Recommendations for blending focus on acid, pH and taste.  The most sure way to blend is after fermentation when the wine taste good and may be complimented by blending to adjust tannin or the acid and pH. 

Tom will sit and taste blends that have been measured (teaspoons or tablespoons)  to find the taste that suits him best.  If he doesn't check the acid, he will at least check the pH. 

The life of wine in the bottle is longer if the pH is not over 3.4 to 3.45  A pH of 3.5 or 3.6 will not yield a long living wine. Lower pH will have a longer life. 

Below are some blends over the years from Fall Bright and from our winemakers. 

Baron's Blend is a blend of Chancellor, Chelois, Baco, deChaunac and Colobel.  It is a dark hearty bodied Bordeaux style.  The components change due to acid and pH.  Sugar is not an issue in putting together the blends as that is adjusted at the end.  Many winemakers have commented success at making a "garden variety" wine.  To increase the body and color of your red-white Baron's, ferment it on the skins (bagged) or order a small amount of grapes to ferment along with it. 

Dave's Recipe for a Port from our Barons Blend
6 or so gallons Barons, 4 pounds brown sugar, 4 pounds chopped dried raisins and at bottling time add a fifth of brandy.

Prince's (red) Blend was a blend of Foch, Leon Millot, Chelois and Chancellor:  Burgundy style

Baco is a big robust wine (grape) and will fare well as a blending component.  Baco by itself needs attention to acid and cold stabilizes very well and ages well.  The last bottle will be the best one.  

Colobel 1-10% any red for extra color.  Colobel is a Teinturier.  We ferment this from grapes and bottle it, not for drinking, but for 750 ml of color in any given bottle.  Many of our Baron's Blend customers will purchase 5-20 pounds of a red grape to ferment in with the blend for extra color.  Many add a bag of skins that we have available.  Some will just add a bottle of Colobel from their cellar.  Others are happy with their red wines and understand why we call wines made from red juice (cold press) red whites.  Any red wine fermented from juice will be lighter in color than if it were fermented on the skins and yet can be very acceptable. 

Foch-Concord 75/25

Foch - Chambourcin

Foch - Baco  50/50

Foch -Leon Millot  These two grapes are very similar and may or may not benefit from blending with each other

Foch-Cabs 

Leon Millot- Baco        50/50

Chelois-Chancellor 50/50

Chancellor-Chambourcin 50/50

Chambourcin-Cabs Sauvignon 25/75 75/25

Carmine: use in blends as though it were a Cab Sauvignon

NY 7301-Leon Millot

NY7301-Cab Sauvignon

Typical noble red blend "Meritage" is a blend of at least 3 of the following 5: , Merlot, Cab Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Petite Verdot, and/or Malbec

Aurore with any white, Aurora is a grape juice/wine of little character and is a good blender.  

Aurore-Niagara to tone down the fruit 25/75, 40/60

Aurore-Catawba 25/75, 40/60

Niagara-Catawba   Niagara can be low acid if not picked promptly and blends well with Catawba, which is a high acid grape in a good year.  If you know the acid of each juice, do a mathematical average or blend by taste after fermentation.  

Catawba and a red and water to adjust acid and tons of sugar.

If you use Delaware for blending be prepared to taste it in a blend of as little as 10%.  Love Delaware first or avoid it as a blending component.  We like it for drinking fresh and Luci likes it for jelly. For jelly, I would blend it with some Catawba to give it a little mystery.  By itself it is just too sweet and has no balance.  (We are still writing about jelly.)

Seyval-Chardonnay  60/40,  25/75 oaked or not oaked

Gewurztraminer-Riesling 75/25 (to balance acid, a commercially accepted blend)

Vidal-Riesling 25/75 or 50/50  Why such a blend?  Maybe a shortage of Riesling.  Ferment the Vidal as a Riesling from the start (71B or Cotes des Blanc) to retain the fruit.  I call Vidal a poor man's Riesling.  Blend after to taste.  

Vignoles-Aurore 75/25

White Blend has evolved into a Queen's blend with the addition of Vignoles and Vidal to the Seyval, Aurore base.

Maidens Blush was originally a blend of Aurore, Cayuga and Chelois.  Chelois is a lighter colored red juice and was very complimentary with the Cayuga.  Our first amateur blend for a blush was all Cayuga with Chelois, 75/25

Other compatible blend combinations:

Riesling-Vignoles

Gewurzt-Vignoles

Gewurzt-Riesling 75/25

Cayuga-Vignoles

We have had our winemakers tell us about their blends.  Let us know what blends you have been pleased with.  Take the artist's liberty and enjoy blending!

 The newest kid on the block is Chocolate Lab from Pleasant Valley, Hammondsport, NY.  It had a fruity labrusca base with a sweet finish and, you guessed it:  Chocolate.   Take Me Home!  (Aren't they so smart?)