Ep 156

If you’ve ever assumed that a bottle labeled “red blend” or “white blend” must be lower quality than a single varietal wine, you’re not alone. But that belief leaves out a huge part of how great wine is actually made.

In this Mythbusters episode, I’m breaking down the idea that blended wines are somehow inferior. While it’s true that some inexpensive red blends and white blends can be made with lower quality grapes, blending itself isn’t the problem. In fact, blending has been part of winemaking for centuries and is often what gives a wine its balance, complexity, and structure.

You’ll learn why winemakers blend grapes in the first place, how different grape varieties contribute things like aroma, texture, and tannin, and why even wines labeled as a single varietal often involve blending behind the scenes. We’ll also look at famous blends like GSM and Bordeaux blends and explain why those grapes work so well together.

So the next time you see the word “blend” on a wine label, you might look at that bottle a little differently after you listen to this episode!

Thank you to our exclusive sponsor, First Bottle Wines, for sponsoring this episode. Go to www.firstbottlewines.com and use code CORKANDFIZZ for 10% off your order! (And be sure to sign up for their mailing list so you never miss a bottle!)

Episode Highlights:

Why the myth about blended wines exists
The difference between cheap blends and quality blends
Why blending has been used in winemaking for centuries
How blending improves balance, flavor, and structure
Why even single varietal wines are often blended
What makes a GSM blend work so well
How Bordeaux blends are structured
What field blends are and why they were historically used
Why blending is both an art and a science in winemaking

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