Meritage Wines and Pronunciation

When we see proprietary names on wine bottles, name like Insignia from Joseph Phelps or Opus One from the formidable duo of Mondavi and Rothschild, these names are chosen many times because they lack the required percentage of any one grape which would allow them to be called by the varietal name. A special group of these wines choose to emulate the blends of grapes made popular in Bordeaux. If they comply with certain standards, they may carry the name Meritage. The Meritage Association sets these standards. The wines must be a blend of two or more Bordeaux varietals, be the winery’s best wine of it’s type, be made by a US winery from AOC grapes and limit production to less than 25000 cases. The word Meritage was selected in a contest of 6000 entries in 1989, and combines the words "merit” and “heritage”. So the frenchified pronunciation Meritahj is incorrectly applied and the actual pronunciation rhymes with the word of it’s origin, heritage. Think there are only five varietals in Bordeaux?
Allowed grapes include Cab Sauv, Malbec, Merlot, Cab Franc, Gros Verdot, Petite Verdot, Carmenere, and St. Macaire for reds, and Semillon, Sauv Blanc and Muscadelle for whites. Yep there are White Meritages!