The right mix

Waimea Edel, Nelson 2009. Photo / Natalie Slade

Tomatoes and basil; duck and five spice; apples and cinnamon - the combination of complementary ingredients has been honed over centuries by chefs seeking to create a symphony of flavours on a single plate. In contrast, wine has become more monophonic, with single variety wines increasingly favoured over blends; although a small but growing medley of our more adventurous winemakers are orchestrating some intriguing unions, both classic and new.

In Europe, blends of different grapes are behind many of its great wines, with the likes of Chateauneuf du Pape and port containing an extravaganza of varieties. These allow for proportions to be tweaked to make the best of each vintage and create synergies between compatible varieties.

"As with any blend you are trying to make the resultant wine greater than its individual components," explains Andy Nicole, winemaker at Pasquale, whose Alma Mater is a blend of riesling, pinot gris and gewurztraminer. "The goal is to take the best out of each variety and have it expressed in the blend with each component integrating and harmonising with the others."

This opinion and indeed this combination of varieties is starting to find increased support in our wineries, with the likes of Te Whare Ra's Toru, Millton's past Trois Enfants and most recently Waimea's Edel employing this trio of aromatics inspired by the edelzwicker (literally meaning "noble blend") and gentil blends of Alsace.

In this French region, this mix arguably reaches its apex in field blends of Marcel Deiss. Most concerned about what the vineyard has to express, this highly respected domaine not only has these varieties growing in the same vineyards, but also ferments them together rather than blending separate lots as is more generally practiced. This means that the vineyard, rather than the winemaker or a single grape variety, dictates the style each year.

While traditional in Europe, co-fermenting grapes in this way is still quite radical over here. Until recently Esk Valley's top red, The Terraces red, was one of the only wines made like this in the country, while Crossroads has increasingly come to include more co-fermented components in its Talisman.

"Co-fermenting starts the integration process right at the beginning," comments Crossroads' Miles Dinneen. "Now that I have a pretty good feel for what varietal mix works together, I am happy to co-ferment if the grapes are ready at the same time."

This approach is being embraced by many making the new wave of white blends. One of the most eclectic of these is Seresin's recently released Chiaroscuro, a melange of "Pinot gris for texture, riesling for acidity and purity, chardonnay for structure and power, and a little touch of pinot meunier as seasoning," according to its winemaker, Clive Dougall.

At Millton, which already makes its impressive Trois Enfants white and more recently its Cosmo red from malbec, syrah and viognier, James Millton is hatching plans for an unconventional new combo of chardonnay, viognier and marsanne. "This will be great because we have fruit, spice and salt in this blend making a better song," he states.

However, his distributor is less enthusiastic. "They say that we should only make enough for ourselves to drink as it won't work in the marketplace," Millton laments. Wine drinkers may have just about got their heads round the traditional Bordeaux blends we see from the likes of Hawkes Bay, but beyond these, blends are regularly overlooked in favour of the varietal wines that are easier to understand.

Those stuck in solo mode are missing out, as these novel combinations of flavours and textures, often impossible to achieve with a single variety, are resulting in some truly intriguing and tonally rich wines.

Cracking combinations

Noble union

Waimea Edel, Nelson 2009 $23

A fresh and fragrant Alsace-inspired blend with a lightly oily texture. Clove and nutmeg spice fuse with subtle notes of rose in this easy drinking off-dry aromatic white.
(From Point Wines, Eden Foods, La Vino, Winebox, Brick Bay, Wine Vault.)

Mysterious mix

Crossroads Talisman Hawkes Bay 2008 $39.99

Crossroads keeps the grape varieties in its smooth and well-structured flagship red a secret. However, tasting reveals it to be a concentrated midweight wine with an interesting juxtaposition of brooding blueberry with lifted plum fruit over toasty, spicy, licorice and minerally undertones.
(From Scenic Cellars, First Glass, Wine & More.)

Light touch

Seresin Chiaroscuro Marlborough 2007 $60

Chardonnay is obviously to the fore of this fascinating blend, with its rich notes of butterscotch and nut. Creamy, silky and juicy, its counterparts appear to have added an extra aromatic dimension of spice and a suggestion of floral. (Limited stocks available from www.seresin.co.nz)