This week we are trying a red and white wine from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, an appellation famous for wines that are made from a blend of many grapes. In fact, eighteen grapes can be used in making the wines of the village, but why blend at all?

Blending is a practice that has been around practically as long as wine itself. Wine experts believe that this came about to fight variations in weather year to year. Some grapes have bud break later than others, some finish ripening earlier than some and some just need a bit more heat and sun to ripen. If winemakers grow only one grape, they are at risk of their entire crop being ruined, however if they grow multiple grapes, they can mitigate that risk.

Today the climatic implications of blends can still certainly play a role, but more often winemakers are using a variety of grapes to make more complex wines. In Chateauneuf Syrah may bring a bit of tannin and darker fruit flavors, while grenache can bring in notes of strawberry and Mouvedre may provide some meaty and earthy undertones. While blending white wines is less common it is still the norm in Chateauneuf, different white wines can help to change the texture or help lift the aromatics.

Blending may even happen when you aren’t aware of it. For example, in California for a wine to be varietally labled i.e. Decoy Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine only has to be 75% of the grape on the lavel. Meaning a Cab Sauv could have up to 25% of other grapes in it. This is not uncommon for Cab in particular because grapes like Merlot are often used to soften the otherwise too tannic Cab.

Some people seem to think that "blends aren’t for me" but we would say that there is a blend for everyone! Whether you like the Bordeaux style blends with Cab and Merlot lead the way, the Grenache Syrah Mouvedre (GSM) blends made popular by the Rhone, or some uniquely Californian blends with Zinfandel and Petit Sirah, there is a little something for everyone! We hope you are able to come and try one of our favorite red blends this Friday at our downtown store!