Successful Red Blends
Updated 29 October 2023
On Wine Making Talk, a common question regards what wines to use in making blends, and in what proportions. Granted, each batch of wine is different so there’s no guaranteed formula, but having a list of blends people have liked is a good starting point.
I started a thread where people can post their red blends, and started updating post #1 so that we’ll have a concise list. However, post #1 became uneditable, so I’ll have multiple lists. To ensure we don’t lose track of things, I created this post so we’ll have another copy of the list. I will update this list as we add new items.
Each blend is categorized by the dominant grape. If there are two with equal amounts, I used the first one as the dominant. Reds are listed first, then Whites.
In parenthesis after each blend is the WMT member who posted their blend, or the commercial winery we copied from.
Note: These blends are just a starting point, where someone’s grapes worked in the percentages listed. Use your own taste testing to fine tune blends.
Red Grape
Alicante Bouschet
Alicante Bouschet 80%, Zinfandel 10%, Barbera 10% (Tullamore)
Alicante Bouschet 60%, Muscat 40% (tullamore)
Alicante Bouschet 54%, Grenache 50% (distributor)
Alicante Bouschet 50%, Barbera 25%, Petite Sirah 25% (distributor)
Barbera
Barbera 90%, Petite Sirah 10% (tullamore)
Barbera 85%, Petite Sirah 15% (tullamore)
Barbera 81%, Sangiovese 13%, Petite Sirah 6% (Mac60)
Barbera 80%, Sangiovese 15%, Aglianico 5% (CDrew)
Barbera 80%, Sangiovese 15%, Petite Sirah 5% (tullamore)
Barbera 75%, Sangiovese 20%, Petit Verdot 5% (Mac60)
Barbera 60%, Dolcetto 30%, Nebbiolo 10% (tullamore)
Barbera 54%, Grenache 46% (Joe B)
Barbera 40%, Zinfandel 40%, Alicante Bouschet 20% (Clammypollack)
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc 85%, Merlot 5%, Carménère 5%, Alicante Bouschet 5% (Nebbiolo020)
Cabernet Franc 50%, Cabernet Sauvignon 30%, Merlot 20% (McGregor Winery – Rob Roy)
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon 85%, Merlot 10%, Cabernet Franc 4%, Petit Verdot 1% (Mark Ryan Winery – Dead Horse)
Cabernet Sauvignon 80%, Cabernet Franc 10%, Merlot 10% (winemaker81)
Cabernet Sauvignon 80%, Merlot 16%, Petit Verdot 4% (Mac60)
Cabernet Sauvignon 80%, Petit Verdot 12%, Tannat 8% (Mainshipfred)
Cabernet Sauvignon 79%, Cabernet Franc 11%, Merlot 10% (Justin Vineyards – Isosceles)
Cabernet Sauvignon 79%, Merlot 9%, Cabernet Sauvignon 8%, Malbec 2%, Petite Verdot 2% (San Acacia Cellars – Caballo Muerto)
Cabernet Sauvignon 78%, Merlot 8%, Cabernet Franc 8%, Petit Verdot 4%, Malbec 2% (Guasto-IS)
Cabernet Sauvignon 75%, Merlot 25% (distributor)
Cabernet Sauvignon 72%, Merlot 28% (Kitchen)
Cabernet Sauvignon 70%, Merlot 20%, Cabernet Franc 10% (DistanceRunner)
Cabernet Sauvignon 60%, Shiraz 40% (Red Head – Red Sedan)
Cabernet Sauvignon 59%, Merlot 39%, Petit Verdot 2% (Snafflebit)
Cabernet Sauvignon 57%, Petite Sirah 43% (kitchen)
Cabernet Sauvignon 51%, Merlot 26%, Syrah 13%, Sangiovese 10% (NCWC)
Cabernet Sauvignon 50%, Merlot 30%, Syrah 20% (Meadini)
Cabernet Sauvignon 50%, Primitivo 50% (Tenuta – Albrizzi)
Cabernet Sauvignon 25%, Cabernet Franc 25%, Merlot 25%, Sangiovese 25% (Clammypollack)
Carignan
Carignan 50%, Syrah 25%, Mourvèdre 25% (Charles Cros)
Carignan 24%, Zinfandel 25%, Alicante Bouschet 24%, Petite Sirah 25% (distributor)
Carménère
Carménère 50%, Malbec 50% (Chuck E)
Chambourcin
Chambourcin 90%, Merlot 10% (winemaker81)
Grenache
Grenache 76%, Mourvèdre 8%, Petite Sirah 8%, Syrah 8% (winemaker81)
Grenache 70%, Syrah 20%, Carignan 10% (Cabalié)
Grenache 67%, Shiraz 28%, Mourvèdre 5% (Colloca)
Grenache 62.5%, Syrah 37.5%, Mourvèdre 12.5% (winemaker81)
Grenache 50%, Syrah 35%, Carignan 10%, Mourvèdre 5% (Domaine de la Presidente – Cotes du Rhone)
Grenache 50%, Syrah 25%, Merlot 25% (Meadini)
Grenache 40%, Sangiovese 40%, Zinfandel 20% (distributor)
Grenache 25%, Zinfandel 250%, Alicante Bouschet 25%, Muscat 25% (distributor)
