38 Beverage Dynamics • January/February 2015
www.beveragedynamics.com
Blended Wines
Blends are hardly stigmatized these days; instead, they are rel-
ished. 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 typically don't know what blends they are
looking for," he says.
Knowing this piece of open-minded consumer intelligence is a
boon to retailers who can tap into this growing interest, giving up
-and-coming wine regions the spotlight. New York State wines have
made tremendous strides over the last several years; along with an
increase in quality, customer interest has been piqued.
One such winery that has championed Long Island wines is
Bridgehampton-based Channing Daughters. Its super-blends, like
the Mosaico (Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat,
Gewürtzraminer, Tocai), change every year. Lieb Cellars, close by
in Mattituck, debuted two new blends under its Bridge Lane brand
in 2014: the Bridge Lane White Blend (29% Chardonnay, 26%
Pinot Blanc, 18% Riesling, 14% Viognier, 9% Sauvignon Blanc, 4%
Gewürztraminer) and the Bridge Lane Red Blend (46% Merlot, 37%
Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot, 5% Malbec). Likewise, up in
the Riesling-dominant Finger Lakes, Anthony Road Wine Company
in Penn Yan has had great success with its more unconventional Cab-
ernet Franc-Lemberger blend.
"Blends are becoming increasingly popular among New York win-
eries, especially with certain grape varieties like Cabernet Franc and
Lemberger, and Riesling and Gewürztraminer," notes Jim Tresize,
president of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation. "These vari-
eties, as well as others, can make some stunning wines by themselves.
But sometimes blending can give you a whole that's greater than the
sum of its parts - it's taste synergy."
Blends are also a choice introduction to more serious single va-
rietals. Franciscan Estate Winery, in St. Helena, for example, makes
Esporão Assobio Franciscan Estate Equilibrium and Magnifi cat Bridge Lane White and Red Blend
NY-based Waterfront Wines & Spirits.
