentation, Climate Change, Polyphenols, volatile compounds, bioprotection
Received: 29 Jul 2025; Accepted: 13 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Gridello, Colautti, Pellegrini, Comi and Iacumin. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Michela Pellegrini, michela.pellegrini@uniud.it
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.