Merlot Resurrected

For those who may have forgotten, “Sideways” was a popular film that caused many in the wine industry to convulse because of a single line of dialogue.

From Napa Valley vineyards to the storied estates of Bordeaux, merlot is regaining its place among the world's great wines. Relu1907/Shutterstock

Nine Sonoma County wine lovers gathered at a table in a Petaluma restaurant on a recent Thursday evening to pull corks on 16 different classic bottles of wine.

Included in the lineup was a bottle from 1924, another from 1961, an iconic Napa Valley cabernet, two other red wines from Bordeaux, a 40-year-old barbaresco, and a 1997 German auslese for dessert.