You may wonder why some wines are blended.

The purpose of blending wine is to create a more interesting wine.

A winemaker may feel that the addition of wine made from another grape will either fill in any weaknesses of the primary grape or create a more complex wine and, consequently, a more pleasing wine to drink.

Perhaps the most famous blended red wine in the world is Bordeaux, from France. It is a blend of two to five grapes, the dominant ones being cabernet sauvignon and merlot.

The other grapes that make up a red Bordeaux wine are petit verdot (contributes to color), cabernet franc (contributes to tannic structure and richness of flavor) and malbec (contributes to flavor).

Merlot is often used to blend with cabernet sauvignon to help soften, or round out, the cabernet, which can sometimes contain harsh-tasting tannins.

Syrah and cabernet sauvignon also comprise a popular duo, having complementary characteristics.

The percentage breakdown of the components that make up a blended are sometimes indicated on a label, but it is not required to do so for American wines.

In Australia, however, where the cabernet-syrah combo is frequently found, label laws must show the percentages of each grape that make up a blend.

Grapes that are used for blending purposes are chosen to add either flavor, body, acidity, finish or aging potential.

It also is possible for white wines to be made from a blend of grapes, such as sauvignon blanc with semillion, but white wine blends are usually less popular than red blends.

When producers in the U.S. make a blended wine using the same grapes that are used to make Bordeaux wine, they are permitted to identify these wines as “Meritage” style wines (rhymes with heritage).

This is a unique, American term that may only be used on a wine label when the wine is blended from the Bordeaux grapes mentioned above. If a non-Bordeaux grape, such as Zinfandel, is part of the blend, it is technically not a Meritage-style wine.

I find Meritage-style wines to be among the very best of California red wines. They are elegant, layered with aromas and flavors, and pair beautifully with many meat dishes.

— Len Napolitano lives in Central Coast wine country and believes the more you understand wine, the more you enjoy it. He is certified in wine by the Society of Wine Educators, Wine & Spirits Education Trust, and Chicago Wine School and continually gains knowledge from his frequent contact with California winemakers. More information is on his Web site, at http://www.wineology.com. Send your questions about wine to wineologist@earthlink.net. Wineology is a registered trademark of Len Napolitano.