Once you have experience with particular vineyard's grapes, you can
reasonably well anticipate how they go together. Some commercial
wineries blend grapes before fermentation on certain varietals which are
known to complement one another year after year.

Gene



Mike McGeough wrote:


> John,
>
> I agree with all the above, especially the diminishing importance of
> yeast choice, but let me add:
>
> Although we can more precisely "engineer" a blend after the component
> wines are fermented, I prefer not to. My personal experience has been to
> harvest my four red varieties as they ripen, and ferment them all
> together. Ditto the two whites I blend. Partly out of expedience, partly
> in the belief that the conpenents "marry" better, and partly in the
> romance of annual variations in the vintage. Essentially my blends are
> field blends, but I will hold back on a variety if it's too bountiful
> for my style, or draw off some juice as a Saignee. Does it make a
> technicaly better wine? Probably not, but it keeps me from overthinking
> the process, and I look foward to the differences each year brings.
>
> I might add that I've adjusted the number of each variety, and the size
> of each's crop to hit a certain balance. This process continues still,
> as I plan on increasing my Cab S. plantings.
>
> Both ways work, but the safer way is to blend after fermenting, unless
> you have a prior model to follow.
>
> HTH
>
>
>