Wine: White blends

“As little as one percent of a contrasting grape” alters the flavor of wine built from a different varietal.

“It must be fun to be a winemaker,” said Fred Tasker in The Miami Herald. “As little as one percent of a contrasting grape” can “noticeably change” the flavor of wine built from a different varietal. Imagine, then, the complexity of flavor that can be achieved in a white made from three grapes—or five. Below, a few of my blended favorites:

2010 Torres Viña Esmeralda, Catalunya Spain ($15). This “floral, crisp, and sweet” wine blends 15 percent gewürztraminer with 85 percent muscatel.

2010 Clif Family Winery ‘The Climber’ Sauvignon Blanc Mendocino County, Calif. ($14). Sauvignon blanc, Riesling, viognier, and muscat blanc team up in a wine that’s “big and rich, with ripe melon and mineral flavors.”

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2010 Cliff Lede Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley, Calif. ($23). One percent sémillon helps make this sauvignon blanc “soft and rich, with flavors of apples and lemons.”