In wine terms, we’ve all heard of, and most likely enjoyed a red blend wine. Some of the most well-known in the U.S. include brands such as The Prisoner Wine Company’s Prisoner red blend of red wine Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Charbono, and the unexpected Zinfandel. This proprietary red wine blend hails from Napa Valley vineyards around St. Helena, California.
Another top seller is Apothic Crush, a more affordable red wine made from Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, and Grenache. With a much lower regular price than Prisoner, this wine is made from Lodi and Central Valley grapes. If you can find it on sale, it’s a heck of a fruit crush among red blends!
Beyond red wine blends
Red blend wines are not the only ones wine lovers should be pouring. There are amazing white wine blends from Bordeaux and Alsace in France. I’m increasingly seeing Chenin Blanc blended with Viogner, Marsanne and Roussane blends, and more traditional Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon blends. Conundrum is a fun white blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Viognier on par with the red blends I’ve mentioned. With grapes from renowned wine-growing regions such as Sonoma County, this is one to try!
But Field Blends are a completely different animal. These wild, untamed wine blends make me think of the wildflower fields we enjoy in Texas springtime. And, they taste a bit like them too with their aromatic, floral, mixed fruit freshness! At least the ones I’m going to feature do!
Let me first define a field blend wine. These wines are made from a random mix of grapevines, or grape varieties planted in the same vineyard without the highly defined precision of a merlot or cabernet sauvignon red varietal vineyard. Dating back centuries, this was a way to ensure a successful grape harvest as not all of the grapes planted may ripen, or some may be overripe and have lost all acidity. Winemakers hedged their harvest bets by plating a wide variety of varietals.
At harvest, they simply picked the potpourri of grapes they had access to and tossed them all into their cellars and winemaking vats. No sorting, no small batches of each variety, the grapes are plopped into the press, or vessel and co-fermented together. This process allows all of the yumminess of each variety to meld together into a symphony.
Some of my favorite field blends
What may seem random to traditional winemaking precision, field blends can be gorgeous expressions with sense of place. I had the pleasure of trying some of the world’s most treasured field blends, Wiener Gemischter Satz, during a recent trip to Vienna. In a wine region famous for Riesling and Grüner Veltliner, Gemischter Satz may include any or all of these and more. Other white varietals include Chardonnay, Weissburgunder, Welschriesling, Neuburger, Müller-Thurgau, Sauvignon Blanc, and Traminer. While the blends can be from any of the above, no single varietal can be more than 50% of the blend.
Much to my excitement, I found a fabulous Gemiscchter Satz at our local wine shop the other day! Of course, a few bottles came home with me! Hajszanneumann Nussberg Winer Gemischter Satz is a co-fermented field blend of Pinot Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Neuburger, Riesling, and Welschriesling. It is light, crisp, and floral without being too perfumed. And it’s a perfect pairing with Asian food!
Moving back to juice crush red blends, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Emme ‘Pink Lemonade’ Ricetti Field Blend. This field blend of Abouriou, Valdiguié, Colombard, Carignan, and Zinfandel plus a second harvest co-ferment of Ricetti – Valdiguié, Carignan and Colombard makes you think you’re going to be drinking dessert wines. One sip and you find a crisp, ripe red fruit and citrus hot fuchsia pink natural wine from Redwood Valley, CA, well worth hunting down online or in your favorite wine shop! Charisse and I featured Emme on Somm Women Talk Wine’s Rosé wine explainedepisode. It’s a must listen!
Last, but definitely not least is a New Zealand treasure from Te Whare Ra called TORU, which means “three” in Māor. This is an aromatic field blend, noted to be the first of it’s kind in New Zealand. It is a delicious, Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Gris are co-fermented highlighting the complexity of these classic Alsatian varieties. Winemakers and spouses, Anna and Jason Flowery spent a great deal of time creating this unique blend to create a field blend where each of the three varietals can shine. Gewürztraminer brings complexity and spice. Riesling delivers acidity and crispness. Pinot Gris rounds it out with great texture. Of course a few bottles ended up returning to the U.S. with me!
Red blend wine vs field blends in summary
Bottom line, when comparing a precisely styled blend such as Apothic red blend, versus a field blend such as Emme, it’s almost as if Apothic is a science and Emme is an art. With most wine blends, the winemaker is in control from harvest to bottle. He or she tests, tastes, reblends, and tastes again until achieving the exact wine they envision.
With field blends, only Mother Nature controls the outcome. Vineyard influences from sunshine to rain, clouds to heat, and harvest timing can create dramatically different wines year-over-year. It is exactly this lack of control that makes field blend wines so wild, carefree, and magical. Summer is the perfect time to seek out a field blend and be transported to a place with a vineyard view unlike any you’ve seen before.
For related topics on wine blending or blend wines, check out my previous blogs:
- To blend, or not to blend, that is the question!
- Creative winemaking blows my mind!
- 4 Texas Rosé Wines I Love This Summer!
Cheers!
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc comprise most Bordeaux red blend wine. Other varietals include Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carmenere are also found.
Alsace, France, makes field blends called Edelzwicker or Gentile. These are made from white varieties including Pinot Gris, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner, Gewürztraminer and/or Riesling.
The Douro Valley of Portugal, many regions in Australia and even in California there are vineyards planted with multiple varieties creating field blend wines.
