Varietals Best Not Blended

[Ron Johnson]

Mogsob made a comment that was followed by Nesita regarding grapes that are best not blended in wine. Personally, I think Syrah is great alone (Hermitage, Cote Rotie, St. Joseph, Cornas, Crozes Hermitage), but it is also great blended (Chateauneuf du Pape, Super Tuscans, Languedoc blends).

Grapes that do not work well in blending for wine:

Riesling

Gewurztraminer

Pinot Noir

Zinfandel

Pinot Grigio

Gruner Veltliner

edit disclosure: corrected misuse of varietal except for title of post

[Fat Guy]

Ron: Question on usage of "varietal" vs. "variety." Varietal refers to a wine made from a single grape variety, right?

[Ron Johnson]

Ron: Question on usage of "varietal" vs. "variety." Varietal refers to a wine made from a single grape variety, right?

FG, to be honest I am not sure because I constantly get that wrong, but your definition sounds right to me. So single varietal as in my post would be redundant redundant.

[Fat Guy]

Okay, I did a Google search and here's what some random Web site that sounds authoritative says:

"Variety versus Varietal: Types of grapes are called varieties. A varietal is a wine made principally from one variety of grape and carrying the name of that grape. So for example, a wine made from 100% Merlot would be called a Merlot varietal."

http://www.tizwine.com/learnwine/varietal

[hollywood]

Okay, I did a Google search and here's what some random Web site that sounds authoritative says:

"Variety versus Varietal: Types of grapes are called varieties. A varietal is a wine made principally from one variety of grape and carrying the name of that grape. So for example, a wine made from 100% Merlot would be called a Merlot varietal."

http://www.tizwine.com/learnwine/varietal

Hasn't that usuage been corrupted so that you've got to get into estate bottled or something to really mean 100%?

[tommy]

in my experience, "varietal" refers to wine, whereas variety refers to a grape. i don't think that a "varietal wine" has to be 100% from a certain variety, but perhaps just mostly that variety.

edit: ok then, fattus just said something like this. nevermind.

[Ron Johnson]

Okay, I did a Google search and here's what some random Web site that sounds authoritative says:

"Variety versus Varietal: Types of grapes are called varieties. A varietal is a wine made principally from one variety of grape and carrying the name of that grape. So for example, a wine made from 100% Merlot would be called a Merlot varietal."

http://www.tizwine.com/learnwine/varietal

Clearly, and of course. Perhaps a title change is required for the post as well in order to keep up appearances?

[tommy]

ron, i think people often use the terms interchangeably. i know i do! (use varietal when you want to sound smart)

[hollywood]

Ron: Question on usage of "varietal" vs. "variety." Varietal refers to a wine made from a single grape variety, right?

FG, to be honest I am not sure because I constantly get that wrong, but your definition sounds right to me. So single varietal as in my post would be redundant redundant.

Well, not exactly. As the attached indicates, in the US, a wine can bear a grape variety name and be a blend of only 75% of that grape.

http://www.aboutwines.com/home/reference/varietals/?

[MartyL]

Ron, Personally, I'd take Zinfandel off of the "no-blending" list.

Although most producers either do not blend Zinfandel or do not advertise it if they do, Ridge's Geyserville and Lytton Springs bottlings generally include some Carignane, Petite Sirah and/or Mataro (aka Mourvedre) in addition to Zinfandel. In fact, the most profound Zinfandel-based wine I ever had, the 1991 Geyserville, contained only 50% Zinfandel.

[tommy]

pinot noir, of course, is often blended to make sparkling wines.

[Ron Johnson]

Well, not exactly.  As the attached indicates, in the US, a wine can bear a grape variety name and be a blend of only 75% of that grape.

Right you are Hollywood, but I think that applies to the law which governs what can be put on the label, not what the term varietal means. Currently, the law in California is that a wine must be at least 75% of a variety for that variety to appear on the label as the only grape used. A wine that is 75% merlot can be called simply a merlot on the label. A wine that is 60% merlot and 40% cabernet must get a proprierty name or have the blend on the label.

Varietal is a term for a wine made from one grape.

However, as Tommy and you pointed out, few wines are actually only one variety of grape even though they are referred to as a varietal.

Ok, everyone thoroughly confused?

[tommy]

Varietal is a term for a wine made from one grape.

However, as Tommy and you pointed out, few wines are actually only one variety of grape even though they are referred to as a varietal. 

well, again, i think that technically it doesn't have to be only one grape. just 'pretty much almost all' one grape.

time for more googling.

[hollywood]

Ok, everyone thoroughly confused?

