Meritage is a made-up word that means a blend of noble grapes in the style of Bordeaux. Learn how it was created, what grapes are used, and how to pronounce it. Divest yourself of the temptation to pronounce it “Mary-Taj.” It’s like “heritage.” By the 1980s, American winemakers could lay claim to some high quality, high value wines. American Winemakers doing pretty much exactly what they were doing in Bordeaux: blending masterpiece wines from a variety of “noble” grapes. By the late 1980s, American winemakers were tired of naming their masterpiece blends “table wine”. Let’s taste some amazing American wine!