Wines may be blended together for any number of reasons. Sometimes the varieties of grapes are less important than what region it was produced in; Bordeaux is an example of this. A red wine from Bordeaux may simply be called a 'Bordeaux red' or a claret, but the grapes used may be any or all of Cabernet Sauvignon , Cabernet Franc, Merlot , Petit Verdot, Malbec , and Carmenere. Sweet Sauternes wine is always composed of Semillon , Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle.

Another reason to blend wines is to balance them out. One wine may be too sweet, have not enough acid, be just flabby, or be too thick, so blending it with a second wine which happens to be sharp and dry produces an interesting third variation. The primary wine characteristics are acid, fruit, sweetness, and tannin. Having too much or not enough of one of these throws the wine off in one way or another.

A blended wine will typically be labeled with the region which produced it; examples include 'Bordeaux', 'Rhone', 'Champagne ', and 'Chianti' are all examples. Some blended wines are also produced with reference to the specific grape varieties used, for instance a 'Cabernet-Merlot'. Be aware that of course, when you have region labeling, the wine is banking on the region's excellent reputation and while the exact flavor may vary from vintage to vintage, the quality is guaranteed to be consistent.

Please contact us if you have any suggestions for our wine website.

Browse our Wine Specials | View our New Products | Join our Wine Club

Red Wine | White Wine | Champagne | Rose Wine | Sparkling | Dessert Wine | Fortified Wine