No, but if we can break into Plotnicki's wine cellar in his absence, I think I will be.

[Fat Guy]

Ron, with the exceptions already noted above, I can agree with the statement that those grapes haven't been incorporated into very many good blended wines. Do you suppose that's an inherent property of the grapes, or just due to nobody trying?

[tommy]

Ron, with the exceptions already noted above, I can agree with the statement that those grapes haven't been incorporated into very many good blended wines. Do you suppose that's an inherent property of the grapes, or just due to nobody trying?

i don't think i've ever seen a riesling or gewurtz blend. i'd lump pinot grigio in there too, but those italians do some stuff with grapes i've never heard of, so who knows.

[Bux]

There used to be a lot more blended wines from Alsace. My guess is that they were predominantly sylvaner anyway, but I believe they were still entitled to an AOC designation may have included riesling and traminer. I can't remember the last time I saw a wine labeld traminer. Are they all gewurtztraminers now. When did traminer disappear and was there some sort of law? Zwicker or Edelzwicker was what they called the Alsatian blends. Generally the cheapest wine from a producer, but sometimes the sylvaner was less expensive which leads me to believe there must have been some riesling or other grape in there.

[John Whiting]

In France, different appelations may require different percentages of the dominant variety. For instance, in Bandol, Lucien Peyraud was instrumental not only in creating the appellation but in gradually raising the proportion of Mourvedre from 10 to 50 percent and, in the case of special cuvees, 80 percent.

Edit: In Alsace, Edelzwicker is usually made from the grape extractions that are left over after the permitted varietals and blends have been vatted or bottled. Depending on the vineyard and the year, an Edelzwicker can be very good indeed.

[Fat Guy]

Come to think of it Rosemount's Traminer-Riesling blend is a very acceptable picnic/summer-cocktail-party wine.

[Bux]

Hugel, Willm or one of the other big Alsatian producers makes a generic Alsatian wine. I forget the name, but it goes by some brand name rather than a grape name.

[SparrowsFall]

I have the impression that "Pinot d'Alsace" signifies a blend of some type. Any clues, anyone?

Edit: Z-H makes one, I know.

[Robert Nesta Marley]

I have the impression that "Pinot d'Alsace" signifies a blend of some type. Any clues, anyone?

Edit: Z-H makes one, I know.

pinot d'alsace is generally all pinot blanc. not a blended wine.

i use the term varietal to refer to a type of grape. what varietals compose "maya," for example.

i don't really ever call wines themselves "varietals".

95% of the fruit in single vineyard-designated wine must have come from the vineyard. i know that's got little to do with the matter at hand, but someone brought up figures, and sometimes i just like to get technical. that double capricorn thing.

on a guwertz blend....know i've seen one somewhere. but who cares, i love it on its own!!!!!!!! domaine weinbach, martinelli, navarro......um.

[mogsob]

I would be greatly surprised if Hermitage and Cornas are really 100% syrah, although the balance of these wines when compared with their northern cousins may be explained by the relative age of the wine on consumption.

Nestia, you are right about white wine grapes (I was really thinking more about red when I made that comment). I've had riesling and traminer blends, but have not been impressed. Ditto for chards, although not my favourite grape.

There seems to be a bias in New World wines in favor of varietals, rather than blends. Perhaps that is due to the bad taste left by California "Burgundy", "Chianti" etc. in the 60s and 70s. Disclosure seems much more important in New World wines than in France, for example.

Unfortunately, that has led (in my opinion) to the development of wines in the New World that are rather one dimensional when compared to the French or Italian peers. Now that should get the ball rolling quite nicely.

[hollywood]

There seems to be a bias in New World wines in favor of varietals, rather than blends.  Perhaps that is due to the bad taste left by California "Burgundy", "Chianti" etc. in the 60s and 70s.  Disclosure seems much more important in New World wines than in France, for example.

Unfortunately, that has led (in my opinion) to the development of wines in the New World that are rather one dimensional when compared to the French or Italian peers.  Now that should get the ball rolling quite nicely. 

Well, Silver Oak's wines are generally between 93% and 100% cabernet and if they are one dimensional, then bring on the first dimension.

[Robert Nesta Marley]

Disclosure seems much more important in New World wines than in France, for example.

i think that's because americans have always been so varietal-obsessed. we love to know exactly how much of x, y, and z grape is in a wine to try and "figure it out". a very cerebral, more disconnected approach to enjoying wine, if you ask me. but perhaps i'm waxing philosophical.

also, this allows people to be satisfied knowing they "like merlot," rather than ever having to ask themselves what they like about "merlot," and being open to tasting non-merlot wine.