The art of blending PDF Print E-mail
Written by Boela Gerber   



Ever wondered why, at some stage, most winemakers seem to develop the uncontrollable urge to blend different varieties together? Is this a way to get rid of all the odds and ends in the winery after they have bottled all their other premium wines or is there actually some method in their madness? And what’s up with Bordeaux blends and Cape blends?
 
During my fourth year at Stellenbosch University our oenology class went to Rust en Vrede for a cellar tour/wine tasting. Yes, that is what we did as part of our course and we called it studying. The then winemaker of Rust en Vrede Kevin Arnold (currently winemaker at Waterford) did the tour and concluded the tasting with the words: “When blending a wine, the final product should be better than any of the individual components”. These were really big words, probably wasted on a 22-year-old student at the end of a tasting. Only years later, when I was appointed as winemaker at Rickety Bridge in Franschhoek and was responsible for making up their flagship blend, the penny finally dropped.

 
As we are not allowed to add any flavour to wine, the only way to build in more and different flavours is to blend in other wines with different characteristics. A soft, rich Merlot can be beefed up by adding a big, structured Cabernet Sauvignon, or a bold, spicy Shiraz can be toned down by adding some light, fruity Grenache. Each variety has its own characteristics and obviously its applications as blending component.
 
Now, to explain some of the blending jargon:  a Bordeaux blend refers to a blend of any of the five varieties found in the Bordeaux region in the southwest of France.  The five varieties are:  Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. A typical Bordeaux blend is normally made up of Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot, but Merlot-driven blends are also popular. One can use any two and up to all five varieties to make up a Bordeaux blend.
 
Cape blends are even more confusing:  today it is accepted that a Cape blend is a wine that contains at least 20% Pinotage; the rest could be anything. Irony is: There is no wine law that prescribes exactly what a “Cape blend” is.  If you go to a restaurant and order a Cape blend, chances are pretty good you will get a Pinotage blend.
 
The latest trend in the Cape Winelands is Rhone-style blends.  Like Bordeaux blends, Rhone blends are very confusing and open to interpretation. The name refers to blends typically found in the southern Rhone Valley in the southeast of France, and the blend may contain different proportions of the following varieties:  Shiraz (or Syrah, same thing), Mourvedre, Grenache, Carignan, Cinsaut and Viognier.  It has become popular to use abbreviations of the varieties as a name.  SMV will indicate a Shiraz/Mourvedre/Viognier blend.
 
Bordeaux blends, Cape blends and Rhone blends are the three most popular red blends at the moment. There are also things like white Bordeaux blends (Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon) as well as white Rhone blends (Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier).  But there is really nothing stopping a winemaker making up his own blends.  It really is the most fun part of winemaking!
 
For any comments or questions regarding blending, please feel free to get hold of me on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it