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Will the pure-bred wine please stand up. - Printable Version

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- Dogwalker - 06-23-2000

Question? (What else from me?)
I have noticed over the past several months that alot of "blended wines" seem to be showing up on the shelves of my local wine store.
Is this true or am I just noticing it more as I learn about wines? If true could it be because of price? Its cheaper to mix different types of wine togeather then to use all one type, I believe.
I know that the blending of wine isn't a new idea. Are there any "old standbys" as it were in the blending business?
Thanks, Chuck


- Innkeeper - 06-23-2000

Prior to 1970, even though they existed, and I am a East Coaster, I never heard of a varietally bottled wine, other than the ones from Alsace we enjoyed while living there. However, we are far from going full circle. There is more of the latter and less of the blended stuff than ever before. Not only have Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Eastern Europe, and Italy jumped on the varietal bandwagon; but, in the last ten years, so has France.


- Bucko - 06-23-2000

Chuck, don't take this for gospel, but winemakers blend wines for complexity and added characteristics. As an example, Cab Franc is blended into Cab Sauv to add a floral bouquet, and Merlot is blended in to add softness. The blend is more pleasing to the senses overall, unless you have lost all of your senses like many of us old far-- on this board. [img]http://forum.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]

Bucko


- Thomas - 06-24-2000

And furthermore, just because a wine is labeled by grape variety doesn't mean it is not blended. The BATF allows a label to carry the name of a grape as long as the wine includes no less than 75 percent of that grape, which leaves 25 percent for anything else the winemaker chooses to blend in.

Good winemaking often requires careful, studied blending, both for consistency in style and to make up for less-than-average vintage years. Before the California wine industry made grape variety names the benchmark for successful marketing, as Innkeeper says, you would have been hard-pressed to find a wine that was identified by the grape varieties in the bottle, except for Germany and Alsace, plus California.


- Innkeeper - 06-24-2000

While we're at it, we might as well discuss wine "mixing" vs wine "blending." When you get a bottle that says Semillion 21% - Chardonnay 79%, year after year after year, you know it is just mixed not blended. A good winemaker will carefully blend even his single varietal grapes from different vinyards or parts of his or her vineyard, as well as a shot of this or that within legal limits; even for a value priced wine. Some people do it right, and others the easy way. Some blend, and others mix.


- glenora - 06-25-2000

Innkeeper---

Mixing/Blending--I think your out where the ice is pretty thin!!


- winecollector - 06-25-2000

Looks like Inkeeper's taking a little heat today? I think I'll just mind my own business, and let you have this one....

Besides, your "resting" topic did have some legitimacy to it. I'll reserve judgement for now, and see how this thread developes....


- winoweenie - 06-25-2000

Chuck, don`t know which specific blended wine you`re talking about, but many of the greatest wines made in the world are blended. In Calif, Phelps Insignia, Flora Springs Trilogy , Cain Five, on and on, and the great growths of St. Julien, St. Emilion, and St. Estephe all are blends of some or all of the 5 major red varietals. Asstated so eloquently by Bucko, you can call a cab a cab as long as that sucker has 75% cab in it.Winoweenie


- Dogwalker - 06-27-2000

Let me change the direction of this just a bit. What do you guys think the wine market would look like and the prices be if the newly appointed "Director of Wines", under direction of the government passed a law that stated, "all wine must be made, bottled and sold as the vintage grown".
What the heck, stranger things have happened.
Just a thought, Chuck


- winoweenie - 06-27-2000

Dogwalker, you`ve just said two rhings that bring up my Hackles; "Director of Wines " and " Government ". You must be unaware of the BATF. If this isn`t enough gov`t for you I suggest you aren`t familiar with the agency.We have in place enough regs` to last until we all can only gum a cork. Don`t quite understand where you`re going with " amde , bottled , sold as vintage grown . What the heck do you think the lable " Estate Grown, Bottled and Cellared 1997 Vintage on a bottle Means? Deliver Me. Winoweenie


- Dogwalker - 06-27-2000

Perhaps I've mis-stated the question? What I meant was what do you think would happen for "whatever reason" wines couldn't be mixed, blended, combined, and had to remain "unswooshed" together?
How many wines (wild guess) do you think there might be and how would it effect the prices.
If this is either too wild or too stupid a question I'll withdraw it.
Also I am quite aware of the regs that prevent me from ordering and obtaining wines of my personal choice without it passing through several hands and price increases along the way.
Sorry for any confusion, Chuck


- Thomas - 06-28-2000

Dogwalker, there are regulations somewhat like what you describe in wine regions in Europe. For instance, regs prevent certain areas from growing any grapes other than the prescribed for that region. Other regs demand when and how the grapes must be harvested. Still other regs prevent vineyard expansion. These regs are part of the reason for case prices in places like Burgundy that exceed the monthly rental of an apartment on the Champs e Lyse or is that Elyse?.

[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 06-28-2000).]