Malbec
Malbec 60%, Cabernet Sauvignon 40% (BMarNJ)
Marechal Foch
Marechal Foch 75%, Leon Millot 25% (VinesnBines)
Merlot
Merlot 95%, Cabernet Franc 5% (Tentation de Dalem – Fronsac)
Merlot 78.90%, Barbera 21.2% (StimVino)
Merlot 70%, Cabernet Sauvignon 25%, Grenache 5% (distributor)
Merlot 67%, Cabernet Sauvignon 8.25%, Cabernet Franc 8.25%, Petit Verdot 8.25%, Malbec 8.25% (winemaker81)
Merlot 65%, Cabernet Sauvignon 25%, Cabernet Franc 10% (Chateau Bellevue – Bordeaux)
Merlot 40%, Cabernet Sauvignon 30%, Petit Verdot 20%, Malbec 10%, Cabernet Franc 10% (Jbu50)
Merlot 40%, Zinfandel 40%, Cabernet Sauvignon 5%, Cabernet Franc 5%, Petit Verdot 5%, Malbec 5% (winemaker81)
Montepulciano
Montepulciano 85%, Petit Verdot 15% (StimVino)
Montepulciano 70.5%, Barbera 21.2%, Muscat 8.3% (StimVino)
Montepulciano 60%, Cesanese 40% (Antionio Federici – Roma Rosso)
Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo 90%, Petite Sirah 10% (justsgm)
Nebbiolo 70.5%, Barbera 21.2%, Muscat 8.3% (StimVino)
Petite Sirah
Petite Sirah 74%, Regent 26% (Hazelmere)
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir 75%, Syrah 25% (StimVino)
Primitivo
Primitivo 60%, Syrah 40% (CDrew)
Primitivo 40%, Sangiovese 25%, Barbera 24%, Dolcetto 8%, Syrah 3% (Brutocao – Quadriga)
Ruby Cabernet
Ruby Cabernet 60%, Carignan 20%, Zinfandel 20% (distributor)
Sangiovese
Sangiovese 85%, Sagrantino 15% (tullamore)
Sangiovese 80%, Merlot 10%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10% (Jusatale)
Sangiovese 75%, Merlot 10%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10%, Alicante Bouschet 5% (justsgm)
Sangiovese 60%, Cabernet Sauvignon 25%, Merlot 15% (Meadini)
Sangiovese 60%, Merlot 20%, Cabernet Sauvignon 15%, Syrah 5% (tullamore)
Sangiovese 60%, Nebbiolo 20%, Alicante Bouschet 20% (mainshipfred)
Sangiovese 50%, Montepulciano 12.5%, Nebbiolo 12.5%, Nero D’avoia 12.5%, Sagrantino 12.5% (winemaker81)
Sangiovese 45%, Cabernet Sauvignon 35%, Merlot 15%, Petite Sirah 5% (Mac60)
Sangiovese 44%, Cabernet Sauvignon 40%, Merlot 10%, Petite Sirah 6% (Mac60)
Sangiovese 42%, Cabernet Sauvignon 21%, Merlot 26%, Syrah 5.5%, Petite Sirah 5.5% (NCWC)
Sangiovese 40%, Cabernet Sauvignon 40%, Merlot 20% (buzi)
Shiraz
Shiraz 80%, Zinfandel 20% (Amandla)
Shiraz 50%, Merlot 50% (CalabrianBlood)
Shiraz 47%, Cabernet Sauvignon 32%, Malbec 21% (Andean Vineyards – Waxed Bat)
Syrah
Syrah 50%, Petite Sirah 50% (distributor)
Syrah 33.3%, Petite Sirah 33.3%, Merlot 33.3% (winemaker81)
Tempranillo
Tempranillo 95%, Graciano 5% (Latitud 42 – Rioja Reserva)
Tempranillo 94%, Mourvèdre 2%, Petite Sirah 2%, Syrah 2% (winemaker81)
Tempranillo 34%, Syrah 33%, Zinfandel 33% (distributor)
Touriga Nacional
Touriga Nacional 35%, Tinta Roriz 25%, Syrah 25%, Alicante Bouschet 15% (Stone & Bones)
Zinfandel
Zinfandel 75%, Alicante Bouschet 25% (Dom1950)
Zinfandel 75%, Petite Sirah 25% (Chuck E)
Zinfandel 75%, Syrah 13%, Petite Sirah 7%, Merlot 5% (Mac60)
Zinfandel 70%, Barbera 30% (BMarNJ)
Zinfandel 50%, Barbera 50% (distributor)
Zinfandel 50%, Merlot 20%, Malbec 20%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10% (Kraffty)
Zinfandel 35%, Carignan 35%, Grenache 15%, Alicante Bouschet 15% (distributor)
White Grape
Chardonnay
Chardonnay 70%, French Colombard 20%, Viognier 10% (distributor)
Chardonnay 50%, Pinot Noir (white) 40%, Viognier 10% (BarrelMonkey)
Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc 67.70%, Sauvignon Blanc 33.3% (Kitchen)
Chenin Blanc 50%, French Colombard 50% (distributor)
Fernão Pires
Fernão Pires 70%, Branco Arinto 30% (El Campeon)
Gewurztraminer
Gewurztraminer 50%, Piesporter 50% (ratflinger)
Muscato
Muscato 78%, Alicante Bouschet 22% (Guasto-IS)
Pinot Grigio
Pinot Grigio 34%, Muscat Canelli 33%, French Colombard 33% (distributor)
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc 50%, Chenin Blanc 40%, Malvasia 10% (distributor)
Semillion
Semillion 70%, Muscadelle 15%, Sauvignon Blanc 15% (Chateau Belingard – Reserve Monbazillac)