# Blenders



## Julie

We all talk about blending wines and have posted what we have done but those posts are scattered all thru the forum. I made this a sticky, post what you have blended.


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## Julie

Here is what I have blended:

Concord/Moscato, 50/50
Concord/Cranberry, welch's, 2 cans concord/1 can cranberry
Concord/cherry, 50/50
Zinfindal/Pomegrante, 6 gal/3 gal
Elderberry/Cherry, 13 1/2# of seconds to 5-64 oz of Ocean Spray Cherry ( 3 g batch)
And last but not least and boy I have not made this for awhile, one of my first wines that I created. Tropical Breeze, 3 gallon batch
6 # honeydew
5 1/2 # cantaloupe
3 # pineapple
2 1/2 # peaches
1 # blackberries


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## Runningwolf

Good idea Julie. I have made many more blends in the recent years but I no longer log what I make at home so this list is limited. Actually I'll be looking at blending 10 big reds here in the next few months.
-Chilean - Thompson Green seedless Orange Mango Blend
-Chilean - Thompson Green Seedless Peach Blend
-Pink Catawba 90% Catawba/5% Fredonia/5%Chambourcin 
-Country Apple 2012 Apple/Crab Apple/Plum/Red Raspberry
-Frenzy - Apple/Crab apple/Honey/Dark Maple
-Sammies blend - 75% Catawba/25% Fredonia also with Concord if I didn’t have Fredonia-Crabapple Chardonnay 20/80
-Raspberry/Niagara 20/80
-Tranquility-Crabapple/Raspberry/Marquis 20/20/60
-Plum- Plum/Seyval/Niagara 30/15/55
-Crabapple - Crabapple/seyval 30/70
- California Chardonnay/Peach/Apricot
- Tall Ships (Niagara 80% & Cayuga 20%)
- Cayuga with 20% Niagara blend
- Meghans Vista (Concord 2/3 & Dimond 1/3)
-Sweet Harvest Blend (Niagara/Concord 50/50)
-Mystic Sky (Niagara/Cranberry Blend)


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## Noontime

A made a Raspberry Zinfanminer (red zine and guwerztraminer). I had some left over juice so I threw it together. I thought it was a waste until about year 3...turned into something pretty tastey (wouldn't do it again though  )


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## ffemt128

Here's some of the blends we did last year:

Andrea's Whine - Niagra 50%, Concord 25%, and Fredonia 25%
A-Do - Catawba 66%, Fredonia 33%
Concord Niagra - 50% of each
Destiny - 50% Catawba, 25% Concord, 25% Fredonia.

I've also done a Elderberry-Blueberry and a couple others.


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## Deezil

Apple-Pear - 50%/50%
Blackberry-Cherry - 50%/50%

My two favorite non-grape fruit combos


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## dralarms

Strawberry banana. 3 gallons of strawberry wine and 8 bottles of banana. Tasty.


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## Runningwolf

ffemt128 said:


> Here's some of the blends we did last year:
> 
> Andrea's Whine - Niagra 50%, Concord 25%, and Fredonia 25%
> A-Do - Catawba 66%, Fredonia 25%
> Concord Niagra - 50% of each
> Destiny - 50% Catawba, 25% Concord, 25% Fredonia.
> 
> I've also done a Elderberry-Blueberry and a couple others.



*A-Do - Catawba 66%, Fredonia 25%* What was the other 9%


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## ffemt128

Runningwolf said:


> *A-Do - Catawba 66%, Fredonia 25%* What was the other 9%


 

Yep, was supposed to be 33. It was early...


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## GreginND

ffemt128 said:


> Yep, was supposed to be 33. It was early...



66 + 33 = 99 . . . What's the other 1% ????


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## wineforfun

GreginND said:


> 66 + 33 = 99 . . . What's the other 1% ????



haha
I wasn't going to go there.


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## wineforfun

So when you all blend, do you blend after these are done or are you fermenting both types at once, then rack/blend? or how are you doing it?
Thanks.


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## ffemt128

wineforfun said:


> So when you all blend, do you blend after these are done or are you fermenting both types at once, then rack/blend? or how are you doing it?
> Thanks.


 

I blend after all is completed. I'll start with various 100ml samples (25-75, 50-50,75-25) then sweeten each to where I believe I want them to be and sample. At this point I'll adjust sweetness and ratios.


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## ffemt128

GreginND said:


> 66 + 33 = 99 . . . What's the other 1% ????


 

Just a little bit of love.....


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## Floandgary

2.5 part Reisling,,, 2.0 part Gewurz,,, 1.0 part Sangiovese. Sweeten to taste. "ROSY GERMAN"


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## Julie

Floandgary said:


> 2.5 part Reisling,,, 2.0 part Gewurz,,, 1.0 part Sangiovese. Sweeten to taste. "ROSY GERMAN"



And it is dam good!

