www.beveragedynamics.com
January/February 2015 • Beverage Dynamics 37
W
hile the popularity of Napa Valley grapes such as Char-
donnay and Cabernet Sauvignon will never wane, Cali-
fornia'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 contrast 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 vintage unites Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Petit Verdot,
Cabernet Franc and Malbec; the Cab-
heavy 2011 Dominus, with just a touch
of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc; or
Quintessa, which puts some—or all—of
its estate-grown grapes (Cabernet Sau-
vignon, Merlot, Cabernet 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 variety. Santa Ri-
ta's new Bougainville, from Chile's
Maipo Valley, 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 Sauvignon, and even its refreshing sibling, Apothic
White (with Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Riesling). The equally
playfully 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 buyers that
the very thought of purchasing a wine blend over a single va-
rietal is negative. Naturally, rampant buzzwords like Burgundy,
a region that connotes elegance and lavish 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 Bor-
deaux. Many people do not even realize
that Bordeaux is almost always a blend
of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Caber-
net Franc and other less-known grapes,"
says Donald Killinger of Brooklyn, NY-
based Acme Wines & Spirits and Wa-
terfront 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."
W
BY ALIA
AKKAM
BLENDS HOLD THEIR OWN
DCanter, Washington, DC-
based wine boutique.
"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."
— Donald Killinger of Brooklyn, NY-based
Acme Wines & Spirits and Waterfront Wines & Spirits
