Weekly Saturday Tasting

The Beauty of the Blend

Saturday, August 19th
1:00 - 3:00

The idea of labeling a bottle of wine by the grape name is a relatively new trend in the wine world. Some areas, such as Alsace in France, have done so for years, but they were very much in the minority. Historically the name that went on the label most often, the name thought to be most important, was the region, village, or vineyard the wine came from. It was often the case for many of these classically known wines that they would also not necessarily be made of just a single grape, but were blends. Many believed that blending a variety of grapes which prospered in a specific area would give a better sense of terroir, that the wine tastes of where it was grown. In the Southern Rhone Valley Chateauneuf-du-Pape is king, and can be composed of up to 13 recognized grape varieties. Red Bordeaux has thrived based for centuries on a classic collection of 5 noble grapes, and Tuscany's Chianti allows 4-5 other grapes to be blended with the mainstay Sangiovese grape. Even in Californian wines, many people drink more blends than they realize, as a wine need only be 75% of a single grape to be listed as that grape on the label, and they are not required to indicate if it is blended with other grapes (though the large majority do). So this Saturday we are going to look at four of our current favorite blended wines, and investigate if the whole is truly more than the sum of its parts!

Ovum 'Big Salt' White
Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Early Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, Other
Oregon, 2022

Ovum 'Big Salt' Orange Rosé
Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Early Muscat
Oregon, 2022

Vigno Tinto
Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro, Jaen
Dão Valley, Portugal, 2019

The Whole Shebang Red
Zinfandel, Carignan, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Mataro, and other Mediterranean Varieties
California, NV