The first weekend of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is in the books, as is the first round of the Meritage Madness Tournament! How did your favorites do?
What would a tournament held in March with the word “Madness” in its popular nickname (not sure where I stand on copyright grounds around here, so lightly I’ll tread) be without upsets? Without the fabled “Cinderella”? No where.
It is therefore my great pleasure to announce not one, but two upsets in the first round of the Tournament! While our top seeded favorites, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, had no problem with their competition, and have moved on handily, Red Region 2-seed Merlot was upended in spectacular fashion by 7-seed Grenache! A battle won by the Rhone Valley!
In the White Region, while not quite as spectacular, another Rhone variety overachieved, if only a bit, as 5-seed Viognier toppled 4-seed Riesling in a 60-40 battle that didn’t ever seem to be in the Noble Grape From Germany’s grasp.
In other matchups, the favorites prevailed, as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio/Gris, Zinfandel, and Pinot Noir round out the Elite Eight.
Will Grenache continue its Cinderella run and take out heavy favorite Zinfandel? Will Chardonnay survive its latest challenger on its run to the crown? And what about that 1 vs 4 matchup in the Red Region? Cabernet Sauvignon vs Pinot Noir could be the toughest matchup in the Tournament, and the winner may be the prohibitive favorite moving forward. Exciting stuff, be sure to vote on the Regional Semifinal matchups below! (sorry, voting is closed)