I was recently tasting through wines with an Ontario producer. One was a very attractive white blend and, as we discussed it, he told me that at one restaurant, the wine buyer had declined even to taste it, as he didn’t like white blends and said they didn’t sell.
That struck both of us as strange, as many white wines are blends. White wines from Bordeaux and Châteauneuf-du-Pape are blends. Most whites that go by a generic name, like the very good South African wine, Goats do Roam White ($11.95, 237313) are blends – in this case, a blend of viognier, roussanne, and grenache blanc. Riesling-gewürztraminer blends are fairly common in Ontario, while semillon-sauvignon blanc blends flourish in Australia.
White wines are less likely than reds to be blends, as the most common varieties, such as chardonnay, pinot grigio, and sauvignon blanc, are usually made as single-varietal wines. But it’s quite possible that overall, most wines on the market are blends.
Many sparkling wines – including champagnes and cavas — bring together two or more different varieties, although prosecco tends to be made 100-per-cent from glera. But red blends are very common, and they’re often labelled as such. So there are hundreds of cabernet-merlot, cabernet-shiraz, and cabernet (that is, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc) blends, not to mention the many reds with generic names — including the Goats do Roam Red ($12.95, 718940) which unites six different varieties. Two of the wines I review today (Clos de la Siete and Thelema Mountain Red) are blends.
There might be some residual belief (explaining the wine-buyer’s attitude) that producers use their best grapes to make single-varietal wines — so their best chardonnay to make a 100-per cent chardonnay, their best merlot to make a 100-per-cent merlot — and throw the inferior or leftover grapes into blends, where their quality will be disguised.
In fact, winemakers labour over their blends, painstakingly choosing the varieties, and deciding the proportions of each, in order to come up with the best wine from the grapes they’re working with. One variety might contribute more to flavour, another to texture, a third to acidity. You can see the results in some of the most prestigious reds, like the top wines from Bordeaux and the Rhône Valley, and iconic wines like Penfolds Grange.
But most wine laws allow producers to label a blended wine as a single-variety, as long as the dominant wine is at least 75- or 85- per-cent (depending on country) of the blend. So many blends are concealed, and anyone with a prejudice against blends might well find that his or her favourite wine turns out to be blended, after all.
Guy Saget Sancerre, McWilliam’s J.J. McWilliam, Clos de la Siete, and Thelema Mountain Red.
Guy Saget Sancerre 2013
This is a lovely sancerre (sauvignon blanc) that goes well with many poultry, white fish and seafood dishes. Look for focused and well-defined flavours that are complex and consistent from start to finisn, underpinned by fresh, crisp acidity. 13-per cent alcohol; $21.95 (319657)
McWilliam’s ‘J.J. McWilliam’ Shiraz-Cabernet 2013
This is a very affordable, well-priced Australian red that delivers plenty of flavour. It’s full of ripe-sweet fruit, has a decent level of complexity, and the fruit-acid balance is good. It’s a good choice for ribs, burgers, and pizzas. 13.5-per cent; $9.95 (16741)
Clos de la Siete 2011
A blend of malbec, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah from Argentina’s Mendoza region, this is a terrific red that shows complexity, structure, balance, and style. It’s full bodied, but remarkably drinkable and a great choice for grilled red meats. 14.5-per cent acohol; $22.95 (622571)
Thelema Mountain Red 2012
From South Africa’s Western Cape region, this is a very good-value blend of petit verdot, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, grenache, cabernet franc, and shiraz. It’s flavourful, nicely layered, and very well balanced, and goes well with red meats and hearty stews. 14-per cent alcohol; $12.95 (222570)
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