Blends Consult

[qyhcat]

Can someone please confirm types of blending methods:

1. Blending at bottling time?
2. Blend juice before fermentation?
3. any other?

thanks

 

[DoctorCAD]

Blending is typically done at bottling, or very shortly before. You want the taste of the individual grapes to come through, not be muddied by fermenting together.

 

[sour_grapes]

3. any other?

Well, I have been known to blend wines (in my case, commercial wines) after bottling. For a party, say, I have dumped a bottle of cab sauv. in with a bottle of merlot in a pitcher.

 

[JohnT]

Blending is typically done at bottling, or very shortly before. You want the taste of the individual grapes to come through, not be muddied by fermenting together.

Not for me. I always blend and ferment together.

I already know the blend that I want and it is WAY too much of a hassle for me to keep the different varietals separate. I also use the same yeast strain for 90% of my reds. I simply dump the grapes together and ferment and end up with rather nice wines.

 

[Boatboy24]

Yep, you covered it. You can do it before you ferment, or after. If doing it after, you should wait until the wine has cleared and aged a bit, so shortly before bottling.

I don't do large enough quantities to warrant separate fermentation of several batches, so if I'm blending, I decide what I want before hand and dump it all in the fermenter together.

 

[Tenbears]

I have blended them post fermentation, well post bottling, actually post drinking to be precise.

 

[qyhcat]

Thanks to all for your valuable comments.

regards,
luis