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Blended Wines and Varietal Wine

by Darby Higgs

You are a novice wine lover, sipping your wine, enjoying the new experiences that fermendted grapes are providing you, when at a nearby table, you overhear someone talking about blended wines and varietal wines. Questions that spring to mind “ What is the difference between the two types of wine?” and “How important is the distinction?”

At the basic level, the difference is quite simple. Varietal wines are made from a single grape variety. Blended wines are made using two or more types of grapes. For an example of the two catagories of wine we need look no further than the two great red wine styles of France:
    Burgundy red wine is composed of single variety of grape - Pinot Noir. On the other hand, Bordeaux red wines are most often blends of up to five grape varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Watch out though, the winemakers in Bordeaux will occasionally produce a few Bordeaux wines made from a single variety, but that is what makes learning about wine so fascinating, the exceptions in production along with drinking exceptional wines...
Upon further examination of this subject, the distinction between varietal and blended wines can become cloudy. Why? Many varietal wines are made from blends of wine grown in several regions. Take Australia’s Iconic Grange for example. Every year hundreds of samples of the same variety of grape, but taken many vineyards are tasted and evaluated before the final "blend" is decided upon. The result is a blend of regions, rather than varieties. AS discussed in other articles here at Taste of The Grape, the variables in sugar content and other qualties of a type of grape can vary greatly depending upon the local growing conditions.



Looking at wines from Down Under, you may notice many other modest Australian wines, with lesser claims to fame, are also regional blends. A clue that an Ozzy wine is a regional blend can be found on the label: often the words “wine of South Eastern Australia” tells you that the origins of this Australian varietal wine used grapes from different vineyards.

Another unusual varietal wine is one made from a single variety of grape, but are blends of several different vintages (ie, wines made in different years). This is quite rare for table wines.

While on the topic of labels, you should be aware that many wines bearing a single varietal name can legally contain up to fifteen percent of other varieties. If the wine is labelled as a blend, then the variety with the largest percentage composition should be named first, for example, a wine labeled Cabernet Merlot, should contain a larger percentage of Cabernet than of Merlot.

varietal wine Our second question is “How important is the distinction?” Well, if you find a wine that you enjoy and it is a blend, then you should continue to drink it. However, if you wish to extend your wine knowledge and thus enhance your wine experience you should try varietal wines whenever possible. Why? This gives you the chance to explore the subtle differences of individual grape varieties. And then further see the differences that occur when one type of grape is grown in, say, California as compared to Australia or Chili or France... There are hundreds of varietal wines available, each with a special subtle difference waiting for you to discover.

About the author: Darby Higgs is an expert on Australian wines made from unusual and rare grape varieties. He is the manager of the Vinodiversity website at www.vinodiversity.com
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News About Varietal Wine


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