Harold Thoreen of Antoine Creek Vineyard near Chelan, Washington, son Colin, and Harold’s wife Suzanne Haggard taste Northwest Merlot wines during an educational session spotlighting Merlot at statewide grape talks. Melissa Hansen Merlot wine grapes are among the most planted in the world and recognized as an important blending variety, yet Merlot wines suffer from lackluster sales. Has Merlot really gone “sideways,” like the title of the comedy-drama 2004 movie about wine? Sideways, the surprisingly successful movie adapted from Rex Pickett’s novel, followed two middle-aged men spending a week in California’s Central Coast wine ­country. The movie created a marketing […]