As red wine blends continue to gain popularity, the style evolves beyond overtly sweet versions
This inky red blend is based primarily on the zinfandel grape and accented with grapes known for their dark color and spicy flavors.
Red blends have been one of the fastest growing categories of American wine for about a decade, but it can be difficult to guess how they’ll taste. Blends are the wine world’s equivalent of sausages: often delicious, but we’re not always told exactly what’s in them.
As a rule, the most affordable California red blends tend to be based on those wine grapes that are plentiful, but less popular when sold as a varietally labeled wine, so grapes like zinfandel or merlot will often play the starring role. The original fashion was for California’s red blends to be less dry than traditional red wines, particularly in the $15-and-under tier. However, as their trendiness pushes red blends into higher price ranges, savvy shoppers can expect to find examples that may smell and taste more of jam than fresh berries, but which are not overtly sugary on the tip of the tongue.
This dark and brooding bottling from Grammy-winning musician Zac Brown is a perfect example. This inky red blend is based primarily on the zinfandel grape and accented with smaller quantities of three grapes known for their dark color and spicy flavor profile: petite sirah, Syrah, and Malbec. After aging in both French and American oak barrels, each sip delivers buckets of juicy fruit flavors of black and blue berries, spiced with cracked pepper and candied violets and all wrapped up with a velvety soft mouthfeel.
Z. Alexander Brown “Uncaged” Proprietary Red Blend, California
$14.99, 14.5% alcohol
PLCB Item #1183
Sale price through June 26 — regularly $18.99
Available in Delaware at Kreston Wine & Spirits in Wilmington - $12.99, krestonwines.com; and Total Wine & More in Wilmington and Claymont - $14.99, totalwine.com.
Available in New Jersey at Wine Warehouse in Clementon, and Mantua - $14.98, winewarehousenj.com.