A Little of This a Little of That Makes Tasty Blend

by Frank Mangio

Wine, like food, always seems to be just a little more fascinating to the taste when it’s blended. A pinch of this, a measured amount of that, and you have a taste all your own and can now call it by some seductive name. Great chefs have done this for years and enjoyed celebrity status for their dishes.

In the wine world the same holds true. In Napa/Sonoma, it’s Opus One, Insignia and Symmetry. In Paso Robles, it’s Isosceles and Rhapsody. In Italy try Tignanello and Sassicaia. Virtually all French Bordeaux style wines are blends.

Into this mix, a Temecula winery is establishing itself as a blending specialist with its Amante blend. Falkner Winery recently held a blending party to celebrate its newest 2004 release which is described as a “Super Tuscan Style Red Wine.” Guests at the party were challenged on two fronts: blind taste several bottles of wine and pick out which of the bottles was the ’04, and from several 100% grape releases, blend their own creation.

Ray Falkner and his seasoned winemaker, Steve Hagata, presented an introduction to the process of making a wine blend before we all dove into mixing the juice. Ray, who is half Italian, told the story of how he came to name the blend Amante. “It was one of five romantic names that resonated well with a musical kind of sound to it,” he said. “When we chose Amante we felt we should know what it meant in Italian so we went to the dictionary and found it was the word for illicit lover or mistress” A perfect name for this mystical mix.

It turned out the blend they used for the ‘04 Amante was 50% Sangiovese, a famous Tuscan grape, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Amante is a distinctly Italian style wine with a pungent aroma, elegant cherry and a lovely hint of pepper on the finish. Price at the winery is $39.95.

Falkner Winery is celebrating its 8th anniversary with a lively party from Friday July 4 through Sunday July 6. There will be free jazz concerts, tours and discounts on wine and other gift items. Freshly prepared rustic dishes will be available at the award-winning Pinnacle restaurant at the winery which just launched a summer style menu with more salads, sandwiches, pastas and light seafood. For more information call 951-676-8231 or access their website at www.falknerwinery.com.