Cheers to Cheap and Affordable New Wine Blends

Once upon a time, blended wines, which are made from more than one varietal, were thought to be the sole province of the European dinosaurs. The wines of the New World, it was argued, should not muddy the pure tastes of a single grape by marrying it to its cousins, leaving base, inbred flavors, but should be held forth in a triumph of craft. Not so today, as an ever-increasing number of wineries in California have begun issuing economical wines that are not just amalgamated; they even carry that clarion call of European vagueness, a simple label of "red wine." Vintners, it seems, have discovered that blends, epitomized by that holy trinity of Bordeaux, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet franc, are not a crass backwater idea but can be quite fun, allowing for the invention of whole new combinations and tastes. Most to date have focused on the grapes of the Rhone Valley and the Mediterranean, but the novelty of these pairings and the learning curve of winemakers are yielding ever more impressive vintages at prices that are downright European.

All wines are available at 67 Wines, 179 Columbus Ave. at 68th Street.

Bonny Doon Ca'del Solo Big House Red 2003, Santa Cruz, $10. A blend of syrah, petite sirah, zinfandel, carignane, barbera, and malbec with a pleasantly simple nose of cherries and wet rocks and an equally simple flavor of dried sour cherries and smoke. The body is very light, and there is a striking vein of acidity that, while not unpleasant, is a little off.

Fess Parker Frontier Red Lot No. 41 2004, Los Olivos, $11. Grenache, petite sirah, mouvedre, cinsault, and carignane comprise this blend, with an aroma of black currants and blackberries and a very basic taste of currants and unripe plums. It is very smooth, not weighing on the tongue, and has a light, pleasantly sour finish.

Cline Cellars Red Truck 2004, Sonoma, $10. This blend of syrah, petite sirah, and cabernet franc has a rich, luscious bouquet of raspberries, cherries, and black pepper and fills the mouth with an enjoyable heft of ripe fruit and bright acidity. The tannins in this wine give it a great structure, smooth but with some body, tapering out into a long finish.