12/03/07 Why Blend Wine?

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran and today we are discussing why it seems as though there are so many more blended wines on the market these days. You may not always be aware of it but blended wines are actually the most common wines on the retail shelf. The legal requirement is that a minimum of seventy-five percent of the grape named on the bottle must to make up the final product. If the label reads Cabernet Sauvignon there is at least seventy-five percent of that grape, very likely blended with some Merlot and maybe something Cabernet Franc or whatever else that the winemaker feels expresses the style they hope to achieve. Each grape variety contributes a different characteristic, such as increasing the level of acidity to make the blend bright and lively. Using each of their varieties strengths, the characteristics are combined to create a wine that is well balanced with a pleasing mouth feel. Blending different proportions of grape types to create wines that do not have the minimum of seventy-five percent of a single grape will not allow the wine to be labeled by a grape name. These wines are often given a proprietary name like Big Red Truck or Leaping Lizard or Meritage on the high end of the scale. Due to the law they are all considered a table wine. However, if you really stop to think about it - a soup that is only chicken broth is not nearly as interesting as chicken broth with lots of good things mixed into it. Why shouldn't a winemaker have the same options as a chef? Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.