Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/49694
The names Robert Renzoni gives some of the blends pro- duced by his winery reflect his family's musical background. This blend is called Concerto. For the last several years, some of the blended wine world's best storytellers have come from the burgeoning Southern California region of Temecula Valley, whose liquid sagas are spun by winemakers sternly committed to the cause of optimizing their terroir. As one may expect, such potable narratives do come equipped with terrific names—distinctive covers that give those who indulge in their contents a fine view into a winery's very fiber. In the Temecula Valley, these handles will sometimes highlight a fun aspect of the venue; Cougar Winery, for example, boasts a couple of blends that share a name with one of the property's "wine dogs." Other times, the monikers can delve into more personal grounds; the musically-themed blends at Robert Renzoni Vineyards pay homage to the host of professional musicians that are in the eponymous wine- maker's family. While these carefully crafted labels share a part of the winery's soul with the public, they also help to forge an intimate bond between the customer and the venue, one that tends to transcend the realm of tasting notes. "People will connect with the name of the wine blend through the story because of its uniqueness," says Ken Zignorski, General Manager of Monte De Oro, whose blend Synergy 65 references the winery's large ownership group. "Rather than just saying something like 'I had a red' and then not knowing what kind it was or where it was made, a blend with a specific story behind its name will allow the wine and the winery that pro- duced it to stick out in someone's mind more." It is a polished approach. However, for the Temecula wine- Cougar Winery boasts a couple of blends that share a name with one of the property's "wine dogs." maker, the quest to produce exquisite wine blends extends well beyond a pleasant-sounding, marketable business model. Rather, the creativity inherent in the wine blending process not only represents a true expression of the grapes involved, but also speaks heavily of the winemaker's passion and finely honed instincts—attributes that, in a sense, are regarded above all else. "When we set out to make a blend, we make it primarily with our heart and guts," says David Vergari, winemaker at Thornton Winery. "We will use our brains just when they are needed." Often, the path that is taken to find the ideal representation december 201 1 / the tasting panel / 63