White blends explored

"Is Bordeaux a grape variety?" asked a bright and sophisticated (or so I thought) doctor friend while we were both working overseas. She admitted to being completely bewildered at the vast selection of wines on display at her local supermarket. "I don't know what Bordeaux is so I usually just grab a bottle of New World Sauvignon Blanc or Cab," she shrugged.Unlike most South African wine drinkers, Europeans are very comfortable with wines - usually blends - that are defined by their place of origin. Which is not to say our northern counterparts are all experts: I once overheard a Londoner in a wine shop refusing "that Chardonnay stuff" and asking for a cheap bottle of white Burgundy! But South Africans have been weaned on wines labelled according to varietal; worse still, we have been conditioned to believe that single varietal wines are superior to blends, and particularly when it comes to white blends.

And who can blame us? Local brands such as Versus (Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc) and Graça (Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Cape Riesling) are the zestiest best of cheap and usually nasty white blends that have historically provided a convenient way of dumping unsellable wine.

At the premium end, too, where so much importance is placed on the concept of terroir, we've been led to believe the winemaker's role is simply to act as a midwife, gently coaxing grapes to become wine that "expresses its origins". For this reason we tend to dismiss expensive blends of different varieties for being more about winemaker ego than authenticity, and therefore "inferior". (The ill-fated marriage of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc in the '90s did nothing to convince us otherwise, with most of these so-called Sauvenays having disappeared without trace...)

But while the romantic idea of wine originating from a particular piece of dirt has undeniable marketing appeal, the reality is that not many of the world's vineyards warrant separate bottling; in South Africa it has not even been legal to label single vineyard wines as such until now. What's more, our legislation allows for a bottle labelled as a single varietal to include a hefty 25% of wine made from other grapes - so much for the idea of "pure" unblended wines!

And thank goodness, say some of our top winemakers. "To make the best wines we possibly can in South Africa, we have to blend," insists Eben Sadie of Sadie Family Vineyards. "Only in continental climates can mono-varietals make for complete wines - take Riesling in Germany, Viognier in the Rhône or Sauvignon Blanc in Pouilly-Fumé. As soon as you're in a warmer Mediterranean or maritime climate, blending becomes essential."

Pointing out that the southern Rhône's most famous white, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, is a heady blend of Roussanne with Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Bourboulenc, and that the best white Bordeaux is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and sometimes Muscadelle, he says, "It's stupid to think that the European model, developed over 2 000 years, doesn't apply in South Africa."

Describing most of the Cape's single varietal white wines as "expanded, bland and boring" due to our warm climate, Sadie reveals that he never planned to make white wine at all. "It was only after travelling in the south of France and Spain that I realised it was possible to make really incredible white wines in warmer regions. The key was blending."

Believing that Viognier had the most potential here, he set about finding the right fruit to blend with it: 18-year-old Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc between 35 and 45 years old, and Grenache Blanc from a "little jewel" of a vineyard planted some 55 years ago. The result is Palladius, a beautifully balanced blend of 45% Viognier for spice and density with Chardonnay for creamy richness and Chenin Blanc for ripe tropical aromas and acidity. The final component is Grenache Blanc whose tannins (unusual in a white wine) provide a long finish, auguring well for longevity.

"It's a huge departure from what has been done before in South Africa," says Sadie. "But I believe we must start listening to our environment and abandoning our preconceived ideas.

I know blends are what we will do best in future."

Fortunately he is not a lone crusader. In 2001, Vergelegen's Andre van Rensburg decided only blending could create a distinctive white of suitable quality to match his flagship red. "I had initially thought our great white would be Chardonnay but it turned out to be too one-dimensional for my liking," he says. "I wanted elegance and structure and, most importantly, the ability to age."

In the tradition of the great whites of Bordeaux, Van Rensburg decided to blend 78% Sauvignon Blanc with 22% Semillon. A winning recipe, you might think, with the 2003 Platter Guide describing it as "Graves style (Château Haut Brion specifically)" and awarding it 5 Stars. But the enfant terrible of the wine industry promptly reversed the proportions (67% Semillon and 33% Sauvignon in 2002; 78% Semillon and 22% Sauvignon Blanc in 2003). It worked. For two more successive years, Vergelegen White has clocked up 5 Stars in Platter, and also won the trophies for Best Blended White and Best White Wine overall at the Fairbairn Capital Wine Show. "Blending gives you something that single varietals cannot," says Van Rensburg, "and that's complexity."
Painstakingly made, needless to say, Palladius (R237) and Vergelegen (R170) are among the country's most expensive wines. "My accountant tells me that's what we have to charge," jokes Sadie. "The intrinsic quality makes it possible to sell these wines at these prices," insists Van Rensburg. "It's a niche market and for that reason I don't believe Vergelegen will ever produce more than 1 000 to 1 500 cases. Our aim is simply to show how good SA wines can be and how well they can mature."

