Our take
Red Diamond Merlot Washington Red Wine
- Style
- Red wine
- Size
- 750 ml
- Grape
- Merlot
- Region
- Washington State
- Shelf barcode
- 0088586001123

Our take
What we make of this bottle
Merlot ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon, and grape guides say that head start tends to make it rounder, with tannin that in many examples pushes less hard and with plum or other dark fruit in the glass; climate and any blending can leave it fresh and medium-bodied or turn it broad and rich. This bottle comes from Washington, where the Cascade Range keeps most of the Pacific's rain off the eastern half of the state, giving those vineyards warm days, cold nights, and a real risk of winter frost. The state counts 21 official growing areas, a few of them reaching into Oregon, so its name marks a wide stretch of country rather than one plot of ground.
3 shoppers have rated it, averaging 5 out of five, and it ranks among the lower-priced reds we track. We have not been able to confirm the winery's own account of this bottle, and our September 2026 checks put its cheapest tag at $10.99 and its dearest at $17.99.
The Grocery Store Wine Desk · written Sep 16, 2026 from our research file for this wine. Numbers reflect our latest checks.
More from the desk.
Related bottles with a written overview and a public evidence file.
Chateau Ste Michelle
Read our take →Columbia Crest
Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot Washington Red Wine
Read our take →14 Hands
14 Hands Merlot Washington Red Wine
Read our take →14 Hands
14 Hands Run Wild Juicy Red Blend Washington Wine
Read our take →Barnard Griffin
Barnard Griffin Rob's Red Blend Washington Red Wine
Read our take →Chateau Ste Michelle
Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon Washington Red Wine
Read our take →The prices we checked
Dated store checks, not a promise about your store.
- Kroger, Atlanta suburbs, GA$10.99
- Fred Meyer, Portland, OR$17.99
- Kroger, Knoxville, TN$12.99
- QFC, Tacoma, WA$12.99
The regular price can vary by store and date.
Research status
What we are still checking
Our overview above draws on the dated store feed, shopper ratings, our region and grape research, and any sourced producer facts. We are still working to confirm the current release, the full producer record, and the bottle itself, and we update this page as we learn more.
Getting to know Washington State.
A Washington label can point to a large state blend or to a narrower AVA. Most vineyards are east of the Cascade Range, but the exact AVA still matters because elevation, wind, rain and frost exposure change across the state.
What the name means
Washington is a state origin, not one American Viticultural Area. Its wine regions include 21 federally recognized AVAs, some shared with Oregon.
How grapes grow here
The Cascade Range blocks much of the Pacific rain from eastern Washington. That creates generally dry growing conditions with warm summer days, cool nights and winter frost risk, while western sites have stronger marine influence.
What lies under the vines
Flood deposits, windblown silt, sand, gravel and volcanic material occur across Washington wine country. A state name alone does not identify one soil or vineyard setting.
How large the region is
- Recognized AVAs
- 21 wine-growing areas are listed by the Washington State Wine Commission.
- Label resolution
- Washington State is broader than an AVA, so the bottle or producer must establish a more specific place.
Places within the region
- Columbia Valley
- A very large AVA that contains many of Washington's smaller wine regions and crosses into Oregon.
- Yakima Valley and Walla Walla Valley
- Two established AVAs within the broader eastern Washington landscape, each with its own boundaries and local conditions.
Getting to know Merlot.
Merlot is a red grape that can make a complete wine or soften a Cabernet-led blend. It generally ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon and often has a rounder structure.
Category guide
What to expect in the glass
Regional guides describe plum and other red or dark fruit, with less forceful tannin than Cabernet Sauvignon in many examples. Climate and blending can make it fresh and medium-bodied or broader and richer.
Sources: New Zealand Winegrowers; Napa Valley Vintners. Checked Aug 10, 2026. See all 28 Merlot wines we cover →
Where this information comes from
- Store listing
- Price, package, product identifier, and shopper rating. Checked Aug 10, 2026.
- Barcode
- The shelf barcode shown here is computed from the store product identifier. It has not been checked against a bottle.
- Method
- Every price, rating and fact here is a dated observation. How we check.