A Message from Tina Jones

Photo by Thomas Fricke

It was a few years ago, but in my memory, it could be yesterday. I had the incredible experience of being part of a blending session with the illustrious Michel Rolland. Imagine a table with multiple bottles drawn from the barrels that aged different grape varieties and different vineyard plots. At one moment, Michel asked for a few millilitres more from one of the bottles. When that small amount was added, it was like magic. Suddenly the aromatics lifted, the wine tasted completely different and beautiful, and the finish went on and on. It was my first real introduction to the artful skill of the blend and a striking example of how the whole can be greater than the sum of the parts.

Michel Rolland’s name is well known as a Bordeaux winemaker who has consulted around the world. With the knowledge of a scientist and the touch of an artist, Michel’s incredible skill exemplifies what Bordeaux wines mean to me: wines artfully blended to make something beautiful from a palette of choices.

It was the art of the blend that first drew us to Bordeaux for this issue of The Cellar Door. Here is a wine region that has blended varieties into special wines for a very long time. Mike Muirhead and Sylvia Jansen untangle the components of the region’s blends—and we reach around the world for the inspiration that Bordeaux has given us. Gary Hewitt digs into one of Bordeaux’s distinctive features: its deep gravel beds. We have taken some artful turns—Ricki-Lee Podolecki gives us her wisdom on podcasts, and Sylvia Jansen takes us to the current state of restaurants. I invited Mike Muirhead and Manon Paquin to my table to share some one-pot comfort food and incredible wine pairings. We have a fascinating issue in store for great reading. We hope you enjoy every part!

Finally, I have to say that blending is not just for top winemakers: if you ever want to try your own hand at blending, talk to one of our wine experts. They can assemble a tasting for you and your friends to let you try your hand at the skill of wine blending! It is both more fun and more challenging than you might think!

Tina Jones