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We have selected the Grilled Lamb “Steaks” Haché with Ratatouille and agreed that the characteristics of a red wine that would compliment well with the delicate flavors of the lamb and the french herbs in the ratatouille are the following: Medium body, bold reds with smooth tannins, low acidity, aromas of dark fruits (blackberries, dark cherries and/or currants), vanilla oak with a smooth and silky finish.

Three wine styles that are blended wines and that would compliment the Grilled Lamb “steaks” are:

Chanteauneuf-du-pape from The Southern Rhone of France, where vines have great exposure to the sun which results to fully ripe and fruit-forward flavors in the grapes. There are 8 different grape varieties that can be blended to create a red Chateauneuf du pape (Grenache- base grape- Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsaut, Counoise, Muscardin, Vaccarese, Picpoul Noir and Terret Noir). This appellation counts with two types of soil: iron-rich red clay and gravel soil that produce full body rich red wines, and sandier soils which produce wines that fall into the easy drinking style.

Example: Guigal Chateauneuf du Pape, 2010

Grape variety: 70 % Old Grenache, 15 % Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, 5% others.

Tasting: Very well balanced wine with spices and mature red fruits aromas while round in tannins on the palate with notes of ripe plums, hazelnuts and red fruit.

Bordeaux wines from France, which are made by using 5 different grape varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere. The blending of grapes is what makes Bordeaux wines so unique in characteristics.

example: Chateau Brillette 2011 Moulis En Medoc Red Bordeaux

Tasting: Ripe, full in the mouth and with a smooth, silky texture. Its ripe blackberry fruits are juicy, while the tannins are soft and delicates.

Super Tuscan from Tuscany. This style of wine is a response of the strict laws in Italy’s Chianti winemaking. This styles of wines are described as “Modern”Even though Super Tuscan could be made by using 100%  Sangiovese grapes, others are made by blending Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Cabernet Franc.

example: Luce della Vite, Lucente 2004

Grape variety: Merlot, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tasting: Wild red berry fruit notes on the nose with notes of redcurrant and blueberry on the palate with hints of cinnamon, liquorice and dark chocolate. Soft tannins and long finish.

Since we are going to be blending grape varieties to create our wine, we thought that the following information would be helpful to guide us through the process of selecting the right type of grapes to blend and create the style of wine we are looking for.

Merlot: has low tannins and soft levels of acidity, and is also smoother and fruitier than Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet sauvignon is added to Merlot to give the wine more structure and a lingering after taste. Merlot has notes of chocolate, red cherries, and vanilla oak.

Syrah: can be both light to med body and it is also great for blending with cabernet sauvignon.

Grenache: Also good for blending. When well grown, it can be elegant and fruit forward

• For our Entrée of Grilled Lamb “Steaks” Haché with Ratatouille we felt best that it would be paired wonderfully with a Red wine that has a medium body with smooth light tannins, which we could achieve by blending Cabernet Sauvignon( for structure) and Merlot (to soften the tannins and acidity). Lamb in particular is delicate in flavor and we would like a wine that enhances the taste of the lamb without overpowering it. We are aiming to create a wine that is medium body and fruit forward. The grapes with these qualities should be grown in a continental climate with great sun exposure to enable grapes to be fully ripe with a fruity taste. The wine that we prefer to blend will be young vintage. One, which is well balance with aromas of dark fruits with hints of vanilla and light oak.

• In order to sell a wine, the servers would need to know the name of the wine (which we will choose later) and the vintage. They would also need to know the characteristics of the wine (low levels of acidity and smooth tannins, fruit forward with notes of red fruit and vanilla oak) and which grapes were used to blend and create the wine (which will be determined in our field trip to Red Hook Winery). Once we know what grape varieties we are blending, we could also describe the terroir in which the grapes were grown and how it influences the wine. We also believe that it is important that we mention that the wine was created by us students from Citytech in collaboration with Red Hook Winery and The Julia Child Foundation.