Merrell Big Sky Jacket Review
Hey, guess what? It’s
Vendemmia season! One of the sweetest
events of the fall, and I feel kind of bad that it’s taken me this long to acknowledge
it.
OK, I had to Google it; I had no idea what Vendemmia
was. But that’s why I like doing
research for these product reviews: because I never know what sort of
interesting information I’m going to stumble across. I got to Vendemmia via
Merrell’s Big Sky jacket, which of course I’ll tell you about shortly – but first,
a bit about its inspiration.
 |
| Merrell Big Sky jacket |
Vendemmia is the fall grape harvesting and crushing time in
the historic wine regions of Italy. It’s hard to predict the exact dates, as the kickoff depends on the grapes
reaching their peak ripeness, which can vary by vineyard throughout the country.
Vendemmia is the time of year when wine-making
families stop whatever else they're doing to focus all their attention on getting grapes off the vine and processed
– it's a period that entails long days of labor and careful attention to detail. Nights are spent relaxing, and by late fall
the first editions of new wines are available in restaurants and tasting rooms
for the public to enjoy.
Merrell used the traditional Vendemmia as the inspiration
for a line of fall apparel that combines Old World materials and styling with
performance and comfort features. The
Big Sky jacket comes from that collection, which the website says is made for “long
days on the trail and longer nights with friends.”
 |
| Interior fleece on left, exterior wool on right |
The exterior of the Big Sky is about as traditional as you
can get, with an all-weather wool fabric blend that is brushed smooth and soft,
with practically no itchiness that wool sometimes causes. However, the interior layers bring the jacket
into the 21st century, with super soft fleece interior lining, and
Merrell’s Aeroblock fabric that provides high wind resistance and
breathability.
There’s also a bit of nylon to provide stretchiness and full
range of motion, resulting in an overall fabric blend of 62% polyester, 27%
wool, and 11% nylon. Wind resistance of
the jacket is 12 cubic feet per minute per square meter (or CFM – I had to look
that one up too), which places it squarely in the 10-15 CFM range of most midweight
softshell jackets. However, the Big Sky
insulates better than soft shells, as the wool combination maintains body
heat much more effectively than many synthetic materials.
Even more than the material performance, I’m most impressed
with the styling of the Big Sky. It’s
got a classic Old World look, and truly would be equally at home on the trail
or a fancy Italian restaurant. And since
the jacket is so cozy and comfortable, you can wear it for hours on end with no
problem. I wear it to church on Sundays, and keep
it on for lounging around the house the rest of the afternoon.
Sometimes there’s a lot to be said for the old ways, whether
it’s the longstanding art of winemaking or the stylish utility of well-designed
apparel. Merrell’s Big Sky is an ideal
casual option for cool autumn days and nights – whether you’re enjoying
Vendemmia in Italy or fall festivities closer to home.
It is available in four colors and retails for $139 from the Merrell website.
*Product provided by
Merrell.
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comic strip that referenced the notion of permanence – which, ironically, was published in the summer of
1989, just a handful of weeks before author Berke Breathed officially brought
that chapter of his career to a close. I
remember feeling quite melancholy about the departure of Bloom County from the
daily comics*, even though I recognized that the strip had morphed and changed
and played out so many crazy story lines that it must have been practically impossible
to keep things fresh and exciting anymore.
