What is a red blend wine?
Blending multiple grape varieties or vintages into a single wine has been a common practice in the wine world for centuries. In fact, listing a wine's varietal on its label is relatively new. So how does blending work? The process often goes something like this:
Once the red wines have finished fermentation and aging, the winemaker draws samples from the barrels or tanks they plan to use in the blend.
The winemaking team creates mock blends at varying proportions in a process called a "bench trial." Here they taste through the samples to determine the final ratio. Along the way, they will adjust these amounts and taste again in pursuit of the perfect harmony of flavor profile, tannin, acidity, color, oak and mouthfeel.
After the winemaking team has finalized their ratio, they will use one tank to blend the wines at the determined proportion before bottling.
Like winemaking itself, blending is an art form steeped in thousands of years of tradition. Each step in this meticulous process brings winemakers closer to their goal: to craft a wine that reflects its region, varietals, and the effort that went into its creation.
Top red blends
The best red wine blends are usually inspired by historic regional styles, most of which originated in France, Italy or Spain. Bordeaux blends, also called Bordeaux Rouge, are perhaps the most well-known. These red wines are typically based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, supported by smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carménère. Bordeaux-style blends are usually full-bodied wines with red and dark fruit notes and evidence of oak aging. A GSM blend is another popular style that started in France's Côtes du Rhône region. These wines are made of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. They are usually complex, age-worthy red wines with bold fruit flavors and spice. In Italy, Tuscany is home to Chianti and Super Tuscan wines. Chianti is named after the region it comes from. These are food-friendly blends featuring primarily Sangiovese with tiny amounts of other native varieties. Super Tuscan wines were first produced in the 1970s when Tuscan winemakers blended French varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with Italian Sangiovese. This challenged Tuscany's strict wine laws, which only permitted indigenous varieties. The style turned became widely popular and is now recreated in regions worldwide. Spain's world-famous Rioja wines focus on native grape varieties like Tempranillo, while Priorat wines star international grape varieties. Both can range from fresh and fruit-forward to savory, aged styles.
Visit our Wine School to learn more about the different types of wine grapes and what they bring to a blend.