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In the wine commerce of France, a crucial role has long been played by a person called a negociant. Part merchant, part winemaker, and part tasting wizard, a negociant travels an appellation — literally and figuratively — sampling wines made by various vintners, selecting examples that suit his own house style. Choosing this one for ripeness, that one for tannin, another for acidity to enliven fruit, an expert negociant can create a beautifully balanced wine from others that, shall we say, lack absolute nobility. Legions of growers and winemakers depend for survival on these master blenders, whose names and labels include some of the most famous and respected names in wine. They might not be able to turn H2O into Grand Cru, but they typically take enological dross and weave it into liquid gold. Hence the suffix sometimes used to describe the alchemical effect of their skill: negociant-eleveur.
Since 1983, Ravenswood's Joel Peterson — renowned not only as one of California's best winemakers but also as one of its most talented tasters — has devoted part of each year to the role of negociant. Sifting through hundreds of samples that reach him through brokers, friends, and acquaintances (including soothsayers and secret agents), Joel searches out sound, reasonably priced wines to complement lots made at Ravenswood. Not every vineyard, after all, is worthy of being a labeled designate — but by the same token, not every meal or day of the week is worthy of an expensive wine. Looking again to the European model, Joel wants something modest but delicious to satisfy the palate during the week, in between luxury wines that are unveiled on special occasions.
The goal of Ravenswood Vintners Blend, then, is accessibility — in terms of both character and price. Up-front, fruit-forward, and immediately enjoyable, these wines exude attractive youthfulness, but also contain enough complexity to give evidence of the winemaker's craft. Bestowed with less barrel or bottle age than higher-end releases, they offer something for ten dollars that tastes like it's worth fifteen or more, satisfying sophisticated wine drinkers without requiring them to give up their first-born. Today's market fairly brims with decent, inexpensive wine, but with the Ravenswood Vintners Blend, consumers enjoy the advantage of Joel's palate, which combs the California haystack for products worthy of the Ravenswood stamp.
Judging by Vintners Blend's popularity with the public and press, Joel's goal is being met with considerable success. There's only one hitch in the program: At this point, there have been many credible reports that Vintners Blends are poured not only on weekdays, but sometimes on weekends and special occasions.
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