There’s a “pivotal moment” in every wino’s illustrious little life when the Zeus juice whispers, “you can do better.” The “art” lies in how we interpret this message: give up and move on to something else - OR - find it a “blending buddy.”
Welcome back to the latest installment of “Alchemy or Blasphemy?” –our ongoing series in which we “perform” what some might consider acts of vinous “impiety” in hopes of crafting a wine that is greater than the sum of its proverbial “parts.”
In Issue #88, we poked at the “emerging concept” of “post-bottle blending” and “changed the world” when we “proved” for the very first time that two decent wines mixed together can create something better than the component parts. Wow! InIssue #100, we tried to manufacture our own 100-point wine from scratch and watched the “synergy unfold.” Take a look at those if you want a little more of a dive into our overall approach to creating a more harmonious balance through blendification.
Today, we continue our merry little way down this extremely “riveting” rabbit hole with the most unconventional post-bottle blends EVER ATTEMPTED BY MAN (or at least by us).
One is purely “nontraditional”: Barolo + Petite Sirah (each bottle ~$35). The other is loosely inspired by the Syrah/Shiraz + Viognier blends that sometimes rear their mangy little heads in the Northern Rhone of “Le France” as well as Australia — in this case a Cab/Shiraz+Sauvignon Blanc, (each bottle under $10).
Let’s dive into the juice.
“Ingredient” Bottles & Alchemy Blends
FORMULA #1: ISAAC’S BLEND - Cab/Shiraz X Sauv Blanc
Why did we choose this “odd couple?”
Just ask the goodly French — they already kind of had this idea and “allegedly” it worked (Syrah with a small proportion of Viognier is a classic blend in Côte-Rôtie in the Northern Rhone, though it is not as popular as it once was) and the concept has been replicated in other parts of the world, most notably “down under.”
Because we are constantly “tinkering around” with unconventional blends, we’ve inadvertently discovered in the past that a splash of a NZ sauv blanc (think like a single capful added to a glass of red) goes an extremely long way to “brighten things up” when a wine is flabby (too low acidity, making flavors flat/dull), and it can add some intrigue in the form of sharp fruits and green notes (bell pepper, grass, etc).
AS SUCH, we figured that much in the same way that Viognier might lend some unique florality and brightness to the Syrah/Shiraz, a small proportion of Sauvignon Blanc could lift a middling Shiraz blend to the fabled “next level.”
Here’s the blueprint: we take what were among the cheapest non-2-buck-chuck bottles available at Trader Joes — a Cab/Shiraz blend from Barossa Valley and a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc — and throw them in a glass.
The grand total for both bottles together was about $15, making this experiment not only accessible to anyone with a Zeus Juice slingin’ TJs in the neighborhood, but also to those of you beautiful folks who don’t like your bottles costing more than a 3 block uber ride.
Profile: Blueberry, cherry cola, licorice, spice, chocolate, pen ink Palate: Dry, med+ tannin, medium acid, full body, long finish
I was genuinely shocked at how good this wine was for the price point. I am rarely happy with how a red wine tastes in the under $10 category, much less a new world red, but this was pretty ridiculous. Honestly quite a lot of luck, too, since the plan with this blend was to take any under $10 bottle of Shiraz (or Shiraz blend) and the cheapest NZ sauv blanc I could find to just see what happens (the magic of experimentation), and then write about it whether or not it turned out well.
The moment I tasted this I knew we had a good chance of creating something great, because I would gladly finish a glass of this even without blending it. 2021 was allegedly a legendary year for Barossa wines, so that is likely working in its favor, but this wine was highly concentrated without being overbearing, great structure lots of plush, ripe fruit, velvety tannins and enough acidity to hold it together. Not even a whiff of manufactured flavors/recipe winemaking, and delightfully dry (as it should be).
Honestly, if you see this wine at Trader Joe’s and don’t buy a bottle, I will kill you.
INGREDIENT 2: 2024 Nikau Point Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc / $7
Profile: Chalk, passionfruit, peach, underripe strawberry, citrus zest, lily Palate: Dry, high acid, light body, medium finish
You’ve probably heard us preach this before, but what’s awesome about New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is that typically even the cheapest bottles punch way above their weight class. They almost universally have that vibrant acidity, citrus and tropical flavors, and mineral notes. Often they also show some green and floral notes as well. This means that for a blend where only a small proportion of the component bottle is used, the rest needn’t go to waste because it can be enjoyed on its own. Since we are only using about 15% Sauvignon Blanc in the blends, that works in our favor here — this bottle showed classic Marlborough SB notes, but was lacking a bit in concentration and length for the category, and the acid kicked it slightly out of balance, giving the impression of drinking a simple citrus drink in spite of the intrigue on the nose. Nonetheless it was still nice to drink: sharp, refreshing, and aromatically pleasing. Overall, no complaints at this price point (though literally just a few extra dollars could buy you something noticeably better).
