Every winemaker is tasked with crafting a wine of the highest possible quality given the tools he or she has. This applies to mass-market wines, luxury wines, and everything in between. It is easy to apply the adage that “the whole should be greater than the sum of its parts” to wines produced in regions where many different grape varieties are commonly blended, but it is a concept that spans far beyond varietal blending. Regardless of style or quality level, creating a wine that is better in totality than its individual components requires a winemaker to have a comprehensive understanding of blending and its relationship to wine quality.
Winemakers can blend different grape varieties, parcels, or vintages, as well as wines made in different styles. Whatever the blending strategy, it must ultimately enhance a wine’s ability to display quality, a term that encompasses balance, length, intensity, complexity, and the ability to age. Perhaps less glamorous but of equal consideration is wine stability, without which a finished wine cannot display its best qualities.
Many classic wines of the world are made by blending different varieties because the process can result in a wine of better balance, complexity, or ability to age.
Sauternes is often a blend of the richer, broader grape Sémillon (which is also more prone to botrytis) and the more aromatic, lifted Sauvignon Blanc. Chateau Rieussec incorporates varying proportions of each depending on the vintage to achieve their voluptuous yet ageworthy style. In 2013, 96% Sémillon was used alongside 4% Sauvignon Blanc, whereas 2009 brought drought, hot days, and rich wines, resulting in only 84% Sémillon blended with a higher proportion of Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle.
Blending Bordeaux varieties like Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon to
Thanks Mary-Margaret!