Creation of Blending Components

“Perfect” single-batch wines are rare—but perfect blends exist

“Perfect” single-batch wines are very rare, but fortunately for us, perfect blends do exist.

For passionate winemakers, the creation of blending components is an endless learning process. It is something that can be refined over time as our senses sharpen and our holistic vision of the target wine becomes clearer. It requires patience, dedication, and experience, and it is arguably the most important factor in producing complex, high-quality wines. To make things even more challenging—and interesting—every vintage is different. There are no fixed rules, only criteria that must be applied according to circumstances.

Learning from the environment is essential. Winemakers are not magicians; they interpret terroir. They “read” the grapes and work to influence and express what those grapes are capable of giving, in different ways and at different moments.

Classic parameters such as sugar, pH, and titratable acidity are important at a fundamental level, but they tell us very little about quality. They are not sufficient tools when the goal is to elevate a wine from “good” to truly exceptional.

The first step is to build a deep tasting experience of the terroir and to develop a memory bank that spans from grapes to finished wines, across the various stages of their evolution. This accumulated knowledge allows for better decision-making from harvest through to blending.

Despite any romantic notions, winemaking involves so many variables that we can never be 100% certain of our decisions in any given scenario.

“Perfect” single-batch wines are rare—but perfect blends are possible. This naturally opens a broader discussion about single-vineyard wineries versus those that grow or source grapes from multiple terroirs.

Below is my practical approach, distilled into three key points:

• Extreme components

• Tools

• Knowledge

Extreme components

Extreme components create contrast, and contrast creates blending options. This is particularly valuable when working with a new terroir, as it can reveal unexpected qualities hidden within a vineyard. It is also crucial for very small or single-vineyard operations.

For example, fermenting the same variety—sometimes even from the same block—into different tanks can be extremely informative. Differences may arise from specific rows or parcels showing variation in fruit profile, acidity, berry size, skin thickness, phenolic and seed ripeness, stem colour, cane thickness, vigour, sun exposure, and canopy activity.

During pressing, the glass becomes my most important tool. I separate press fractions based on taste and target style, adjusting juice additions accordingly.

Juice tasting is one of the most difficult and misleading aspects of winemaking. Only after repeatedly observing the finished wines over multiple vintages can we gain some confidence in interpreting a specific terroir—and even then, generalisations are dangerous.

In one case, a client began with a single batch of juice, from which we produced four distinct wines: two still and two sparkling. This is a good example of how, in a difficult harvest with limited material and market pressure, thoughtful component creation can still provide meaningful options. As familiarity with a terroir grows, my approach becomes less extreme and more focused on refining what has been learned.

To achieve this level of flexibility in practice, we need the right tools—and the criteria to use them properly.

Tools

“Anyone can buy or copy a machine or a tool—but not the way you use it.”

Small tanks and barrels can have a major impact on quality, even if they require higher initial investment. They allow the separation of small batches, different press fractions, and the preservation of individual components until blending—highlighting the moment when large tanks actually become useful.

Working with multiple turbidity levels, fermentation temperatures, alcoholic and malolactic strategies, nutritional approaches, yeast strains with different characteristics, and oak in various forms, timings, and intensities—along with decisions around zero, partial, or full malolactic fermentation—creates real differentiation. Tools alone are not enough; they must be integrated with technique.

Knowledge

Knowledge allows technique to be applied effectively, combined with experience and conscious risk management for what cannot be predicted.

Sound decision-making requires a technical and logical approach, while remaining flexible enough to avoid dogma. What works brilliantly in one context may be entirely unsuitable in another, depending on the intended outcome.