French wines are blends in majority but can also be single varietals.

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Winemakers will use multiple varieties of grapes in the winemaking process, to create a 'blend'. Their objective is to balance the different characteristics of each grape. This is a complex exercise which require a lot of experience and expertise. The proportion of each grape in the blend has to be determined very precisely and small changes can totally change the final result. Current proportions of grapes in French wines are the result of a long historical evolution and traditions.

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Blends do not mean higher quality wines: just consider the richness of Burgundy region for instance, where red wines are made from 100% Pinot Noir and whites wines from 100% Chardonnay. In these cases, the grapes are said to pair perfectly with the local soil and climate. Winemakers consider that grapes do not need supplementation from other grapes, and speak with the 'purity of a single voice'.

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In the 'New World' (meaning outside of Europe), single varietal wines are the most common. This is the result of different factors. Single varietal wines were easier to market, as many winemakers used the grape variety as the name of the wine. In addition to this, in the XXth century, many blended wines gained a bad reputation because certain producers used blending to produce low-quality wines to get rid of inferior crops or surpluses. Single varietal wines were seen then as a sign of superior quality. Limits in the terroir play a role as well - leading to favour one type of grapes in particular.

That said, many wines sold as a single varietals are actually blends: Wines labelled as single varietals in California are allowed to have up to 25% other grapes (15% in Australia).

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Single varietal labels from California and Chili

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Some famous blends in France include the mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot in red Bordeaux; or the famous mix Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre in Rhone Valley. Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines, in Rhone Valley, are made from a blend of up to 13 different grape varietals! French labels will usually not mention the grapes used (whether they are blends or single-varietals).

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Did you know?

Blending generally involves fermenting different varieties separately and then blending them. Alternatively, the varieties may be fermented together from the beginning, a technique called co-fermentation.

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