As we move into October, it makes me think about Oktoberfest. I’ll admit that I’m not a beer drinker and would much rather celebrate the Autumn season with a nice red wine. For me, red wine is the perfect complement to those cooler nights snuggled up by a roaring fire with a wool blanket under the stars. Red wine gets your blood pumping and keeps your body warm. This might be imagined (on my part) but I definitely feel it. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that most red wine grapes are grown in warmer climates, but it works for me! Whether it’s a Cabernet from Northern California, a Red Blend from South America or a Tempranillo from Spain, a glass of red is simply the best Autumn libation.
For this blog post, I’m going to focus on red blends. Red wine typically has more than one grape blended into it, so the tannins usually associated with red wine will be mellowed out a bit. This makes it more approachable by the mainstream wine drinking population. Merlot is a very popular blending grape and is used in varying percentages to help red blends taste smooth and enjoyable. A true red wine blend is usually varying percentages of more than one grape. The characteristics are the same as single grape wines…cooler climate red blends are light with higher acidity and warmer climate red blends are bold and deeper in color. Winemakers are “in charge” of creating the most interesting and exciting blend of two, three, or more grapes. A little bit of this, a little bit of that…a science experiment! The blend is created after fermenting each individual grape. The end result after blending the varying percentages can be an exciting, complex wine that tantalizes your palate.
Red wine blends are created all over the world and have increased in popularity. Styles of blending are different in each part of the world. Wine regions have their signature blending styles that you’ll see if you venture into the Red Blend category of wine. Other factors in different regions are the varietals grapes. As you can imagine, each country or wine region has grapes, terroir, and climate that is indigenous to their area. This makes for exciting and unique blends that speak to the particular region they are from. This is the most intriguing thing about wine for me. Every country and wine region are different based on its location on the planet!
Typically, blends are a bit less expensive than single varietal wines but can be just as delicious, interesting, and thought-provoking.
Check out the listing and reviews of some of the best red blends from Wine Enthusiast magazine:
https://www.winemag.com/varietals/red-blend/
Head to your wine shop and ask about a red blend. Instead of a beer during Oktoberfest, try a rich, bold, and beautiful Red!
Cheers! 