KEY POINTS:
In these star-struck times, it's often solo performers who steal the limelight. But hold on, what of the likes of Dolce & Gabbana, the Marx Brothers, the Fantastic Four or the Royal Philharmonic? It's clear that the sum of all the parts is often greater than the one, and this is certainly true of wine.
Some of the greatest wines of the world are made from a number of different grapes, such as Bordeaux, Chianti and Rioja, with Chateauneuf-du-Pape boasting up to 13 varieties. This spread can help the winemaker cope with the vagaries of vintage, where one variety might perform better than another.
More important, a varied palette of ingredients can be used to enhance each variety's strengths and mask any weaknesses. For example in red Bordeaux, austere Cabernet Sauvignon is often used to provide structure and longevity, Cabernet Franc ripens more reliably and comes to the fore when the Cabernet Sauvignon's not so hot, Merlot adds a soft fleshiness, while Malbec brings colour.
Versions of this classic combo have been adopted in Hawkes Bay in particular, but beyond Bordeaux blends, New Zealand's winemakers have kept things pretty conservative when it comes to inter-varietal mixing.
This has been driven partly by single varietal wines being far easier to understand, coupled with chuck-em-all-together cheapies leaving a suspicion that combining grapes detracts from the purity of the main variety. However, a skilful blend can add complexity.
Even Shiraz Viognier, the assemblage that's taken off in Australia, is still something of a hard-sell here. Called Syrah Viognier in New Zealand, this duo's local pioneer, Te Mata, decided to remove Viognier from the label of its latest blend to give it wider appeal to those who "may be put off by the idea of combining white and red grape varieties".
Mixing white Viognier with Syrah may seem a little outre, but it's a classic combination in the varieties' heartland of France's Rhone. In one of its top wines, Cote Rotie, Viognier has historically been paired with Syrah to soften the palate of its black counterpart and add floral aromatics.
"Ultimately the greatest wines are blends because we can take the best attributes of each variety," says Esk Valley's Gordon Russell, the winemaker behind The Terraces, the estate's flagship blend created from a traditional European practice of harvesting and fermenting different varieties from one site together to make the "ultimate" vineyard wine.
While this, like most of New Zealand's blends, is red, Russell predicts that in the next decade we'll be seeing a lot more white blends. Experimentation is already afoot. Last year, Marlborough's Te Whare Ra released its Toru, an Alsace-inspired blend of Gewurztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Gris. John Forrest, too, launched The White, made from a confidential combination of Viognier, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Gewurztraminer sourced from three different regions.
If you don't think you've ever imbibed a blend, in reality you probably have, as the law permits 15 per cent of any wine to include varieties not named on the label. Gewurz could have added some spice to your Savvy, Pinot Gris may be padding out that Pinot Noir.
But while you might find the former, you'd hope that the latter doesn't happen too frequently as in its still red form Pinot Noir is one of a handful of essentially stand-alone varieties which rarely benefit from the input of others.
Sometimes less is still more, but blends can certainly add an exciting dimension to wine's infinite variety.
Around the blends
Red and whites all right
Te Mata Woodthorpe Syrah 2005 $29
Brooding dark Syrah fruit, with its spice and black pepper, is given a silkiness and subtle orange blossom lift from the Viognier. A mid-weight wine of which the Rhone would be proud.
From wine stores such as Glengarry and La Barrique.
Five of the best
Matariki Quintology 2002 $39.90
Matariki uses Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Cabernet Franc in their flagship wine, with a smidgen of Syrah separating it from traditional Bordeaux blends. It's elegant and harmonious, with juicy dark berry fruit and lingering notes of dark chocolate.
From Wine Delivery Company, La Barrique, Bacchus.
Secret recipe
John Forrest Collection The White 2006 $55
In the second release of this maverick blend, Forrest has honed his mix to create a full, fresh and fragrant wine that juxtaposes the weight and richness of Viognier and Gewurztraminer with the crisp acidity of Riesling and Sauvignon.
From fine wine stores.
