The Red Blend

I can't tell you how many times I have heard it at a restaurant: a diner asks their server if they have a red blend. The diner says they just love red blends because they are easy to drink or because they just taste so good. Let's consider what they are really asking for and whether it really should have more appeal than any other red wine.

Legally, at least to my knowledge, there is no such thing as a red blend. But, practically, it is a red wine that consists of at least two different varieties of grapes. Most red wines do. Even those not called red blends.

Really? Sure. Have you ever looked at the back label of a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon that describes the wine? In the US, it can have up to 25% of other varieties; that is, it must be at least 75% Cabernet. So, it's not unusual to see one that, for example, shows as something like 84% Cabernet, 10% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. On the label, it says Cebernet Sauvignon, but it might be just as much a red blend as wines that are labeled as or considered red blends.

So, the immediate reaction is that Cabernet Sauvignon is really a red blend. Well, some of them truly are 100% Cabernet. When looking at a wine list, how do you know and should you care?

The answers to both of those questions is that I don't know. I don't know how you should know and I don't know if you should care. While my opinion is that you shouldn't care, my suspicion is that you are looking for something in particular and you have found that something in particular in wines that are called red blends.

Most wines that are described as red blends are somewhat less tannic than, for example, wines that are labeled as Cabernet Sauvignon. For many, that means that they are easier drinking or to me, softer. I've heard a number of wine drinkers, more often women than men, but that might be my epxerience and not reality, say that they like easy drinking wines.

But, are all blends easy drinking? Not a chance. Easy drinking is usually a term for a wine that feels soft on the palate when young. Some blends are not at all approachable when young. Many Amarones, for example, are that way. When particularly young, they might be tannic and overly raisiny, but they are built to be ageworthy.

So, what do you do? If you have a server who understands wine, don't just ask them for a red blend, ask them for a softer red wine. It might not even be a blend. It could be, for example, a Tempranillo or Merlot. Pinot Noir also tends to be soft, but that is an entirely different experience and most people either really like Pinot Noir or just don't.

So, stop saying you like red blends. Describe the wine you like in terms of wine terms and get a better drinking experience.