Another pricey white blend in the pipeline is Flagstone's 2004 Two Roads (R130). Winemaker Bruce Jack says he decided to create something "really special" following his phemonenal success with Noon Gun (a maverick and considerably cheaper blend of which some 32 000 cases are currently sold). The result is, in Jack's words, a "hectically confusing" blend of Pinot Blanc (29%), Chenin Blanc (20,5%), Semillon (15,9%), Chardonnay (13,3%), Viognier (9,6%), Riesling (6,9%) and Sauvignon Blanc (4,8%).

"We tried to make do without some of the varieties but it didn't work so well," he explains. "In any case, I don't think South Africans need to follow prescribed recipes just because that's the way it's done somewhere else. As it becomes increasingly difficult to make money in the international market, we increasingly need to differentiate ourselves. The idea of white blends is still a kernel here, but it's going to blossom," he predicts. "Our white blends could be world beaters, without doubt."
As a winemaker, Jack admits he really looks forward to coming into work when blending. Dornier winemaker Ian Naudé agrees, but says viticulturist Lukas de Kock won't come near the winery when it's assemblage time. "It's so final; you can't ever take the wines apart again," says Naudé, whose story behind Dornier's Donatus white blend argues against the notion that blends are just about winemakers with egos.

"I had three white vineyards planted to Chenin Blanc, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc and I liked the idea of making a blend so I called all the white wine experts for advice," he says. "First Teddy Hall [of Rudera] said my Chenin Blanc was a winner; then I was told I'd be winemaker of the year for my Semillon! But finally Eben Sadie asked, 'Is this about you or is it about the wine?' So I decided to go with the blend after all."

Naudé says he wanted a wine that would be "genuinely Old World-meets-New World" in style. "Not only the best possible wine I can make in any given year, but also one that will age," he sums up. "It must also be able to complement food - and I believe only blends are multi-layered enough to keep changing in the glass and be a conversation point over dinner."

This "changeability" was the idea behind Gary and Kathy Jordan's decision way back in 1993 to produce Chameleon, an aptly named blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay (and now a splash of Chenin Blanc). "If you serve it chilled, those grassy green Sauvignon flavours come out, making it a good match for fish," says winemaker Sjaak Nelson. "Served warmer, the Chardonnay dominates, giving it a fuller, richer character."

Buitenverwachting's ever-dependable Buiten Blanc (mostly Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and a little Riesling, R40), with its 50 000 case production, has long been proof that premium white blends can be successful. Now Distell and Stellenbosch Vineyards also appear to have identified commercial potential, each launching a premium white blend last year. The former has just unveiled its second (2003) vintage of Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Viognier Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc Semillon (R75), with winemaker Kobus Gerber explaining: "My goal was to make a wine that was different and stood out above the rest. While blending these particular four cultivars, I found a match made in heaven."

Stellenbosh Vineyards' Kumkani VVS (R55), meanwhile, is a barrel-fermented and oak matured blend of mainly Viognier with the Portuguese variety Verdelho and Sauvignon Blanc. "My opinion is that blends should never be the result of a commercial decision to extend volumes," says chief winemaker Chris Kelly. "They should only come about in order to make a better wine."

Kelly reveals that the decision to plant two hectares of Verdelho was made on the basis of its mouthfeel - or "sex appeal", as he describes it - as well as its ability to maintain good acidity even when picked ripe for luscious nectarine flavours. Like Eben Sadie, he believes South Africa should be investigating other unusual grape varieties. "Our next step is to introduce more varietals from countries with similar climates like Italy, Spain, Portugal or Greece," says Sadie. "There's an incredible wealth and history for us to tap into instead of just planting Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc."

Many winemakers believe a concerted white blend initiative is long overdue in South Africa. "The more we learn about the possibilities of blending, the more exciting our wines will become," says Graham Beck winemaker Pieter Ferreira, who recently made the decision to replace the "unsexy" Colombar component of his Waterside White with in-vogue Viognier to produce a more elegant wine. "In the past we used Colombar to give our Chardonnay more acidity; now we're actually using the Chardonnay for acidity and to tone down the richness of the Viognier! This is not a trial run," he insists, with production expected to double to 40 000 cases next year (R35).

The tricky bit, it seems, will be getting more people to drink white blends. "Our story must be told," says Havana Hills winemaker Nico Vermeulen, whose "serious" 2004 blend of 55% Sauvignon Blanc and 45% Semillon will soon be available under the "fun" moniker of The Two Right Whites (R50). "We really need to educate wine drinkers about white blends," he goes on, "because we can't drink them all ourselves."