In a land planted with a large variety of vineyards, California grapes are ripe, structured and primed for cellaring in stand-alone form. But when blended with the right companions, they can strike a harmonious tone of lush fruit and bold tannins that can unfurl and evolve slowly over time. If diversity is what you seek in your cellar, California’s blends are for you.

Lucy Pico Blanco White Blend 2023, Central Coast, CA — A blend of 86% Pinot Gris and 14% Pinot Blanc, named Pico Blanco to commemorate a mountain peak in Monterey County known for its beauty and its high-grade limestone mineral deposits. Homage is given to Monterey County’s earliest grape-growing traditions in which pinot gris, an early-planted cool climate grape in the region, played a central role. The wine displays a delicate pale straw color that exudes freshness. Bright notes of lemon zest and key lime followed by hints of delicate orange blossom, melon, flint, and floral elegance. The rounded palate shows a broader texture from the Pinot Blanc and brings highlights of ripe pear, yellow peach, Gravenstein apple, and crushed stones. The finish of the wine unfolds with complexity and depth while the zesty acidity keeps the wine fresh and bright. Only 832 cases produced. Rating: 91, Wine Enthusiast. 14.1% ABV. $30.99/10.50

Frog’s Leap Flycatcher Red Blend 2022, Napa Valley, CA — Blend: 33% Zinfandel, 31% Petite Sirah, 22% Merlot, 14% Syrah. Founded by John Williams in 1981, Frog’s Leap continues to be family-owned and operated. The inaugural vintage of Flycatcher consists of old-vine Zinfandel from vines planted in 1963 at the Five Starr ranch in Lodi, steeply-sloped Petite Sirah and aromatic, earthy Merlot from a duo of vineyards in the Yorkville Highlands area of Mendocino, and Syrah from anoutcropping of volcanic tufa soil in the Carneros district of Napa. Warm, generous fruit from the Zin combines with great backbone and spiciness from the Sirah-Syrah sisters. Merlot (grown at a high elevation) adds acidity and an earthy-floral top-note. 3,630 cases produced. Rating: 90, wine.com. 13.6% ABV. $36/12

Murrieta’s Well The Spur Red Blend 2020, Central Coast, CA — Blend: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petite Sirah, 9% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot. The Livermore Valley is one of California's oldest wine regions and has played a crucial role in shaping California's wine industry. Spanish missionaries planted the first wine grapes in the Livermore Valley in the 1760s. Then in the mid 1800s, a man named Robert Livermore planted the area’s first commercial vineyards.This red blend is crafted from blending the classic Bordeaux varietals with Petite Sirah, offering a distinctively California expression. The dark fruit aromas carry through to the palate, framed by fine tannins, and a rich, lasting, and elegant mouthfeel. 14.5% ABV. $35/11.50, regularly, $42.99/14

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