Blending is a specialty of many French wines and is considered by some to be an art in its own right. This method involves mixing different grape varieties or different vintages together to achieve the best possible wine. Many wines are "bi-varietal." However, blends can include up to 13 different grape varieties in certain regions. Domaine du Goût tells you more below.
Why make a blend?
In oenology, the blending method allows for richer and more complex wines. Indeed, by blending complementary grape varieties, the goal is to achieve the best possible result. It should be noted that there are more than 200 grape varieties used for winemaking in France. Not all these varieties have the same aromatic and taste characteristics. Also, to be enhanced, some grape varieties need to be combined with others to produce a more appealing product. Thus, one can aim to reach the right balance by enriching the aromatic range, adjusting the tannins, or the liveliness.
The practice of blending can also help to reproduce the typicity of a wine from year to year depending on the harvests. In this way, the aim is to convey the character that contributes to a wine’s reputation to guarantee the consumer consistency in the wine’s traits from one year to the next. This practice therefore allows offering wines with diverse profiles to suit audiences with different tastes and preferences.
The different types of blends
There are three types of blends:
- Grape variety blends
- Vintage blends
- Terroir or parcel blends
Grape variety blends consist of mixing different grape varieties to produce a wine. This technique originates from the practice of complantation, which is planting different grape varieties on the same vineyard plot with the aim of harvesting and vinifying them together. Nowadays, grape varieties are planted on different plots and blended after the harvest. Grape variety blending is very popular in the Bordeaux and Languedoc Roussillon regions.
Vintage blending results from combining wines from different harvest years. In this case, the rule is that the vintage (year) should not be indicated on the bottle. Vintage blending is especially renowned in Champagne production and is even considered one of the hallmarks of these wines.
Finally, terroir (or parcel) blending is a practice where the wine is made from a single grape variety but, depending on the age of the vines, orientation, soil, and type of aging, expresses itself differently. This blending is mainly practiced in the Loire and Burgundy, which are so-called "mono-varietal" regions, where most wines come from a single grape variety. In Burgundy, for example, you will find many wines that are 100% pinot noir.
When during winemaking is blending done?
It depends on the winemakers, but two methods are opposed. Some winemakers choose to age wines from different grape varieties together. The blend is then made directly after the harvest, as soon as the wine is put into vats. Others choose to harvest and vinify each grape variety separately. Then, they blend them before bottling the wine. This latter method allows finding the best proportion of one grape variety relative to another. It also allows creating several different cuvées.
Where is blending done?
In France, it should be noted that many regions practice blending. However, some regions practice blending more than others. This is notably the case in Bordeaux. Indeed, grape variety blending is a centuries-old tradition for the region. Practiced as an art by many, it is the hallmark of great Bordeaux wines to achieve a perfect balance between grape varieties. Champagne is also known as a blended wine, but it is a special case since the Champagne region holds all the rights regarding blending. Thus, crus with different characteristics, different grape varieties, and even red and white grape varieties are blended together (the only region in France where this is allowed). Finally, blending different vintages, combining the wine of the year with wines from previous years, is also a strong characteristic of Champagne wines. Note that Alsace and Burgundy are not known for blending but for working exclusively with mono-varietal wines.
