Red Blends
Bold and beautiful — a term that best describes red blends for their vivid taste and distinctive aroma. In the past couple of years, the paparazzi around red blends has increased considerably. While the term ‘red blend’ is casually thrown around, more often than not, it’s misinterpreted as a ‘type of wine’. The truth is, red blend wine isn’t about the kind or type; it is more about the way it’s made and the ingredients that go into it.
If you’re new to the glamorous world of wines, the intricacies of what goes into making the wonder called ‘wine’ must have missed your memory. But the true essence of drinking lies in the intricacies, and knowing what went into the glass of wine you poured only enhances the experience. On this note, let’s see what goes into making red blends!
How are Red Blends Made?
Grapes of Red Blends
As the name suggests, red blend wine is made from a blend of grapes and never from a single variety; it can be Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot or any other kind. When two or more different varieties are amalgamated, a “Red Blend Wine” is born. Red blends simply contain more than one grape assortment in the last cuvée. These wines can be created using the cherished conventional recipes — however, that process too contains a wide scope of mixes.
Factors That Influence the Wine
Red blend wines are infamous for their plethora of colors, textures, fragrances, flavors, making, and age-ability. Also, they can differ from region to region depending on the geographical and climatic ranges. Generally, in cool environments, the red blends are light and dazzling. Whereas warm environments produce more intense and dark red blends. All the factors like the assortments utilized, the geography of the place, the season, the winemaker, and their production choices play a distinctive role in the making of red blends.
Process of Creating Red Blends
Typically, red blends are made by separately maturing and crushing every grape assortment. After that, when the juice is separated from the grapes’ skin and put into parcels, the blend is created.
The extract from purple grapes is greenish-white, while the red shading comes from anthocyanin pigments (or anthocyanins) present in the grape’s skin; special cases are the generally exceptional teinturier assortments, which produce a red-colored juice. However, the true shade of red blends can go from a bold violet for youthful wines, all the way to block red for more developed wines, and a more earthy brown shade for more seasoned red wines.
A significant part of the red blend wines’ creation includes extraction of shading and flavor segments from the grape skin. This elaborate process and distinctive nature give red blends its bold flavors along with a subtle uniqueness. All of this makes it an evergreen wine all across the globe.
Fun Fact: Most Red Wines are Blends
As strange or surprising as it sounds, it’s possible that most red wines you’ve tasted were blends. Perhaps, even the Pinot Noir sitting on your shelf is 10 % Syrah making it a blend of Vitis vinifera.
Almost all good winemakers take the creative liberty of creating a perfect blend that lets them design a perfect wine. For instance, adding a little Merlot to the bold Cabernet can help relax its tannins, while a dash of Syrah can give some zest to watery and plain Pinot. In fact, blending has been traditional and customary in many parts of the world.
These days, most new red blends are produced for their reasonable value and mass allure. Most winemakers use bunches of extremely ripe dark and overgrown grapes from the ground to add a lot of sharpness. But for others, utilizing whatever assortments they like best can also get the job done.
Historically, European red blends were way more prevalent and loved than single varietals. One popular example of this is the Bordeaux mix, which began in the eighteenth or nineteenth century and, as a rule, contains Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.
Read more: Seven Moons Red Blend
Red Blend Wine Food Pairings
Since different red blends are distinctive in their flavor, texture, aroma, acidity, and alcohol content, they go well with a variety of conventional or exquisite foods. However, in most parts of the world, they go best richer entrées and meat dishes.
The bold and prevalent taste of a red blend tends to stay on the tongue longer, and it’s more powerful on the palate. This quality of blends makes them ideal to be paired with dominant meat dishes or even lighter cheese platters and takeaway dishes. Bolder blends complement a well-done steak or lamb grilled or roasted according to your taste. Medium-strong blends go best with Italian or Mexican dishes and can even be taken as a customary drink with dinner or lunch.
While most people avoid fruit and vegetable-based salads with red blends, a heavy chicken, lamb, or meat salad may go well with the strong flavor of blends.
Appetizers like smoked sausage or salami, parmesan crostini, beef/chicken sliders, and cocktail meatballs go perfectly well with red blends. While more generic foods like burgers, buffalo wings, tacos, burritos, and barbecue meat also pair perfectly with blends.
When talking about cheese, a nice and light cheddar, asiago, pecorino, manchego, or a more matured gouda can be served with blends.
All in all, anything which enhances the flavors of a blend while accompanying its bold and distinctive taste can complement red blends pretty well.
Red Blends for Every Occasion
Red blends and their bold flavors, when paired with exquisite cuisines, can make a lot of difference in your gatherings. So make a distinguished statement and next time, flaunt your wine knowledge along with the well-aged red blends. After all, what better than wine and dine with some niche conversations to get a party started.
