Blackbirds fly with fruit of the vine

What do blackbirds have in common with wine? Plenty, if one of the most familiar varietals in the world is named after one. The old French word for a baby blackbird, of course, is merlot.

But no matter what that image conjures - either the nursery rhyme with its four and 20 chirpers or Carly Simon's warbler singing in the dead of night, few will now associate "merlot" with "bird".

Some ancient farmer was probably scratching his head over what to call his new bunch of black grapes when his eyes fell on the fledgling in the hedge. Whatever the origin, the grape itself has now hijacked the name by virtue of it being one of the most common grapes planted in the land - both in its native France and its California, South American or Australian homes.