Many of the world’s finest wines are blends of several varieties, most notably those of Bordeaux, France, where the top chateau estate wines often sell for $200 a bottle or more.

But here in the U.S., wines made of different varieties of grapes, blended together by the winemaker, are often looked down on as inferior or poor quality wine. Everyone thinks of jug wines when you say “wine blends.” Nothing could be further from the truth.

A winemaker friend of mine (and a great chef) once explained it to me this way: “I love meat, potatoes, and carrots. Each has its own distinctive character, texture, aroma, flavor; and each great on its own. But, when I put them altogether in one pot, simmer them for a while and then taste, its different. You get a luscious, savory stew that is far better than having them separate.

It’s the same when I make a wine — maybe the Cabernet is a bit too powerful and tannic, the Merlot hyper-fruity but low in acid and the Cabernet Franc a bit too earthy in aroma. But when I put them together in just the right proportions and let them age for a while in oak, well, then you get something splendid — a wine far better than the individual components. That’s the art of blending.”

Federal wine regulations have long specified that if a wine has a wine varietals name on the label (Merlot, Chardonnay, etc.) it must be as least 75 percent of that variety. If not, is must carry a simple “table wine” designation, and that became the problem. There was nothing distinctive about being called a lowly table wine. In 1988, a small group of California winemakers got together to promote their efforts to produce wines that rivaled those of the great chateaux of France. They began calling their wines Meritage (pronounced like heritage) and formed The Meritage Association, which trademarked the name and specified the grape varieties that could be used (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot).

Things started slowly with only about 20 wineries in California joining the association in the first 10 years, but then the concept took off. Now there are more than 200 wineries in 20 states producing outstanding Meritage wines. Five are here in Michigan: Fenn Valley, Cherry Creek, Leelanau Cellars, Lemon Creek and St. Julian (Braginini Reserve). When you see the word Meritage on a bottle of wine, you can be assured that it is a blend of at least two or more of the required grape varieties — and that it is the signature wine of the winery, the one that displays the style and art of the winemaker.

Dave Ethridge is a nationally known wine writer, certified wine judge and the Director of the Lapeer Chapter of Tasters Guild International.

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