There are many different types of grapes grown in Bordeaux and used in their famous wines. In the past, there were just six varietals allowed for making red wine in Bordeaux: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carm...
2018 Primus “The Blend” ($18.99) Primus is a leading brand in the Chilean premium segment and a fine example of Chilean quality capabilities. The name Primus is Latin and means “the first” or “the first among its peers”, and for good reason. The w...
2014 Lyeth Meritage Sonoma Red Blend ($26) Lyeth (“Leeth”) Estate was created in 1981 by founder Chip Lyeth who was captivated by the Bordeaux style of wine blending to achieve the most intriguing, inspiring wines. And a Bordeaux blend this one ...
2014 Opolo Fusion Red Blend ($28) Several years ago, I was given a bottle of Opolo Reserve Zinfandel and thought it was one of the best bottles I had ever had. I’ve remained a big fan of Opolo and have visited their tasting room during a visit to ...
2017 Ravines Wine Cellars Maximilien ($24.95) Ravines Wine Cellars is an artisanal winery in the flourishing, world-class wine region of the Finger Lakes, located in upstate New York. It is the passion of Morten & Lisa Hallgren, a European Win...
2014 Amador Cellars “Farmhouse Red” ($27) Amador Cellars, located in Plymouth California (Amador County) is truly a family-run winery. It showcases Mediterranean wines, Tuscan architecture and a friendly tasting room staff that includes the famil...
2013 Barton Family Wines “The Dance” Red Blend ($50) The Barton Family Wines is located in Paso Robles, California and Joe Barton is the Proprietor of “The Dance” red blend. He makes this wine in remembrance of Joseph Barton Sr., his father. In ...
2016 Ace Kicker Big Bet Blend ($15) This Ace Kicker wine originates from Spain’s Castilla-La Mancha region which is located about 40 miles south of Madrid. This Big Bet Blend is indeed a big blend that’s produced from 34% Cabernet Franc, 27% Syra...
**2015 Derange ($100) ** I was familiar with The Prisoner Wine Company and the amazing works of Dave Phinney but had not heard of the Derange Red Blend. And, maybe that was a good thing. Because when I opened this bottle I had no idea what I was g...
2015 Phantom Red Blend by Bogle ($25) The Phantom is back! Last week’s Behind the Cork™ feature was the Phantom Chardonnay that was so good I went out and bought another bottle. This week feature is the Phantom Red Blend by Bogle. This Phantom R...
2016 Federalist Honest Red Blend ($21.99) The Federalist Honest Red Blend pays homage to one of the most highly regarded American Presidents of all time, Abraham Lincoln. This is a blend of reds from the California’s North Coast appellation that ...
Écluse Blind Dog Red Blend ($17) Écluse is the French word for the locks on the canals. And, the Écluse name is very fitting for this winery that’s owned by Steve Lock. During my last visit to Paso Robles I stopped in to visit Écluse and got to m...
While strolling through the wine section of my local grocery store, I was asked “Do you know what Jug Wine is?” My attention was drawn to a sign above the shelves that identified the section as “Jug Wine.” My first reaction was to state that it’s...
2016 Thomas Allen Generations Red Blend ($7) This was a new one to me. I’d previously tried the Thomas Allen Cabernet Sauvignon, but wasn’t aware of their red blend. Thomas Allen is owned and operated by third generation wine grape growers, Thoma...
2012 Clayhouse Adobe Red Blend ($14) This was an interesting find. I love Paso Robles and the wines that are produced there. But, I wasn’t previously familiar with this one. The Clayhouse estate Red Cedar Vineyard is located on the east side of...
2016 Lion Tamer Red - The Hess Collection ($45) This red blend comes from The Hess Collection of wines from Napa Valley. Hess Family wines was founded by Donald Hess in 1978. Today, Tim Persson (Donald’s son in law) and his wife Sabrina are owner...
2016 Écluse Ensemble ($48) This Bordeaux red blend from Écluse in Paso Robles is truly an ensemble of varietals. It’s produced from 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cab Franc, 15% Petit Verdot, 14% Merlot, 14% Malbec and 7% Carignane. A little bit of e...
2016 Rancho Sisquoc Santa Barbara “Sisquoc River Red” ($10) Now here’s a red blend that recently caught my eye. Not because of any fancy label or special promotion in the store. According to the Rancho Sisquoc website this is 35% Cabernet Sauvign...
I always enjoy it when someone asks me a wine question that I don’t know the answer to. It gives me another opportunity to learn. So, when I was recently asked if I was familiar with Limnio (LIM-nee-oh) I said no and started to do some research. Lim...
2014 14 Hands Columbia Valley Stampede Red Blend ($9) I’ve recently read some nice things about 14 Hands Winery and, never having had their wines, I thought I’d give this one a try. The Stampede Red Blend is a combination of Syrah, Merlot, Cabern...
Last time we looked at red wine blends from Bordeaux. Their blends are dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. But, there is another wine region in France that produces great red wine blends, and that’s the Rhône River Valley in Southern France....
* Image - Decanter.com * Red wine blends have become very popular. There are several very popular and inexpensive red blends with catchy names on the grocery store shelves and on menus at restaurants. If you enjoy these red blends, let me introdu...
During the winter months and the holidays, mulled wine is a very popular drink, especially in European countries. Partly by tradition and partly because it’s a warm drink that is enjoyed on cold evenings. There are many names for mulled wine includi...
In years past in the U.S., red wine blends were sold by the jug as “Red Wine” or “Table Wine.” These were inexpensive wines that were blends of grapes, vineyards or even vintages. So, today, blends are often disregarded as being of poor quality. Bu...
Have you ever come across a wine labeled as Meritage and wondered what it is? It’s made in the U.S. where you can dependably know what a wine is because the label will tell you the grape varietal used to make the wine. But this U.S. made wine seems ...