As
a wine drinker, it’s highly likely you’ve at some point come across an incredible
blend. But what exactly does that mean? What’s the process of making a blend,
and why do winemakers choose to do it?
Understanding wine blends
Blending is at the
heart of many great wines, be they from Rioja, Bordeaux, Champagne, California,
South Africa or right here in Australia.
It’s one of the
reasons that some winemakers liken their work in the cellar to that of a chef
in a Michelin restaurant.
Winemakers don’t
just blend grape varieties. For example, wines can also be a blend of vineyard
parcels, a blend of vineyards from a single estate or contracted growers.
Why
Blend Wine?
Blending
wine gives the winemaker more control of certain aspects. Alongside grape
variety, several factors influence blending decisions, including:
- Vineyard age
- Climate and soil type
- Picking date
- Time spent in oak, and the
type of oak
Winemakers
use blending to marry these elements depending on what they want.
What’s the
Process?
One
of the greatest tools a winemaker has is the ability to blend wines, but it
requires experience and knowledge, along with a bit of trial and error.
With
years of experience in blending, winemakers tend to have an idea of where to
start or a stylistic approach they’re trying to achieve, especially if they’re
mimicking a blend or similar style year after year.
It’s
about finding the balance point. With whites, it’s all about the acid and sugar
balance and getting that mouthfeel and flavour profile. With reds, it’s more
about getting the tannin profile where you want it, ultimately making a wine
that’s more balanced. Ultimately, a blend may utilize just two varietals, or it
may incorporate percentages from six — it’s all up to the winemaker.
Famous
Blends
Undoubtably
one of the most famous blends in the world would be Penfold’s Grange, with a
single bottle of 1951 Grange Hermitage fetching $38,420 at auction in 2004.
If
this isn’t in your price range, and let’s face it, there aren’t many of us that
it would be, there is endless possibilities for picking up an amazing and
delicious wine blend, such as either of our Bluegrass blends, Cabernet Merlot
or Cabernet Shiraz.
