To blend or not to blend? Wine from a single grape variety from a single vineyard has a character all its own. A pinot noir is not a chardonnay. And a chardonnay is not a chardonnay. Different grape varieties produce unique wines, though most wines are made from fruit of the same grape species (Vitis vinifiera. There are hybrids of V. vinifera, the French grape, with American grapes. Debate over the use of French-American hybrids and the quality of the resulting wines is a topic for another day. If you're interested in learning more I will certainly indulge you.) California fruit certainly produces wines quite different from the wines made from New Jersey fruit.
Duh. I know this already, you may be thinking. A red is quite different from a white, a Riesling different from a Chardonnay. You have tasted these differences. And you've tasted the difference between Pinot Noirs from France and Oregon.
But what about the more subtle differences of terroir? Have you had the opportunity to taste a two Chardonnays from NJ? Two Chardonnays from the same winery. Two chardonnays which were treated nearly identically save for the fact that the fruits were grown in different vineyards. In tasting these, you realize that a grape is not just a grape, a wine is not just a wine, and there are many many factors which influence your final product.
Both these chardonnays are of the highest quality. Great taste, great mouthfeel. The winemaker can certainly bottle them separately and take this opportunity to teach customers a valuable lesson about terroir.
Or, he can blend the two and make something even better. The blend, in this case, outshines the two individual wines. There is a sort of synergy, whole > sum.
What would you do?
Duh. I know this already, you may be thinking. A red is quite different from a white, a Riesling different from a Chardonnay. You have tasted these differences. And you've tasted the difference between Pinot Noirs from France and Oregon.
But what about the more subtle differences of terroir? Have you had the opportunity to taste a two Chardonnays from NJ? Two Chardonnays from the same winery. Two chardonnays which were treated nearly identically save for the fact that the fruits were grown in different vineyards. In tasting these, you realize that a grape is not just a grape, a wine is not just a wine, and there are many many factors which influence your final product.
Both these chardonnays are of the highest quality. Great taste, great mouthfeel. The winemaker can certainly bottle them separately and take this opportunity to teach customers a valuable lesson about terroir.
Or, he can blend the two and make something even better. The blend, in this case, outshines the two individual wines. There is a sort of synergy, whole > sum.
What would you do?
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