Tasty Imports - Join Us Wednesday
for In-Store Tasting

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Benefit Tasting
Saturday, February 13, 2010

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This week we feature four imported wines with plenty of versatility and value. Bivio Pinot Grigio and the Northfield Frog Rock are both refreshing whites, perfect for those lighter meals. Try the Bivio Pinot Grigio with a pasta tossed with roasted vegetables and grilled chicken. The Kiwi chardonnay is wonderful with coconut fried shrimp, or stream crab legs. The Juno Red Blend and Atalaya Red Blend are fine examples of how blending wine can create a synergy of flavor. These reds are wonderful with a slow cooked roast or grilled Portobello mushrooms with smoked gouda cheese.

January 27, 2010 - Tasty Imports!
Bivio Pinot Grigio (Italy) $12.29
Northfield Frog Rock Chardonnay (New Zealand) $12.99
Juno Red Blend (South Africa) $10.79
Atalaya Red Blend (Spain) $16.49
     91 Points Wine Advocate

Read blending wine.

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Blended wines

Each grape variety has its own flavor profile. Some varieties have more color and tannins in their skins, while others are more acidic. Some grapes produce wines with beautiful noses and others create long lingering finishes. There are grapes that typically taste like red fruits, black fruits, tropical fruits, or citrus fruits. Others can take on flavors of black pepper, cedar, mint, lavender, lemongrass or other spices when vinified.
     The differences between grape varieties are not limited to just flavors. Some varieties bud earlier than others and therefore are harvested earlier. There are grapes that grow well when it is hot, while others do not.
     For over two thousand years grape growers in Europe experimented with different varieties to see which ones performed the best in their environment. They usually planted several different types of grapes, staggering their budding and harvest times to minimize the risk of losing their entire harvest to bad weather during bud-break or harvest.
      Another benefit of growing more than one type of grape is the ability to blend. Skilled winemakers evaluate each concoction, weighing every aspect of the available juice, until they've created the perfect ratio. They become very intimate with the flavors of each grape variety and each vineyard and how they interact with each other. Examples of some established recipes can be found all over the world.
     For example, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet franc have been grown together for generations in Bordeaux because of their synergistic affects. You can find combinations of this recipe in most new world growing regions as well. Spain and Italy have even started blending cabernet and merlot with their prized tempranillo and sangiovese.
     Syrah, mourvedre, and grenache are another winning trilogy. Mourvedre and grenache were first paired up in Spain, where they are known as monastrell and garnacha. Syrah joined the pair in the southern part France's Rhône Valley. These grapes enjoy hotter climates than their peers from Bordeaux and new world versions of this spicy blend are available from California and Australia.
     Of course white grapes have been known to be blended together with a touch of gestalt. The Rhône Valley offers another trilogy that has caught on in the new world, that of viognier, marsanne, and rousanne.
     Sauvignon blanc is a great grape for blending. It offers an interesting canvas for additional splashes of more intensely flavored grapes such as semillon, viognier, muscat, and chardonnay.
     The distinct flavors of one particular grape can be a comfortable, consistent choice. For those who like variety, look to blended wines. The recipe may change from vintage to vintage, even adding or omitting a particular grape, but the opportunity to enjoy the expert palate and blending talents of a winemaker shouldn't be missed.

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