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StateWays ■ www.stateways.com ■ January/February 2015 26 W hile the popularity of Napa Valley grapes such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon will never wane, California's beloved wine region has also become quite well known for its blends, primarily crafted from the area's star red grape. According to Nielsen, red table wine blends saw a growth of 11% in 2014, in con- trast to whites at just 4.2%. Red blends account for about a sixth of all red wine sold in the U.S., which translates to the fact one in six bottles of red wine sold in the U.S. is a blend. Consider the powerhouse Opus One, whose 2011 vin- tage unites Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Petit Ver- dot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec; the Cab-heavy 2011 Dominus, with just a touch of Petit Verdot and Caber- net Franc; or Quintessa, which puts some—or all—of its estate-grown grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cab- ernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenere) in the spotlight year after year with its annual blend. Yet not all successful blends need be of the upscale vari- ety. Santa Rita's new Bougainville, from Chile's Maipo Val- ley, appeals—for $40—with its blend of 85% Petite Sirah and 15% Syrah. And let's not forget mainstream brands like California-made Apothic, the easy-drinking jammy wine with Zinfandel, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvi- gnon, and even its refreshing sibling, Apothic White (with Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Riesling). The equally play- fully named Cupcake Wines, also from California, made a splash in recent years. Along with varietals like Malbec and Pinot Noir, its Red Velvet - a blend of Zinfandel, Merlot and Petite Sirah - is just as sought after. It has long been entrenched in the minds of wine buy- ers that the very thought of purchasing a wine blend over a single varietal is negative. Naturally, rampant buzzwords like Burgundy, a region that connotes elegance and lav- ish prices, disguised the fact that many of these esteemed wines were, in fact, blends—very good ones at that. "The classic blended wine is red Bordeaux. Many people do not even realize that Bordeaux is almost always a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and other less-known grapes," says Donald Killinger of Brooklyn, NY-based Acme Wines & Spirits and Waterfront Wines & Spirits. "A runner-up would be Côtes du Rhône. There are over twenty grapes allowed by the rules of the AOC, with the predominant red grapes being Grenache and Syrah." Blends are hardly stigmatized these days; instead, they are relished. Yet Killinger can't place his fi nger on the exact reason for their luster. "Many customers don't even know the wines they enjoy actually are blended. However, some customers do specifi cally say that they like blends, but typi- cally don't know what blends they are looking for," he says. Knowing this piece of open-minded consumer intelli- gence is a boon to retailers who can tap into this growing DCanter, a Washington DC-based wine boutique. BY ALIA AKKAM BLENDS HOLD THEIR OWN