How funny.......we’d probably get along. I enjoy making a good martini as well. Been infusing it for a couple years now. Pineapple and Blackberry are my favorite fruits to infuse so far. Try this...2 prts B/B infused Finlandia, 1 prt cointreau, 1 prt chambord, 1 prt sweet/sour mix. The s/s mix I make with fresh lemons, limes, cherries, mandarin oranges and simple syrup. The martini sounds much sweeter than it actually is. A really good cocktail book is Diffordsguide to cocktails www.diffordsguide.com (it's my favorite, and I have many).
For Merlots, you might try Steltzner and Provenance - Napa vineries, and Kim Crawford – New Zealand. They are my favorite Merlots that I’m never disappointed with, no matter what year (so far).
