Why pick one grape? There's a whole bunch

MANY wines are not made from a single type of grape but are, in fact, blends of two or more varieties. Key examples include red Bordeaux, Rioja, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the vast majority of Champagne. But why blend?

- by Matt Nixson

Originally, it was a hedge against the weather. European wine regions, in particular, endure erratic weather patterns, such as frost and rain, at the wrong time. Planting cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc in the Bordeaux region provided protection against this. Whereas cabernet sauvignon needs warmth to mature, merlot and cabernet franc ripen easily. So wines could be consistent f