Wine forum, I blend after each wine is complete and prior to backsweeten, if I am backsweetening.


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## wineforfun

So you have more than one fermenting/ageing at a time? 
What about taking bottles of wine I already have bottled, opening them, doing some blending, them recorking? Or would the air exposure create a problem?


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## Runningwolf

wineforfun said:


> So you have more than one fermenting/ageing at a time?
> What about taking bottles of wine I already have bottled, opening them, doing some blending, them recorking? Or would the air exposure create a problem?



More than one wine fermenting at a time? I don't know anyone that could do that.


LMAO, one at a time that is. How about 15-20 different varieties fermenting in the basement.


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## Julie

wineforfun said:


> So you have more than one fermenting/ageing at a time?
> What about taking bottles of wine I already have bottled, opening them, doing some blending, them recorking? Or would the air exposure create a problem?



Oh dear Lord, if my husband finds out there are people out there fermeting one at a time, he is gonna be pissed at me!

Taking some bottles isn't a bad idea, I would stick with one bottle at a time.


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## wineforfun

Well, I only have 3 primaries to start with so I usually only have 1 or 2 going at a time, when they are going. I guess my question was answered then.


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## Floandgary

Once a bottle is opened, you must do something (including drinking) with it rather than recorking!!


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## Noontime

wineforfun said:


> So you have more than one fermenting/ageing at a time?
> What about taking bottles of wine I already have bottled, opening them, doing some blending, them recorking? Or would the air exposure create a problem?


We only have 3 buckets, so that's the most we've had fermenting at one time; the most we've had bulk aging at one time is 9 carboys.

Blending from the bottle isn't a bad idea...my wife and I have done that on occasion. I definitely wouldn't recork anything opened, but blending bottled wine in a glass can be a lot of fun.


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## Julie

I just did a 50/50 blend of concord and red raspberry, very good. The concord comes thru nicely and finishes with a nice raspberry flavor.

Mike and I were in Bloomington, IN over the weekend and went to a wine bar there. Tried a blend that I need to make, lol, not saying what it is until I get it the way I want. Looks like a trip to Walkers cuz that is the only place that has the juice that I am looking for.


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## tmmii

I have a gallon jug that I rotate god knows what reds into. Half a bottle of wine left over? Dump it in. A little left in a Carboy from bottling? Add it in. If it's too dry I'll add a sweeter wine next time, you get thine idea. Only down side is I could never reproduce it. 

Does this count as blending? Haha. 


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making


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## Noontime

tmmii said:


> I have a gallon jug that I rotate god knows what reds into. Half a bottle of wine left over? Dump it in. A little left in a Carboy from bottling? Add it in. If it's too dry I'll add a sweeter wine next time, you get thine idea. Only down side is I could never reproduce it.
> 
> Does this count as blending? Haha.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making



As a "concoction" kind of guy, I love that idea. There's something wonderful about fleeting, one of a kind creations; like freestyle poetry slam, or the artists who create beautiful works from colored sand, only to blow it all away when complete.


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## Julie

tmmii said:


> I have a gallon jug that I rotate god knows what reds into. Half a bottle of wine left over? Dump it in. A little left in a Carboy from bottling? Add it in. If it's too dry I'll add a sweeter wine next time, you get thine idea. Only down side is I could never reproduce it.
> 
> Does this count as blending? Haha.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making



LOL, yes it counts as blending!

I do the same thing, I have a melbac, zin, sauv blanc, elderberry and I think reisling blend bottled, I have no idea on the ratios, just whatever I have after my final racking goes into the jug. I call it Party Wine


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## tmmii

Julie said:


> LOL, yes it counts as blending!
> 
> I do the same thing, I have a melbac, zin, sauv blanc, elderberry and I think reisling blend bottled, I have no idea on the ratios, just whatever I have after my final racking goes into the jug. I call it Party Wine




Party wine, I like that, consider it stolen terminology! 


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making


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## MothJuic

Deezil said:


> Apple-Pear - 50%/50%
> Blackberry-Cherry - 50%/50%
> 
> My two favorite non-grape fruit combos



Super combintion should be! what i love is that is withut grapes, with respect to this topic, I think this article can help http://www.swisscubancigars.com/blog/how-to-taste-a-cuban-cigar/


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## ShawnDTurner

40% blueberry and blackberry with 30% elderberry


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## ShawnDTurner

Sorry 20% elder berry


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## Julie

blueberry, blackberry and elderberry, now that sounds like a good blend.


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## ShawnDTurner

Use bm 4x4, mlf, med Hungarian toast oak and final ph 3.4 (dry). Quite lovely indeed cheers!


