Blending Wines at the Cinq Cepage Blending Seminar

Saturday was a day to sleep in a bit, at last. But I still started nice and early since there is always someone to meet at the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival. Formally, I didn't have anywhere to be until around 1:00 pm to attend the Cinq Cepage Blending Seminar. I've been to a few of these humbling events and if you ever want to learn something at a seminar, this is the place to do it.

Cinq Cepage is the Meritage wine from Château St. Jean (pronounced like the denim pant.) Normally, these seminars are poorly conceived with a muttered discussion and a chance to blunder though making your own blend. But led by talented Bob Coleman from the winery, participants were guided through making a decent blend of the wine.

For those that might not know, by blending different varietals, the winemaker hopes to get the best of each varietal, while blending flavours that compliment each other to bring out the winemakers vision. The easy way to think of it is a band or orchestra where all components or parts are playing together to produce a fuller, richer sound.

Armed with pipettes, an extra blending glass, and the five varietals (a little like Cinq Cepage) which comprise the blend, and a finished glass, we were off to work. Strangely, with a 100 ml pipette, filled with 80 ml cabernet sauvignon, you could use that to make a 100 ml blend with around 80% cabernet. Taking advantage of an empty seat beside me, I set about making two blends.

I made a glass of 75% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot, 10% cabernet franc, 3% malbec, and 2% petit verdot. My second effort came a little closer to the finished product at 80% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot, 5% cabernet franc, and then 3% malbec and 2% petit verdot.

Blending is an art and a science, and the final blend for the 2005 Cinq Cepage was 83% cab, 11% merlot, and then only 3% cabernet franc, 2% malbec, and 1% petit verdot. While very good wine, of the three final glasses I ended up with, I liked my first blend the best.