For the full article, please see
https://www.winesnw.com/news_reviews/newsandreviews_blend_trend.htm
Wines blended from several different varietals are the norm in Europe. Here in the New World we do not have the benefits that come with age-old wine regions and vineyards, synonymous with a core of varietals, on which reputations have been built; winemaking in North America got its start emphasizing single varietal wines…Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc.
Over the past several Pacific Northwest vintages, however, the observant visitor to our many wine regions and wine shops has, no doubt, noticed the increased availability of blended, high-end wines… Bordeaux-style and Rhone-style blends (both red and white), Super Tuscan-style blends and many other red and white proprietary blends that allow winemakers to balance the structure, flavors and acidity of their wines. We are learning which varietals grow best in our regions and which combine well for more complex and interesting wines.
Blended wines are not a new phenomenon in the Pacific Northwest, of course; they have been available for quite some time, usually in the form of table wines at the bottom of the price scale. Today’s blend trend is evidenced in the premium wine lists of wineries, restaurants and wine shops throughout the region.
Wine as art reaches the apex of its potential, agree many winemakers, when its creation allows the free hand of the winemaker to blend multiple wine-grape varietals from selected vineyards each vintage. Vintages vary more from year to year in the Pacific Northwest than in many other North American winegrowing regions; winemakers here vary percentages of each varietal every year in their blended wines to compensate for vintage influences on vineyard fruit. In their annual quest to find the “perfect” balance of flavors, acid levels and structure in their wines, winemakers vary the combination and percentages of grape varietals to create their final, nuanced blends.