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## springmom

I did a Tempranillo/Sangiovese blend and call it Med Red. My husband's favorite.


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## ffemt128

Julie said:


> blueberry, blackberry and elderberry, now that sounds like a good blend.


 

I did a blueberry-elderberry blend. It was very good..


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## Floandgary

50% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Grigio, 25% Brianna,,,, sweeten to @.998,,,, chill. All likes thus far


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## GreginND

Ditto. Did a 50:50 elderberry blueberry dry with a little oak. One of the best fruit wines I've ever made. I called it "Old Blue".


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making


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## gartj

So when your back sweetening what are you doing it with? Is this only done with fruit wines? I can't see me making a Chianti blend and "sweetening" it?


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## Noontime

gartj said:


> So when your back sweetening what are you doing it with? Is this only done with fruit wines? I can't see me making a Chianti blend and "sweetening" it?


Usually we use simple syrup (sugar and water) since it integrates and distributes easily, but we've also used plain cane sugar, honey, and fruit concentrate. It's not always to make your wine "sweet", but also to balance a wine. Some of our wines we do want a little sweet like muscat or Riesling, but we've added a bit of sugar to other wines also, well below what I'd call sweet. It's kind of like adding sugar to spaghetti sauce to reduce the acid... sometimes adding a smidge of sugar will balance the wine's acid or bring out the fruit flavor, etc.


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## Julie

Ok, here is a blender for you Muscadine wine makers. 2 parts Carlos, 3 parts Noble. Holy crap did this turn out great. You get that Carlos taste with a nice noble finish.


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## 4score

My 2013 blend is 80% Cab Franc and 20% Petite Syrah. The PS really "rounds" it out! Love it!


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## dralarms

I made a cherry wine (to me it taste like cough syrup) and blended it with white grape. After a bit of aging it actually is pretty good.


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## Larryh86GT

Walker's Blackberry and Walker's Niagara both backsweetened and bottled. A 50/50 blend of these is very nice.


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## Julie

Not sure if I would caterogize this as a blender but it might be. When I make skeeter pee I use a slurry from either elderberry or muscadine and it is usually a quart and a half of slurry and you get a faint taste of elderberry or muscadine depending on which I used. When I make elderberry wine, when it is time to take out the berries, I put them a primary and make a seconds using Niagara juice instead of water.

So here is my thought, today I racked all the muscadine into glass. I have one gallon of noble slurry, 3/4 gallon of muscadine red slurry and 1 3/4 gallon of bronze/Carlos slurry. I have a Niagara concentrate in the frig that will make five gallons of wine. I am thinking of taking the noble and muscadine red add it to 2 1/2 gallons of the Niagara, and take the bronze/Carlos and add it to the other 2 1/2 gallons of Niagara. I'm thinking I won't get a strong flavor of the muscadines as I do with the elderberries in the seconds but it should be stronger than the slurry I make for skeeter pee. I'm thinking this is going to be an interesting experiment!


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## Runningwolf

Damn it Larry, just when I get to a point when I say I've done enough someone has o throw me a curve ball. Blackberry and Niagara sounds real good, and I have a buddy begging me to go to Walkers with him.


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## Larryh86GT

I took a bottle each of the Niagara and the blackberry to a Thanksgiving gathering yesterday and everyone enjoyed the 50/50 blend of the 2 wines.


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## olusteebus

I guess you could call this a blend.

I have had success with using 5 jars of blackberry jam with both Cabernet and merlot concentrates. 

I have also made a good muscadine and blackberry jam blend.


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## Julie

olusteebus said:


> I guess you could call this a blend.
> 
> I have had success with using 5 jars of blackberry jam with both Cabernet and merlot concentrates.
> 
> I have also made a good muscadine and blackberry jam blend.



muscadine and blackberry, this sounds pretty good.


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## Tovis

I have been pondering a sweet wine blend of Pineapple wine, Tart Cherry wine and a vanilla bean in the bottle wondering if it would be like pineapple upside down cake.


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## Julie

It is, this sounds really good!


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## Tovis

I think I will try it!


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## Julie

Please do and post up the results!


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## sgift

Thinking about a 40/60 blend of Montipluchiano and Sangiovese, has anyone done this blend?


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## codeman

I'm going to do a 1/3 blend of
Cabernet Sauvignon
Pinot Noir
Petit Verdot

Does that sound ok? I've never done a red blend just rosés before.


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## sgift

When in the wine making process is the best time to blend? Is there an advantage to do so before stabilization? During bulk aging? I have two WE batches underway, one in secondary, one finishing primary, I can blend now or wait. What are your experiences and is there any science on the best moment to blend? If it matters, the two varietals are Montepulciano and Sangiovese.


