Weird grape blends

Early in my wine journey, I had a real liking for the Rubaiyat by Cakebread. It was a syrah / pinot noir blend. Maybe 30/70 or so? I haven’t had it in a long time, though.

We all know about many fabulous Northern Rhones that have 10% or less Viognier blended in with Syrah, but a local home wine making friend made a Cab/ Viognier blend last vintage and it actually turned out drinkable.

Duckhorn (or one of their other properties) makes a Cab/Zin blend, if I remember correctly. I remember it being interesting; not one of my favorites but not bad.

Forget who made it but there is a nice sparkler from Chile that was a blend of CHardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. I had never seen them together, or a sparkler from SB, but it was great for a $20 sparkler…

Matthiason has a Pinot Noir-Nebbiolo blend. The 2017 was 92% Pinot, the rest Nebbiolo. A field blend created by a grafting mishap.

I was flicking though facebook before and noticed that a winery I regularly buy from has light red blend of Gewurz + Touriga + Refosco blend coming out which sounds pretty interesting and unusual.

No name because I imported it, but a biodynamic blend of equal parts Chenin Blanc and Petite Manseng (with a drop of Viognier) from Languedoc has been a favorite.

Analysis as strange as the blend:
Alcohol about 14.5%
Residual sugar about 1%
Titratable acidity, about 0.9%
pH about 3.15

Zing you right away.

Dan Kravitz

No name because I imported it, but a biodynamic blend of equal parts Chenin Blanc and Petite Manseng (with a drop of Viognier) from Languedoc has been a favorite.

Analysis as strange as the blend:
Alcohol about 14.5%
Residual sugar about 1%
Titratable acidity, about 0.9%
pH about 3.15

Zing you right away.

Dan Kravitz