Many customers in the wine shop shy away from blends. Why do blends have a bad rep?

Question

Chateauneuf-du-Pape is a blend of up the 13 different wine grapes. Many labelled varietal wines actually have uncredited grape varietals in them.
Shiraz - Kangarilla Road McLaren Vale 03/04 also has Viognier in it.

Try these blends. Just a few quick picks off the shelf.
Concha Y Toro Trio
Merlot / Carmenere / Cabernet Sauvignon
Flagstone Noon Gun
Riesling / Sauvignon Blanc / Pinot Blanc / Chenin Blanc / Chardonnay / Semillon / Morio Muscat
Flagstone Dragon Tree
Cabernet Sauvignon / Pinotage / Shiraz / Merlot / Cabernet Franc / Chardonnay / Petit Verdot
The Laughing Magpie
Shiraz / Viognier
Alain Brumont Cotes de Gascogne
Gros Manseng / Sauvignon Blanc
Sokol Blosser Meditrina
Pinot Noir / Syrah / Zinfandel

Answer 1

In the US, people often think that blends = cheap. They don't realize that most of the Cabs and Champagnes they buy are blends. I love a good blend. It takes a great winemaker to be able to keep a blend interesting and balanced - and when it's good, it's OH so good! : )

Answer 2

Blends don't really have a bad rep- it's just that your customers are uninformed. They are not aware of the fact that varietals are only required to have a certain percent of the named grape, and it's never 100%. All wine is, in effect, blended. Combining varieties allows the winemaker to impart more complexity and balance to the wine.

Answer 3

In my case I'd never buy one that doesn't name the variety of grapes it has, and normally I just like to drink one specific kind at a time to learn to tell if it's a good or bad brand. Therefore I just try to avoid blended wine.

Answer 4

It depends on the blends. However, sometimes blends may be made of cheap grapes (left-overs from certain harvests). In this case it's better to stay away from them.