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## Julie

I like to blend after fermentation.


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## codeman

I plan on blending 1/3 each petit verdot, cabernet sauvignon, and pinot noir.

Does this sound ok?


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## codeman

I actually read that exact page before you posted it. 

I'm going to give it a go, maybe just 1 case of the triple blend though. And a few cases of verdot and cab blend, I wish I could think of another 3rd wine that would be good. (I dislike merlot)

The verdot and pinot have been done since early December, the cabernet is going now. Do you think this bordeaux style wine will be 'good' by Christmas?


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## sour_grapes

codeman said:


> The verdot and pinot have been done since early December, the cabernet is going now. Do you think this bordeaux style wine will be 'good' by Christmas?



Why do you say "Bordeaux style"?


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## codeman

sour_grapes said:


> Why do you say "Bordeaux style"?



Because of the petit verdot and cabernet.


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## sour_grapes

codeman said:


> Because of the petit verdot and cabernet.



Sorry, I thought you were referring, in that instance, to the blend with Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot, and Cab Sauv.


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## Julie

Over the weekend, I blended 3 gallon of elderberry with 6 gallon of Fredonia. I think this is going to be a keeper!


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## Pargettk

My 25% elderberry/75% chambourcin blend is like your Julie - and it's delicious and still too young. I credit the success to the elderberry cutting the high acidity while adding fruitiness and body. Good stuff.


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## Julie

So when we are bottling two different wines I like to blend a glassful to see how it taste. We bottled an Edelweiss and a Noble today. Well this was pretty tasty, it was a 50/50 blend. I'm thinking we will be doing a batch of this come fall.


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## Julie

Pargettk said:


> My 25% elderberry/75% chambourcin blend is like your Julie - and it's delicious and still too young. I credit the success to the elderberry cutting the high acidity while adding fruitiness and body. Good stuff.



Have you tasted this lately?


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## yanks4carolyn

Any suggestions on a Cherry Lime? Would I use frozen sweetened limeade?


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## wineview

Do any of you blend after fermentation is complete? In other words blending at bottling time.


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## dralarms

wineview said:


> Do any of you blend after fermentation is complete? In other words blending at bottling time.


I do quite often.


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## Julie

All my blends our done after fermentation.


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## mainshipfred

Not that my taste is the best but I think I prefer after the wines have aged. This way you know more about what qualities the individual wines have and how one would benefit the other(s).


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## buzi

I blend right before bottling. That way I have the best idea of what I will get. There is still some changing in the bottle but my taster is not refined enough to allow me to blend pre-fermentation. And those folks that do field blends!?! Gutsy!


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## wood1954

I just finished my last bottle of merlot/Marquette 50/50 blend. 2017 vintage. I blended them because I over sulfited the Marquette. It turned out very nice, wish I had saved more, aging really does work magic sometimes. I would blend them again to help tame the acid in the Marquette.


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## Bmd2k1

Anyone blend at pour/decant time? (ie. pour different vinos into decanter, swirl, let sit & serve)


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## wineview

Sure do


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## sour_grapes

Yup. I am pretty liberal/non-fussy with mixing wines in the glass or decanter.


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## winemaker81

Bmd2k1 said:


> Anyone blend at pour/decant time? (ie. pour different vinos into decanter, swirl, let sit & serve)


It's one of the best times to bench test, especially if no one except you realizes they're bench testing. Make a couple of blends and ask people which is their favorite. If it's a "tasting", it feels like a test, but "whattayalike?" is not.


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## wineview

I’m blending a Barbera that’s a bit too oaky with a non oaked wine for tonight.


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## Ohio Bob

Bmd2k1 said:


> Anyone blend at pour/decant time? (ie. pour different vinos into decanter, swirl, let sit & serve)


When I’m in the mood for a rose but don’t have a bottle, I’ll add a tsp of maraschino cherry juice to a glass of Riesling. Viola, rose.


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## Bmd2k1

At pour blend just enjoyed...

Chilean Malbec 50%
FWK Zin 50%

Tasty!


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## Denden5136

I blend reds several months before bottling and let them settle and, if necessary, make final adjustments to SO2, acid, etc. since the final product will not necessarily be the sum of the 2 you start with. I always do blend testing with my wife and decide on the ratios, then plan and blend. Last year I did a Meritage that way with Cab Sauvignon and Cab Franc. I also blended a little Mourvedre in with my Syrah last year. The Syrah had a high pH, and the Mourvedre was a bit high on the TA, so the blend was very good to add stability. 

However, for fruit wines, I throw everything in from the beginning, so it is more like "fermenting together" rather than blending. I am doing a quince-pomegranate that way now, and did a pear-pomegranate last year. Perhaps that doesn't count for blending.


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