California Blended Wines

The State of the Blending Art in California

Why would anyone want to take a perfectly good Zinfandel and mix it with Syrah? Or add a telling dose of Viognier to a base of Chenin Blanc? Sounds a little odd, doesn't it?

One of the delights of the wine industry is that it's such a moving target. A few decades ago California wineries took pride in offering unblended varietal wines. Beaulieu Vineyards even created a special label for its wines which guaranteed that the contents were 100% unadulterated. But blended wines are again on the forefront of today's stylistic evolution in California winemaking - and they pervade all sectors of the market, from inexpensive quaffs to upscale collectors' wines.

TYPES OF BLENDS
Wines are blended for many different reasons. First, they're blended for economy. With the average price per ton of California Cabernet Sauvignon soaring above $1,200, it's an attractive option to blend it with Zinfandel, a comparative bargain at $450, or Carignane, which is even less expensive. Federal law allows up to 25% unidentified blending wine in bottles carrying a varietal designation and marketing savvy almost demands that wineries take full advantage of this option.

There are a number of very good field blends from the North Coast, Central Coast, and Sierra Foothill regions. Field blends are the product of vineyards which have been planted proportionally with two or more varietals intended to be harvested and fermented together to make a blended wine. Most notable, perhaps, is Ridge Geyserville, a blend of 67% Zinfandel and several other varietals from a venerable Sonoma County vineyard.

Regional blends are the norm in Italy and Spain. Valpolicella, Bardolino, Amarone, Chianti, and Rioja are blends of at least three varietals. Most of the wines of the southern Rhône Valley are Grenache based blends.

Finishing blends represent the winemaker's attempt to perfect a varietal wine Most quality California varietal wines are finished with small amounts of blending wines to add body, softness, early drinkability, perfume, complexity, or to highlight certain qualities in the base wine. The most celebrated finishing blends are the Cabernet Sauvignons of Bordeaux and the California Meritage wines.

The most recent trend in California blended wines is cross-varietal blends. Like Hegel's Dialectic, two completely different varietals are combined to produce a result unlike either of the component wines. The Australians have been experimenting with cross-varietal blends for decades, particularly in the economy market, offering Chardonnay-Semillon blends to those unwilling to pay a couple of dollars more for a varietal Chardonnay; and Cabernet-Shiraz blends to those who either can't afford to buy varietal Cabernet Sauvignon or who are off put by the stronger tannins present in the unblended wine. Australian cross varietal blends have taken the economy market by storm and California wineries want a piece of the action.

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