Feb. 22, 2012 - Issue #853: Folkways
Veni, Vidi, Vino
Eye of newt
The essence of blending wine
All over the world, winemakers blend their wines much like a witch's brew, with patience and endless taste tests. They perfect their craft during years of effort, nitpicking over the tinniest of tannins and the smallest sugar variations. The reasoning behind this age-old ritual is to get the flavour of the wine just right, like when you add extra basil, garlic or salt to a homemade batch of marinara sauce. And, like a cook, the winemaker strives to please his/her taste while creating something you will enjoy as well.
Why blend? Sometimes winemakers just like to have fun and concoct an entirely new wine flavour profile. These blends turn out to be the most enjoyable because the winemaker's personality shines through. Australia's Penfold's and California's Bonny Doon, Ridge and Marietta Cellars are a few wineries that have introduced us to their unique style of wines. Most of the time, the percentages are listed on the label, so you can learn which different varietals strike your fancy.
But generally, blends are downright crucial. Sometimes a Cabernet, Malbec or Zinfandel alone is just too tannic to release on unsuspecting palates. The harshness of the wine can assault your mouth and send you running for the hills. To woo you, the winemaker might add a dollop of smoother, fruitier Merlot to even out (or "balance") a harsh or young Cabernet. And a little dab'll do ya; even a 25 percent addition of another grape's juice can change the wine experience. (In California, if a bottle is labeled Merlot, the juice within must be at least 75 percent Merlot.)
In Europe, blends are part of the historic wine fabric. France has been blending wine for centuries in
Bordeaux and the Rhone Valley. The majority of wineries in Bordeaux produce blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot or Malbec. California makes its own French-style blend of at least three of these grapes, and call it Meritage. White Meritage is a blend of the two white grapes grown in Bordeaux: Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. (There is a third, Muscadelle, but it doesn't show up often.) The Rhone Valley boasts one of the most famous blends in the wine world: Châteauneuf du Pape, named after an area in the southern part of France. Winemakers can use up to 13 different grapes for a Châteauneuf du Pape blend, with Grenache or Syrah grapes as a base. Because of the variety of grapes used, the style of this blend can range from smooth and fruity to heavy and tannic.
In Italy, it's the same deal. Although the regional grape varieties are heavily mandated by the Italian government, blends are commonplace. In Tuscany, the Sangiovese grape rules, but Super Tuscans—a relatively new breed of Cabernet-based wines—have come to the forefront with a more modern take on Italian wines. Worth a look.
So next time you're in the market for a Cabernet, don't be surprised if there's a little Merlot thrown in there. And be sure to watch for the eye of newt. vueweekly.com comments: powered by Disqus
Privacy Policy:
Vue respects your privacy. We will not forward your personal information to any other organization except as required by law, and will use your e-mail address only to respond to your comments. We reserve the right to edit and remove comments for length, clarity and/or if they are illegal or inappropriate. Your email address is never shown to visitors to vueweekly.com. Read the whole policy at: http://vueweekly.com/privacy
Comments policy
Comments go online directly without first being seen or reviewed by editors at Vue. Don't personally attack people, don't be defamatory, don't be spam-atory, don't hawk your band, don't pretend to be someone else, be clear, be on topic, be nice. Read our extended comments policy here. »
We use Disqus for our comments system. What's that all about?
We found that managing the comment community at Vue was easier to do with a system like Disqus. If this isn't straightforward to you, get help here.