"Greg Cook" > wrote:

> Negodki, would you elaborate on why you prefer to do it at bottling and,
in
> your experience, have you had problems with hazes developing in the
bottle?

I wait until each wine is finished, so that I know it's "final"
characteristic and flavor. Then I can decide whether or not I wish to try to
improve on that. If I'm happy with the wine as is, there is little reason to
blend. (The exception to this would be a Bordeaux style blend of Cabernets
and Merlot, where I'm trying to achieve ambrosia from three already
"perfect" wines).

Taste tests at this stage will help me decide the exact proportions I wish
to combine. Having done that, I have two options: to blend while racking, or
to blend while bottling. The procedure is the same in either case: Fill the
receiving container(s) to a predetermined level with the first [and second]
wine[s], and then top them up with the other. It's easier to blend while
racking (less containers, less careful measurements), but going directly to
the bottle saves a step. I have not (yet) had any problems with hazes
developing when the wines are combined, but perhaps that is because I am
dealing only with reds (and highly tannic apple wines) which have been bulk
aged a minimum of two years. If I ever end up with a haze in the bottle, I
will probably adopt your method.

I think the important thing, and I believe we agree on this, is not to blend
until the wine is finished. Some wines (especially reds) can be quite rough
until they age a few years, and then they smooth out almost magically. If
one were to blend to remove that roughness, they might also lose the complex
flavour characteristic that makes them so special.