Wine blends are a great way to: 1. Introduce you to a grape you may not be familiar with; 2. Sometimes improve upon a stand-alone varietal that had a challenging year; 3. Potentially save the patron and the winery money. Excellent blends often sell for much less money than single varietals. It has been estimated that red blends sell more in volume than some popular single varietals like Pinot Noir and there are many well-known red blends such as Bordeaux-style blends and Super Tuscan blends. The former was named for the region in France. If produced outside of this region, they should be referred to as “Bordeaux style.” A Super Tuscan is a great red blend made in Tuscany, Italy. It is most commonly powered by the Sangiovese grape (or other classic red Italian grapes) and blended with red varieties such as Cab, Cab Franc, Merlot, and Syrah. New Jersey has a red blend of its own that has garnered some attention, called Coeur d’Est (“Heart of the East”).
Coeur d’Est
The term Coeur d’Est means “Heart of the East” and was developed by members of the Outer Coastal Plain (OCP). This is the largest wine-growing area in the state, by far. There are a number of wineries in the OCP which have adopted this term and tried their hand at making a Coeur d’Est wine. They must consist of a combination of two to six varietals grown in the OCP AVA: Cab Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Chambourcin, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Only wines scoring sufficiently highly to be awarded the equivalent of Silver or Gold medal are allowed to use the trademarked Coeur d’Est brand (according to the OCP website). My favorites in recent years have included:
- Plagido’s Winery
- Bellview Winery
- Auburn Road Vineyards-While not stated on the label, their Eidolon (named after a Walt Whitman poem) is their Coeur d’Est blend.
- Autumn Lake Winery
- William Heritage Winery
Unfortunately, I only have one Coeur d’Est (from Plagido’s Winery) in my cellar. However, it is a very good one (pictured below):
Bordeaux-Style Red Blends
The allowable grapes to be called a Bordeaux blend in France are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carmenere. If produced outside of this region, they should be referred to as “Bordeaux style.” New Jersey makes some excellent Bordeaux style red blends. Among my favorites are those produced by Louis Caracciolo, owner and winemaker at Amalthea Cellars in Atco. Caracciolo makes seven different blends which are made to mimic the wines produced in several famous chateaux in Bordeaux, France. Check out their website for more specifics on these gems here: amaltheacellars.com
Pictured below are Legends Edition Europa I, Legends Edition Europa IV, Legends Edition Europa V, and Legends Edition Europa VII. I do not have bottles of Europa II, Europa III, or Europa VI. But I am very fortunate to own those pictured below.
Four of my other favorite Bordeaux-style NJ reds are:
- William Heritage Winery BDX (not pictured below)
- Hawk Haven Vineyards Q (Quill)
- Turdo Vineyards Persara (Sal Turdo’s homage to his lovely wife, Sara).
- Cape May Winery CM3
Super Tuscan-Style Reds
Super Tuscans are most commonly powered by the Sangiovese grape (or other classic red Italian grapes) and blended with red varieties such as Cab, Cab Franc, Merlot, and Syrah. New Jersey does not make a lot of Super Tuscan style red blends. By far my favorite in this category has been in the now closed Turdo Vineyards in Cape May. It helps that they made the best Sangiovese in this state and beyond (in my opinion). Luckily for me, I stocked up on many of their wines (including their Super Tuscan blend, made by Luca Turdo (son of Sal and Sara, owners) pictured below, called Rosso.
Winemakers Co-Op Red Blend
The Winemakers Co-Op is made up of six wineries: Unionville Vineyards, Beneduce Vineyards, Working Dog Winery, William Heritage Winery, Hawk Haven Vineyards, and Auburn Road Vineyards. Every year they get together and produce an Open Source wine, made with equal amounts of grapes from each winery to produce an agreed upon variety. In 2023 it was a 2019 Bordeaux-style red blend. I only have two of the six wines produced (Unionville and Hawk Haven). Each of the winemakers agreed to the following blend: Cabernet Sauvignon (52%); Cab Franc (20%); Merlot (20%); Malbec (4%); and Petit Verdot (4%).
I love that these wineries (among the top wineries in the state) do this collaboration. The wines are always top-notch, but each winery in the Co-Op gets to add their own twist to the wines. I only wish I had the other four wines to enjoy.
New Jersey also makes many other wonderful red blends (as well as white blends). In the near future I will add these to the conversation.
Coming Attractions
- Flying Fish Brewery in Somerdale
- Red, White, & Brew in Audubon
- Another NJ Wine of the Week
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