Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/61075
Percents of Interest IN SEARCH OF THE ELUSIVE BLENDED WINE by Ben Weinberg T erroir alone does not equate to quality. Small plots, whose grapes experience relatively homogenous conditions, are hugely infl uenced by local weather. Wines of this type may be better in some years. Then again, they may be worse, and lack of scale will often make them more expensive. That's why blends are often a better bet, both for the vintner and for the consumer. In addition to blending for con- sistency, vintners blend grapes and vineyards in order to add complexity to the fl avor and texture of wine. My search for the elusive blend has illuminated a plethora of methods for accomplishing this end. Certain amalgams, particularly sparklers and port, combine vintages. There are also vintage mergers comprised of differ- ent grapes grown in the same year. Some combinations are composed of the same varietal, usually of a single vintage, from various vineyards. Ultimately, any successful blend must form a balanced picture in the drinker's mind. Many of the best are classic recipes handed down through the generations. Others are newly created, attempts to produce innova- tive and exciting wine with fl avor characteristics like nothing else on the market. Regardless of origin, some of the world's greatest bottles contain intermingled juice. Ben Weinberg plays detective to eke out more than the usual suspects in blended wines. april 2012 / the tasting panel / 125 PHOTO: KEVIN MOLONEY