A Whidbey merlot just got a bit juicier.

Whidbey Island Winery’s 2011 merlot has been rated the No. 1 wine for a list by blogger Stan The Wine Man in his blog for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The list, called “Top Forty Under Twenty Bucks” is an annual list of wines that are currently available for purchase and cost under $20.

“We’re thrilled to have this recognition, we have always tried to make outstanding wines that are affordable,” said Greg Osenbach of Whidbey Island Winery. “The ‘Sideways’ joke about merlot just makes it more of a challenge.”

The top forty wines were chosen from wineries in Washington, Oregon, California, Portugal, Spain, Chile, Italy, France, Germany and New Zealand.

In the review, Stan wrote, “Merlot lives! I dare you to drink a glass of this and disagree with me on the quality of this juice. When I tasted this, all I could do was say ‘wow!’ ”

This is the 23rd year of production for Whidbey Island Vineyard & Winery, which sells directly from the winery while also distributing to store and restaurants on Whidbey Island and mainland Washington.

Estate-grown grapes provide wines unique to the Puget Sound Appellation and an extensive list of red grapes are sourced from some of eastern Washington’s vineyards. The wine list currently features eleven red wines, five white wines, a rose and a Barbera port. The tasting room is located at 5237 Langley Road.