Wine

Published: Sunday, Aug. 09, 2009

The Grapevine: Winemakers get creative with blends

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Many of the wines we buy today in California are labeled with the name of the grape variety. That wasn’t always the case.

Before the 1930s, most California wines were blends that carried generic names such as “Chablis” or “Burgundy,” even though these wines had nothing to do with the French regions of Chablis or Burgundy.

Eventually, varietal labeling became commonplace. It was easy for consumers to understand and even began to be seen as a mark of quality. Never mind that some of the great wines of Europe — Bordeaux, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, for example — are blends of more than one grape. Winemakers in those areas have known for years that blending several grape varieties often results in a wine that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

A lot of California winemakers have adopted that point of view. They’ll tweak, say, a cabernet with a small amount of merlot. (Federal regulations require that at least 75 percent of the wine be made from the grape variety that’s on the label.) But some winemakers go all out and blend several grapes, then give the wine a unique name.

“Insignia,” for example — a red from Joseph Phelps that was California’s first Bordeaux-style blend with a proprietary name — sounds a lot more enticing than “red wine.”

One Bordeaux-style blend that I like is the Flora Springs Trilogy from the Napa Valley. Flora Springs winemaker Paul Steinauer says that blending Trilogy allows him to make “a wine that’s much more food-friendly.” The 2006 Trilogy ($65) offers lively black cherry, notes of mocha and spice and firm yet fine tannins. For less money, there’s the well-balanced 2006 Valley of the Moon Cuvée de la Luna ($35).

Rhone-style blends, both red and white, are also popular. At Kiamie Wine Cellars in Paso Robles, winemaker Steve Glossner makes a white blend of viognier and roussanne called White Kuvée. The viognier, he explains, “gets ripe so fast. … I’m always running to catch up.”

The roussanne matures late, and he picks it just a bit under-ripe to balance the alcohol of the viognier. The 2007 Kiamie White Kuvée ($24) is fragrant and floral with pretty honeysuckle and white peach flavors.

Wines from the Cotes-du-Rhone appellation offer good value in blends. The 2006 Paul Jaboulet Ainé “Parallele 45” Cotes-du-Rhone ($13) is peppery and robust, with dark berry notes. As for whites, there’s the lean, racy, minerally 2008 M. Chapoutier “Belleruche” Cotes-du-Rhone Blanc ($13).

The potential combinations are limitless. At Bargetto Winery in Soquel, the flagship wine is a red blend of Italian varieties called La Vita. Dolcetto, says director of winemaking John Bargetto, “brings a deep fruit and richness,” while refosco contributes color and spiciness and nebbiolo lends acidity and tannin. The 2004 La Vita ($60) is juicy and concentrated, with rich berry and spice.

E-mail Laurie Daniel at ladaniel@earthlink.net.