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Blended Wines and Varietal Wine
by Darby HiggsYou 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...
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.
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
Rare Australian Wines ~ Rare But Not Endangered. 4Hoteliers, Hong Kong - By Darby Higgs These rare Australian wines are not endangered - Some Australian varietal wines that are one of a kind. The varietal wine scene in Australia ... The (anti) French Revolution: New Grape Varieties in Australia. |
Results of the English & Welsh Wine of the Year Competition Drinks Media Wire (Communiqués de presse), France - The best red wine once again went to a single varietal Pinot Noir, from Titchfield Vineyard in Hampshire. An important aspect of successful wine marketing ... |
Wine of the Week South Bend Tribune, IN - It's one of the relatively few California chardonnays around this price that truly reflects the style of the white Burgundy wines that made this varietal a ... |
 Nashville City Paper | Wilder on Wine: Fab summer cabs Nashville City Paper, TN - Some of my favorite summertime cabs come from locales not known for specializing in that varietal. Chile is still carving out its niche in the wine world, ... |
No shortage of options to get fired up about Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN - Argentinians love their beef, and the grilled cuts generally rock with malbec, that country's foremost red varietal. Or think grilled pizza with Chianti; ... |
Riesling and sauvignon blanc deliver big flavour for whites Vancouver Sun, Canada - Robert Mondavi was a big proponent of varietal wine because he firmly believed that American drinkers would embrace wine if they knew which grapes were in ... |
When is a cab not a cab? Ottawa Citizen, Canada - Many professionals like to know if they're dealing with a 100 per cent varietal wine or a blend, because it helps them analyse the wine. ... |
Story tools presented by National Post, Canada - Malbec, a Bordeaux varietal of normally marginal interest, shines in Argentina where it's most often grown in Mendoza close to the equator. ... |
Zinfandel is all-weather wine choice for July 4 celebrations Seattle Times, United States - Old as I am, I don't remember its heyday, back in the 1880s, when it was the most widely planted varietal in the country. I do remember the improbable and ... |
Bocce, the perfect complement to wine tasting San Francisco Chronicle, USA - And Seghesio's wine makes for excellent tasting. Its Sangiovese, from the oldest plantings in North America, made me regret ever maligning the varietal as ... |
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