Blending is the act of combining wines — different grapes, parcels, vintages or barrel lots — to create a balanced, finished wine. It happens at the assemblage stage, when the winemaker tastes through components and decides proportions. Blending corrects imbalances, builds complexity and ensures consistency, especially for non-vintage wines like most Champagne. Even single-varietal wines are usually blends of multiple barrels or vineyard blocks.
WHY IT MATTERS FOR COLLECTORS
A producer's blending decisions define their house style year to year. For non-vintage Champagne and fortified wines, blending across vintages is the whole point: a consistent identity that transcends any single harvest.
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