Proprietary Blends
The term wine varietal refers to the grape from which the wine is made. By law, the varietal must have at least 75% of that grape. Example: A California bottle of wine labeled Cabernet Sauvignon must contain at least 75% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. In the interest of creating the best wine possible each vintage, some winemakers choose to eliminate a specific varietal from the label to allow flexibility in varietal usage. Many of California’s most revered wines are proprietary blends, such as Christian Moueix’s Dominus Estate, which has been a proprietary blend since its inception in 1983.
