By: Ed "The Wine Guy"
More and more red-blend wines are appearing in the marketplace; even the more prestigious and upscale vineyards are now jumping on the red-blend bandwagon. (Of course, Bordeaux wines, for the most part, have always been blends.) The main reason for this trend is that red blends are meant, in most cases, to be immediately drinkable: open and drink. The vast majority of wine buyers purchase wines on their way home from work to be consumed that evening with dinner, or they buy wine for weekend consumption. There is little thought of cellaring (storing a wine, in some cases for years, until it matures). Many people, not having the time or the patience, find the need for aeration (exposure to air for a certain length of time to achieve maximum flavor*) to be a nuisance. The vintner (wine maker), in making the red blend, acts like a chemist, adding a particular varietal of grape/wine to achieve a desired effect. Perhaps a particular blend-in-the-making needs more fruit (add more Merlot), perhaps it needs a hint of wood (Cabernet Sauvignon), perhaps it needs some spice (Zinfandel and/or Malbec), and so forth, until the desired taste and texture have been achieved. We are featuring the following red blends: Columbia Winery Composition; Bogle Phantom; Josh Legacy; Vitiano; Conundrum; and Vigilance, but there are many more to choose from.
*White wines have no need of aeration; in red wines, air initially helps to expand flavor, but, after a while - depending on the wine - air will turn the wine into vinegar.
*White wines have no need of aeration; in red wines, air initially helps to expand flavor, but, after a while - depending on the wine - air will turn the wine into vinegar.