Blending as Process Style Meets Substance Stephen Menke, Colorado State University and Nancy Janes, Whitewater Hill Winery

REASONS FOR BLENDING Why would we choose to blend wines? Ideal reason for blending wines: (Menke) to create a wine with structural and flavor balance and desired style Pragmatic reasons for blending: (Janes) to build the wines we need create products that fit volume needed and components on hand for desired styles

SOURCES OF BLENDING WINE Varieties Tank & barrel lots Vineyard blocks Winemaking differences Vintages

Determining What to Blend Analyze product plan ahead of harvest: (Menke and Janes) Evaluate past sales of each existing wine in current portfolio Make estimated projection of wines needed for next sales year Any new wines needed to fit sales trends?

Determining What to Blend What is your inventory pipeline situation? Existing wines: quantity and quality Grapes available for harvest: volume and cultivar Available tanks and barrels: total volume and individual volumes How do you match inventory to volumes needed for each wine? Do you need 75-100% varietal blend or <75% blend for each wine What range of integrated aromas, flavors, textures, and aging potential are desired.

Determining What to Blend Analyze your components Once volume and kind of blend is determined, then the components of the blend need to be analyzed by the winemaker and/or a diverse panel. What components fit volume needs of wine blend Chemical characteristics (pH, color, protein and acid stability, color) Sensory characteristics (fitness to desired aroma and flavor, flawed aroma and flavor, mouthfeel weight and tannins, complexity, balance) Additional tools (chaptalization, tannin additions, malolactic fermentation, fining removal, oak additions, filtering, SO2, potassium sorbate)

Making Test Blends Logically project blend composition through test blends -When each blend component is characterized, a principled guess on composition of the blend must be tested. Test blends reveal how blend components will meld. Use principles of blending to create test blends

Blending Principles Principles are complementation and synergy Complementation can involve balancing major components, such as acidity/fruitiness/sweetness, % alcohol, tropical/tree fruit/berry aromatics, tannin softness/astringency/bitterness, etc. Synergy involves creating new aromatic or structural characteristics, not easily identifiable as coming from existing components Artistry/experience

Blending Procedure Keep detailed tasting notes each ingredient before blending each blend Blend in a well lit room without aromas. Try making base blends first with two ingredients (simpler) Then adjust blends with other ingredients -Do bracketed blend compositions until desired volume and sensory profile reached. -Make bottles of selected blend, test a bottle for stability and chemical composition, and taste 1 to 3 weeks later. Re-blend test blends if necessary.

Blending Procedure When final test blend is proved and decided upon, make tank blend with ½ of calculated elements and taste If necessary adjust and re-taste, then finish blending of final amount and check for stability Let blend sit for several weeks (chill-proof if necessary) and re-taste Filter final blend and re-taste

BLENDING METHODS Complementary blending Sensory Blending balance major components mathematically by volumes Sensory Blending Artful attempts to balance all component volumes with desired sensory profile

COMPLEMENTARY BLENDING Blend Ingredient Balancing by Pearson Square Balances individual elements such as: acidity, sweetness, alcohol, etc. to achieve a desired level of ingredient A D C B E C= Desired Ingredient % A/B= Ingredient %’s D= Parts to use of A E= Parts to use of B

|A – C| = E |B – C| = D (Player A) A (Player A Required) D C (Desired Level) |B – C| = D E (Player B Required) B (Player B)

Example: % Alcohol |96 – 18| = |78| = 78 |8.5 – 18| = |-9.5| = 9.5 (High Proof) 96% (High Proof Required) 9.5 |96 – 18| = |78| = 78 18% (Desired Level) |8.5 – 18| = |-9.5| = 9.5 78 (Frontenac Required) 8.5% (Frontenac)

Example: Sweetness (Brix) (Muscat) 6.5 Brix (Player A Required) 1.5 |6.5 – 2.0| = |4.5| = 4.5 2.0 Brix (Desired Level) |0.5 – 2.0| = |-1.5| = 1.5 4.5 (Riesling Required) 0.5 Brix (Riesling)

Example: Acidity (TA) |0.55 – 0.70| = |-0.15| = 0.15 (Muscat) 0.55 TA (Muscat Required) 0.12 |0.55 – 0.70| = |-0.15| = 0.15 0.70 TA (Desired Level) |0.82 – 0.70| = |0.12| = 0.12 0.15 (Riesling Required) 0.82 TA (Riesling)

Sensory Blending Elements Wine Descriptors St. Vincent 2016 Marquette Noiret 2013 Blend: Cabernet franc and Chambourcin NV

CHEMICAL BLENDING WINE ANALYSIS pH TA MALATE LACTATE %ETOH RS VA St. Vincent 2016 3.42 6.5 g/l g/l 1.54 13.12 % 2.23 0.72 Marquette 3.73 5.2 0.17 1.32 14.0 1.38 0.58 g/ Noiret 2013 3.66 7.1 13.41 Blend: Cabernet franc + ChambourcIn NV 3.70 6.2 13.55 0.40

BLENDING EXERCISE ST. VINCENT 2016 MARQUETTE NOIRET 2013 WINE BLEND 1 BLEND 2 BLEND 3 BLEND 4 ST. VINCENT 2016 MARQUETTE NOIRET 2013 BLEND: CABERNET FRANC + CHAMBOURCIN NV