Wine Wednesday on 30a

Best Blends
Story by Sarah Murphy Robertson

A Blend is a wine without one traditional regional grape composition. By blending various varietals, vintners can create wines with even more complex and balanced flavors. This is done with wines of the same vintage or year as well as with grapes from different years in non-vintage blends. Of the many top rated red blends, we have a couple to recommend. Both are from domestic and affordable at less than $20 a bottle.

Bogle’s 2012 Essential Red from California is a complex blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Syrah grapes. It sings of berry and cherry flavor and also has hints of vanilla bean. It is medium bodied, juicy, and was an impressive #11 on the top 100 list by Wine.com in 2014. This wine would pair nicely with a meal composed of any of your favorite proteins from grilled lamb to a slow-roasted pork loin.

The rich, full bodied Californian 2012 Conundrum Red is “proprietary” – meaning the exact blend of grapes is not disclosed. It tastes of dark fruit like plums and blackberry. This bigger, bolder wine is very food-friendly and would complement Italian dishes like classic spaghetti topped with spicy marinara and meatballs or even stuffed shells with veal.