The Long Island Merlot Alliance (LIMA) was formed in 2005 with the goal of developing quality standards in the production of Long Island merlot and to establish Long Island as the leading region for merlot in the New World. To date, the going has been slow with that mission. Though I know the group has done extensive research and analysis, little of it has been published or shared publicly. Still, the group has released several vintages of Merliance, a cooperative, 100%-merlot wine made using two barrels from each member winery. It's an interesting — and challenging — concept for a…