Blends verses single varietal wines.

In addition, mistakes can be made at a nursery. A fellow I used to buy grapes from had a vineyard of Verdelet (Seibel 9110) a white grape he sold to a large winery in Hammondsport. However, intersperced through the vineyard were several vines of Chelois (Seibel 10878), a red grape that ripens after the Verdelet. He used to pick the Chelois by hand and sell them to me real cheap for my home winemaking as they weren't fully ripe. Then, the Verdelet could be machine harvested.

This is a very big problem in CA or any hot climate growing area. The hot weather makes for high sugars and the potential alcohol is over 15% to 17%.

John, this is why I feel that blends might just be appropriate for certain terroirs. You see, if you get a grape that ripens with such a high potential alcohol, it may be best to forego the varietal route (unless it's Zin ... I mean, who wants to drink 17% alc. Chardonnay or Cabernet?) and blend the high-alcohol must with the must of some other variety that gets lower sugar in such proportions as to bring the total PA down to a more normal level. Problem is: what grapes get low sugar in a hot Californian climate??

In addition, mistakes can be made at a nursery. A fellow I used to buy grapes from had a vineyard of Verdelet (Seibel 9110) a white grape he sold to a large winery in Hammondsport. However, intersperced through the vineyard were several vines of Chelois (Seibel 10878), a red grape that ripens after the Verdelet. He used to pick the Chelois by hand and sell them to me real cheap for my home winemaking as they weren't fully ripe. Then, the Verdelet could be machine harvested.

Let's not forget the Merlot that turned out to be Carmenere in Chili, after multitudes had already unquestioningly consumed the "Merlot."