A few weeks ago, when my wine editor at Dan’s Papers asked me if I wanted to to go Bedell Cellars to attend a special event celebrating 17 years of Merlot, I jumped at the chance. Kip Bedell, founder and winemaker, is known throughout L.I. wine country as “Mr. Merlot” and in tasting 17 vintages, he has certainly earned the title. Even the early vintages, made when he admits he knew “only a fraction of what he does now” about grape growing and winemaking, were delicious. I’ll not give away too much information here, I do have to write an…