AJA Vineyards
Many wine lovers are surprised to discover that their favorite varietals are actually blends of several different wines. These wines may be a composite of grapes from different vineyards or they may be a combination of different varietals of wine altogether. Wine producers, such as AJA, will spend much time and effort every year to create the perfect wine blend.
Wine makers vary in their choices of when to blend their wines. Some may blend at harvest and allow the fruits to ferment together. Some will choose to blend varietals immediately after fermentation is complete. Others may wait six or even 14 months after harvest to blend.
Typically. Wine makers will select one variety, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, as their base wine. This base will compose up to 74% of the final blended wine product. Next, the wine maker will look to add complexity and balance by adding other varietals. Gradually, the additional varietal amount will continue with some wines composing little as two percent of the final product. Notably, even smaller amounts of particular varietal can make a significant difference.
The time involved in perfecting this process can last hours, days, weeks, or months. Winemakers may try up to 100 blends, sometimes even more, before they find the one they like. Once the best wine is selected, wineries will combine the chosen wines together to finish aging and stabilizing to prepare for bottling.
We here at AJA are very proud of our own wine blend creation, Malibu Coast Five Red Wine. It is a delicious combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cab Franc. The intensity of our Malibu Coast Cabernet Sauvignon provides an aromatic base bursting with the dark fruit flavors of cherry and black currant. Next, Petit Verdot contributes its intense color and powerful front palate flavor of ripe sweet fruit flavors. Merlot adds a mid-palate taste sensation of raspberries and a slight hint of chocolate. As a boost to our wine’s fruit profile, Malbec provides a very dark fruit layer of intensity. Finally, Cab Franc is blended to balance our wine with the strong red fruit flavors of cranberry and Bing cherries. The result is a well-balanced detectable wine which will pair well with hearty pasta dishes or meat entrees with intense causes. It also is wonderful just by itself.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Jordan Perrotti
Jordan is a student at UGA and is Interning for AJA Vineyards Summer 2024