Blend
/blɛnd/
In wine, a blend is a wine created by combining two or more distinct components—most often different grape varieties, but also different vineyard parcels, vintages, or lots—to achieve a desired balance of aroma, flavor, structure, and complexity. Blending is a deliberate winemaking decision used to fine-tune style, consistency, and overall quality.
Examples
- A Bordeaux-style red blend composed of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc, designed to combine Cabernet’s structure with Merlot’s softer fruit.
- A non-vintage Brut Champagne that blends Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier from several vintages to maintain a consistent house style.
- A New World "red blend" that mixes Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Syrah to create a ripe, fruit-forward wine that doesn’t follow a traditional Old World template.
Etymology
“Blend” comes from Middle English “blenden” or “blanden,” meaning “to mix” or “to mingle,” derived from Old English “blandan” with the same sense. It is related to Old Norse “blanda” (to mix) and other Germanic roots. The modern sense of a carefully composed mixture, especially in beverages like tea, whisky, coffee, and wine, developed strongly in the 18th–19th centuries alongside commercial blending practices. While the English term is relatively modern, the practice of blending wines is ancient, with historic regions such as Bordeaux, the Rhône, and Porto long using mixed plantings and post-fermentation blending; in these traditions, related terms such as French “assemblage” and “cuvée,” Italian “uvaggio” or “taglio,” and Spanish “coupage” describe similar concepts.