🧪 THE ALCHEMY BLEND: 85% Cab/Shiraz / 15% Sauvignon Blanc « Average price: $7.50 | Final score: 91 points »
Profile: Chocolate, black cherry, violet, potpourri, licorice, graphite, wet stone, bell pepper Palate: Dry, med+ tannin, med+ acid, full body, long finish
The addition of just a splash of the sauvignon blanc to the red blend genuinely transformed the wine. Now, we are working with a base wine that is already pretty strong, but man were these changes cool. Some flavors that weren’t apparent in either component were seemingly “awoken” — potpourri, violet, graphite, even a hint of bell pepper. Interestingly the blueberry note I was getting before from the red receded into the distance. The acid balance issues from the Sauvignon Blanc translated to superior balance for the final blend, adding a liveliness to the Cab/Shiraz that was perhaps a bit muted before. Overall, this was such a home run in my book, especially given the gamble we took on grabbing two bottles we’d never tried before and just seeing what happens. All the more reason for you to do the same!
FORMULA #2: ZACH’S BLEND - Nebbiolo X Petite Sirah
Why did we choose this “odd couple?”
To our “extremely extensive knowledge,” Nebbiolo is usually bottled as a single varietal wine and *never* blended with Petite Sirah. But that doesn’t mean this highly unorthodox blending “partnership” won’t create something that will literally make you rethink the color of your “drinking jorts.”
Here’s the blueprint: take an “entry-level” Barolo – overflowing with red fruits, piercing acidity, tannic grip, and plenty of rose-petal “perfume,” but maybe lacking that core of midpalate richness and extra complexity you would associate with a more “premium” bottling. That’s where our old pal “Stags Leap Petite Sirah” comes in (and we only needed to “swipe left” once to find ‘eem).
The “idea” is that Barolo refines the tannic structure, brightens the acidity, and adds a little lift whilst Petite Sirah “muscles up” the “body,” saturates the palate with “velvety” and “inky” black and blue fruits, and smooths out any “rough edges” with a bit of oak spice.
Profile: Cranberry, dried strawberry, rhubarb, red plum, rose petals, sassafras, balsamic, dried herbs, subtle cocoa Palate: Dry, high tannin, high acid, long finish
🧪 THE ALCHEMY BLEND: 70% Barolo / 30% Petite Sirah « Average price: $33 | Final score: 94 points »
Profile: Blackberry, dried blueberry, black plum, red plum, rose petals, violets, bay leaf, forest floor, cedar, balsamic, mixed spice, tobacco, mocha Palate: Dry, high tannin, high acid, long finish
The result? This unassuming blend turned into a glorious “mutant” (LIKE ME!)—showing deeper layers of flavor and far more complexity than either wine could muster “solo.” As expected, it carried more plush richness and a silkier mouthfeel than the Barolo alone, but the Barolo’s bright acidity sharpened the structure, while the Petite Sirah’s riper dark fruit and oak-driven spice toned down the Barolo’s astringency. Every stage—aroma, midpalate, finish—clicked into place with a precision that felt “almost engineered.” Stylistically, the blend “reads” like a “Super Tuscan” blend of Sangiovese and Bordeaux varietals, even though literally none of those humble little grapes are in the picture.
Scorewise, this unconventional red blend didn’t just edge ahead — it “exploded” past both of its “formidable parents.” Proof that even the weirdest “little blends” can outperform all of their “basic friends.”
In both cases, these weren’t “safe” blends — they were gambles. But as we’ve argued before, that’s the essence of wine alchemy, and that’s what makes it so much fun!
“Now it’s your turn,” as the old saying goes. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you start tinkering:
What to Watch For
Aromatic reactivity — does the blend become more “interesting” than either alone? Are hidden notes appearing (dried herbs, forest floor, iodine, grandpa’s drinking jorts)? Or are notes you were getting before becoming muddled and muted when combined (ie, loss of grandpa’s drinking jorts)?
Acid-tannin balance — is the acidity from either component overpowering or undercutting structure? How about the humble tannins? This can be a huge help in figuring out where to look for that secret ingredient that might kick it into the next gear.
Surprise factor — DID YOU JUMP OUT OF YOUR DRINKING JORTS? What you didn’t expect is often more revealing than what you predicted, and even failures can show us the path to something great down the line.
