France is known for producing blends of red wines, and the rest of the wine making countries are following the example. Many red wine fans are tired of drinking a wine with just one varietal. Very often a blend of grapes brings out depth and the best of each grape. Below are a sampling of some blends that were inspired by the French practice. Each one is delicious with juicy red meat like a burger or a grilled steak! The last wine is an usual red wine that is not a blend, but perfect for this article!
Sette 7, Macari Vineyards, North Fork Long Island NY, NV
First of all, this wine has no vintage, which means that varietals from different years created the wine. The wine is 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot. I tasted oak in the finish, but it was not overwhelming — it just added flavor. This is not the same blend as Bordeaux, but it is quite tasty. A full red wine with some dark fruit flavor, I would love this wine with steak. The North Fork climate is heavily influenced by the Long Island Sound, Peconic Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean. The maritime influences of those water bodies help to moderate temperature changes and extend the growing season. New York has three major vitricultural areas, and Long Island is one. Try this wine on a chilly Spring night with a hearty steak!
Beckman Cuvee Le Bec, Santa Ynez Valley, CA 2010
Another blend not copying Bordeaux varietals exactly, this wine is Syrah based. The wine is 44% Syrah, 34% Grenache, 13& Mourvedre, and 9% Counoise. This blend really imitates a Cote due Rhone in France, but does not taste the same. The Syrah dominates the flavor of this wine giving the flavor a peppery flavor that I don’t always taste in a Cote du Rhone! The next flavor in the wine is a juiciness, which is typical of Syrah also, but also can come from the Grenache. Mourvedre is a wine with higher acidity which is in wines from Bandol France, but very infrequently in American wines. It is most likely added to this wine to balance the juiciness. Counoise is often blended with the above wines, because it opens the flavor of younger wines, and also adds flavor such as plum and wild berry to wine. Putting all those grapes together, this wine is delicious! I would love it with a hamburger most of all, so if you try this wine, give that pairing a try!
Tatty Road by Gemtree, McLaren Vale Australia, 2008
This wine has Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. It is close to a Bordeaux blend, except that the percentage of grapes used in this wine are a little different from what I’ve seen in Bordeaux wines. This wine is 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Petit Verdot, 25% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Franc. On first whiff the wine smells like a traditional Bordeaux — earthy. The first taste, and subsequent tastes, are quite different. Red fruits such as strawberry is easy to taste, and strangely, there is a peppery flavor in this Syrah-free wine! McLaren Vale has a climate similar to Mediterranean France, which might explain the tendency to grow the same grapes. McLaren itself has numerous terroir because the soils vary from one vineyard to the next. Each terroir, however, requires irrigation in the warmer seasons because none of the soil in McLaren retains a lot of water. I like this wine, although it is more fruit-forward than I normally like. If you like Australian wines AND you like red blends, give this one a try!
Blaufränkisch, Red Tail Ridge Winery, Finger Lakes NY, 2010
When I first got this wine, I thought it is a blend. It turns out that Blaufrankisch is a grape! The grape was first grown in Central Europe, and is now grown in Washington and New York states, sometimes known as Lemberger. On the nose, Blaufränkisch wines have notes of of dark ripe cherries and other dark berries. They taste of a cherry/berry mix with spice, have medium tannin levels and sometimes very good acidity. Young wines are deeply fruity and become more velvety, supple and complex with age. This Blaufränkisch wine has won the Silver Medal Winner at the 2013 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and the Silver Medal Winner at the 2013 San Diego Int’l Wine Competition. It got its fruit from the Martini Family Vineyard at Seneca Lake.
