Blends & Layering: why sometimes a single grape simply isn’t enough.
Japanese School Boy Chic
When the classic button up gets both elevated & relaxed thanks to a kimono inspired cardigan.
I want you to take a moment to think about that song you’ve had on an ungodly repeat the past few weeks.
Consider the elements that make you cling to every moment of it: the percussion line keeping your body moving to the rhythm, the harmonies inducing hair raising goosebumps, the instruments fluttering behind the vocals—all the parts working together to create that ear candy you can’t get enough of. What if any one of those elements was removed? Would the song still hit in the same way or would you be more apt to hit the skip button to reset your listening algorithm?
While any singular part of a song’s structure can, in theory, be great on its own, the sum of any one part becomes more incredible when paired with other musical elements. Layering is a term you’ll see pop up in both music and fashion, and it is a phenomena that also occurs in the world of wine via blends. You might be thinking “if all this time is spent growing a grape, why the hell wouldn't the winemaker want that fruit and that fruit alone to shine?” Well, sometimes it takes a helping hand from other grapes to unlock a wine’s full potential (hello, famous Bordeaux Blend).….or when you layer multiple clothing pieces to achieve a more standout look. All the cogs work together to showcase the best of each other, providing strengths where one is weak & unlocking a whole new vibe as a result.
THE ART OF BLENDING
You wouldn’t limit an artist to using one single color or medium for their art, right? So why would we place those limits on a winemaker? Winemaking is indeed an art form after all. Wine not only acts as an expression of the land it is made in, but a form of self expression for the winemaker crafting the juice. While grape varietals can shine on their on in what we refer to as a “single varietal wine”, a far more complex wine can be achieved when a winemaker gets to add other grapes to the mix. Blending allows a winemaker to create the best possible wine with the raw materials at their disposal without handicapping them due to the weaknesses of one specific grape.
Blending grapes together serves the purpose of creating additional layers of aromas, flavors, texture and overall complexity to the final wine. Winemakers can mitigate imperfections or improve overall quality in their final wine when working with grapes that don’t have all the goods they want/need delivered on their own. A perfect example is taking plush, fruity Merlot, and blending it with Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc to give it more tannin structure and more interesting aromatics. Blending can provide balance between the characteristics of each varietal within the wine, cleverly offsetting each grape’s less favorable qualities. Some winemakers & wine houses seek to maintain consistency in a wine’s structure from one vintage to the next. This is why non-vintage wines exist. A non-vintage wine can be comprised of juice from multiple vintages or years to create a house style that is, again, consistent no matter the year of release. While these non-vintage wines are often blends of multiple grapes, they can also be single varietal with the juice of that single varietal coming from different years.
In tastings or causal conversation, I’ll often relate famous wine blends to musical groups such as TLC, Destiny’s Child, NSYNC, the Spice Girls—clearly I have a love for the boy bands & girl groups of days gone by. While each individual artist of those groups could hold their own as a soloist (well, some of ‘em), one cannot deny the magic that is crafted when they perform & harmonize with their groupmates. It’s what makes them eternally wed in our minds. Here are a few of those classic, benchmark blends that the grapes seemed to be glued to the hip in:
CHAMPAGNE [Pinot Noir - Chardonnay - Pinot Meunier]
BORDEAUX BLEND [Cabernet Franc - Petite Verdot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot - Malbec]
COTES DU RHONE [Grenache - Syrah - Mourvedre aka GSM]
Before we shift gears into the fashion parallel of this topic, it is important to note that a blend doesn’t always have to be of different grapes. Sometimes a blend can be of the same grape, but from different vineyard sites, different barrels or even regions. An example of this is when winemakers in areas such as Argentina combine Malbec grown from higher elevations (where the fruit flavors & tannins are more concentrated) with Malbec grown on the valley floor (where the grapes tend to take on more intense aromatics) into a blend that is the best of both worlds.
A WINO FACT: "Cuvée" is a term that is used synonymously with “blend” to denote use of different wines, grapes, or vintages, similar to how an orchestra is a blend of instruments. You’ll see the term cuvée come up more often in sparkling wine & Champagne production.
THE ART OF LAYERING
For those who are new around here, you’ll quickly realize that I enjoy finding a fashion or music related parallels to communicate about topics surrounding wine. My brain immediately went to the concept of layering to convey why blending in the wine world is an important, and necessary technique.
When we think of “layering” or “layered fashion”, our minds’ eye goes to looks for fall or winter. It is in these cooler seasons where the combination of multiple pieces serves a very specific purpose: regulating our body temperature to keep us warm! However, merging multiple pieces together to create a more complex look isn’t just for function, but style as well.
A WINO FACT: Layering in fashion is defined as wearing multiple garments one on top of another to create a more stylish and versatile outfit that can adapt to different climates and weather conditions. The addition of hats, accessories, pieces of different textures/fabrics or colors, can also add to the ‘layers’ of a look.
Key Aspects of Layering:
Practicality: Layering is effective for regulating body temperature, as you can add or remove layers as needed. A peacoat or trenchcoat over a formal suit is a literal chef’s kiss.
Aesthetic Appeal: It adds visual interest and dimension to outfits, allowing for experimentation with textures, colors, and patterns. Hats or neck ties tend to be my personal go-to’s for creating aesthetic interest in my looks!
Versatility: Layering allows for easy adaptation to specific scenarios or weather shifts. Think of an outfit that can easily transition from daytime business activities to casual evening outings.
Layering adds depth, visual interest, and warmth (in some cases) to outfits while also allowing for creative expression and personal style. It can be as complex as women putting two skirts on, each of varying lengths, to create the look of a single skirt to as simple as men combining a sweater vest, button up & tie with a blazer. You establish a specific piece as your base layer or foundation, just as a winemaker starts with a base wine to be the main focal point of a blend, and build upon that with pieces in the mid & top layers.
While there’s a million other comparisons, possibly even simpler ones, that can be made to convey the importance of blends in the wine world, this one might be the most fun! Some of my favorite, easy drinking wines ever happen to be blends. If I had to leave you with a recommendation before the end of this post: the Valencay by Mary Taylor Wine. This is a blend of Pinot Noir, Gamay & Malbec in the region of Valencay. The trio of grapes is often referred to as “the cherries” when joining forces. The Pinot provides the overall structure & acidity, the Gamay adds fresh & floral aromatics, and the Malbec gives necessary color & texture to the proceedings.
I’ve made the case why a single grape simply isn’t enough to get the job done all the time. Now every time you find yourself pulling multiple pieces together for an outfit, you can imagine yourself as a winemaker pulling different grapes together for a blend, ha!
Wine, but make it fashion.
