...other wines I like?
okay, so far when I go into a wine shop I can ask for a merlot that lacks any depth and is a bit light tasting

thanks that's helpful

These are great table wines. Dry and good with meat dishes. You'll like Bogle Old Vine Zinfindel and Ferrari Canara Merlot 2002 as well. Others are Oz, Turning Leaf, Yellow Tail, Coppola...Black Swan...all good and so are South African Wines.

The French Vineyard Fat Bastard is not particularly known for their Merlots and Cabernets. Their strong suit is Syrah and Chardonnay at which they do a respectable job. I find the merlot to lack any depth and is a bit light tasting, and their cab cannot hold a candle to American domestics from Napa Valley. Depending on your budget if you want to go domestic. try a Blackstone Merlot on the low end. If you have a bit more to spend try Rodney Strong or Stages Leap. Neither is outrageously priced but will be a bit more than the imported Fat Bastard. As for the Cabernet, any California Napa Valley retailing for around $20 is enjoyable. If you want to stay with an import I might suggest you cross the border from France over to Italy and pick up you Merlot an Cabernet from there. The French are top choice hands down on Pinot Noirs, Bordeaus and petit syrahs in the red category, but look elsewhere for you merlots and cabernets.

one wine you need to try is Planeta la Segreta