Pairings

The Beauty of Blends

A recipe for complexity and balance makes food-friendly red wines

BY MARY SUBIALKA

When you’re selecting a wine to go with dinner, check out red blends. Just like a food recipe includes more than one ingredient, many of the best wines include more than one type of grape in their “recipe.”

Blending varieties is a tool to build a more complex and balanced wine. Cabernet Sauvignon can add body and tannins to the mix, for example, while Merlot contributes fruity cherry flavors and more refined tannins to balance Cabernet’s herbal nature.

Some of the world’s highly acclaimed red wines from France are blends of different grapes, and winemakers in other parts of the world often emulate them. A “Bordeaux blend” usually consists of the three dominant red grapes from that region in southwest France—Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Red Rhône blends usually are Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.

In addition to time-tested favorites like French Bordeaux or Rhône red, California blends offer some delicious options. Looking for a Bordeaux style? Check out red blends from Northern California regions such as Napa Valley and Sonoma County. If the Rhône blends sound more to your liking, try red blends from Central Coast appellations such as Paso Robles and Santa Barbara County, where winemakers tend to feature that mix.

Uncork your versatile Bordeaux-style blend alongside a charcuterie board with Brie and camembert as well as goat and sheep’s milk cheeses. Steak, burgers and sausage or a pasta bake with meat would also make tasty matches. A Rhône blend also complements a burger as well as pork, duck, lamb, a comforting meatloaf and barbecued chicken. When your wine “recipe” mixes in a variety of grapes to balance flavors, it can’t help but offer a food-friendly choice. 