As spring tries to beat back winter, my thoughts lately have been turning toward summer time white wines. If you’ve been perusing the store isles or attending any of the local store tastings, you may have noticed an increase in the offerings of fruity delicious white wine blends. Sure, Menage a Trois white blend has been around for some time and I have certainly enjoyed the white blend from Conundrum, but I have noticed a plethora of new blends arriving in town. Many of them tend to blend 3 or more whites into balanced and versatile beverages. One of the trends I see is the combination of chardonnay with more fruity grapes such as muscat, sémillon, sauvignon blanc and viogner. What results is a wine that has the body and structure of a chardonnay and the fragrant and fruity sweetness of the other grapes. These wines are not dry but most would not be considered sweet by any means. Thus, they will please a diverse set of palates and may be drunk on their own or paired with foods. Winemakers in France have know for years that blending the best grapes together makes for a consistent and delicious end product. It is nice to see American producers experimenting with new blends. So, while you are out looking for that varietal moscato, riesling, or chardonnay don’t pass up on some of the great blends arriving for spring.

By the way, one of my favorites is the Buonchristiani Triad Blanc. This is an inspiration for me as a winemaker to try to achieve a quality wine like this with grapes from North Dakota!