StateWays ■ www.stateways.com ■ January/February 2015 28
varietal, which is a bit surprising given the popularity of
Viognier at nearby Virginia wineries."
With the recent launch of Concierge by DCanter, a be-
spoke wine selection and delivery service that
caters to each customer's distinct taste, bud-
get and lifestyle preferences, Warner believes
blends will become even more intriguing to
his patrons. "DCanter hopes to share a num-
ber of new wines that individuals may not
have previously considered due to obscure
or confusing labeling - a problem for many
blended wines."
This especially becomes a challenge
when unknown grapes, such as Portugal's
Viosinho, Rabigato and Gouveio, com-
prise wines like Esporão's new Assobio
white. It's also a recurring problem in Italy,
where many a desirable wine is a blend.
After all, look at the prowess of Chianti,
with its mix of Sangiovese, Canaiolo and
Malvasia Bianca. On the heels of Centine,
the Sangiovese-Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend that is
one of Banfi 's biggest sellers, the company will soon roll
out Unparalleled, yet another mélange of Tuscan grapes.
At Honor Wines in Staten Island, NY, owner Lorie
Honor notices that the blends of choice among most
her customers are Côtes du Rhône. But after that, it's
Italian wines that get the most attention. "Morellino
di Scansano, a Sangiovese-Cab from Maremma, and
Il Cacciatore di Sogni, Rosso Conero Montepulciano,
a Sangiovese-Merlot, are both under twenty dollars,"
she says. "There's an uptick in our customers drinking
blends. Many of our wine-curious drinkers understand
blends beyond Bordeaux and know they are not the
machinations of a Franken-winemaker 'covering' for
a meh wine, but actually a respected practice yielding
delicious wines."
Some of the other hit blends found on Honor's shelves
include Chateau Renard, from France's burgeoning Jura re-
gion, "a crazy delicious and dreamy white that is Savagnin
and Chardonnay," she says. "From the states, California
is representing well with the sort of super crazy and tiny
production from Napa. Suhr Luchtel Cel-
lars' Mosaique is just that, a gorgeous blend
of Merlot, Cab, Cab Franc and Malbec. For
more everyday drinking—and under twenty
dollars—we sell and love Betsy's Backacher
from Spann Vineyards, with huge fruit and
good, grippy tannins."
How to attract her customers to
these offbeat blends without an aggres-
sive marketing push? It's simply an or-
ganic educational process. "Because we
arrange our wines by varietal and write
notes on all of our wines," Honor says,
"customers who love, say, Grenache, can
easily explore a Grenache-Tempranillo-
Alicante that shares shelf space with Gr-
enache, along with Côtes du Rhônes and
other related blends."
Honor Wines, Staten Island, NY.
Franciscan Estate
Equilibrium and
Magnifi cat
Contact Jim Scova
Tel: 914-368-1012
jscova@MeritDirect.com
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