It’s only been a couple of days since my last post, my dear oenophiles, but I’m too excited to just sit around doing nothing. It’s summer and the most wonderful time of the year is almost here. I don’t mean Christmas – tsk-tsk, Christmas is for kids and shopaholics! I mean grape harvest season and the parties that go with it. To me, nothing says oenophile like drinking wine at the very vineyard its grapes have been picked from.

But before you book your tickets to a vineyard harvest party, let me share with you an eye-opener. Remember the James Bond reference I made in my last post? To some, the question whether they like their wine pure or blended might sound just as alien. Well, not to dis the popular Ian Fleming character or Martini but the question about wine is truly significant.

Pure, also called varietal, wines are made primarily from one sort of grapes. Honestly, I thought they were 100% of the same grape sort but it turns out different countries have different regulations. For example, in the US, the varietal wine must be 75% of the same grape sort. In Europe, that percentage should be at least 80% and in Argentina – 85%.

Blended wines are a mix of two or more sorts of grapes. But don’t imagine winemakers dumping whatever wine leftovers they have into a single barrel and selling it as a blend. Blended wine is the result of a complicated process of mixing and testing. It’s some kind of synergy. For example, I like the freshness of Merlot, the tannins of Cabernet Sauvignon, and the fruitiness of Cabernet Franc. How could I settle for a pure wine when I can have all three in a blended wine?

There’s something else I like to add to the wine mix to make it even better. Blackjack! I have my own private parties with a bottle of blended wine and a game of blackjack with side bets. As long as I play at the best blackjack sites, as recommended by the experts at blackjacksites.info, I can’t go wrong. After all, what harm could do combining my two greatest passions?

So, how do you like your wine – pure or blended? Me, I’ll never forget my first tasting of a blended wine. It was at a grape harvest party at a small, local vineyard. The ticket for the event bought me a tour of the vineyard, a beautiful glass and, most importantly, the chance to try all the wines as much and as often as I liked. There was an impressive buffet with cheeses of the world but these had merely a supporting role that night. I tried all the wines but one of them just stood out. It was love at first sip… oh, who am I kidding! It was love at first gulp! I’ll never forget how the crimson liquid awakened my senses. It was an enchanting blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc.