Blouge Is Our Summer Wine Crush

Blouge is a chillable red style made by cofermenting red and white grape varieties. The resulting wines are lighter, brighter, and lower in alcohol than heavier reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Barolo. Blouge is often relatively affordable and can be enjoyed on its own or paired with foods like cheeseboards, tinned fish, spicy noodles, and grilled items. The name comes from French words for white and red, but the style is not a modern marketing invention. Cofermenting and blending practices have long existed, including field blends in earlier grape-growing traditions and red-white blending in regions such as France’s Southern Rhône, Champagne, and Chianti.

"“One of our regulars recently told us that blouge is going to be his wine of the summer.” A subcategory of chillable reds, blouge wines are made by cofermenting red and white wine grapes. The resulting bottles are lighter, brighter, and lower in alcohol than heavyweights such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Barolo. Blouge tends to be relatively affordable, too. You can drink it unaccompanied or alongside a range of foods including cheeseboards, tinned fish, spicy noodles, and pretty much anything that comes off the grill at a cookout."

"“Don't be misled by the goofy-sounding name. A portmanteau of the French words for white (blanc) and red (rouge), blouge isn't some market-researched contrivance. The style has been around for generations and is poised to withstand historic economic, ecological, and social headwinds.”"

"“It's important to remember that it's part of traditional winemaking practices,” says Jenny Lefcourt, owner and president of New York-based importer Jenny & François Selections. Even if you find the name “gimmicky,” she says, blouge “harkens back to something that's always been.” In previous eras, grape growers would cultivate an array of varieties in the same plot. Some would use their fruit to make field blends like palhete, Portugal's answer to blouge, with roots dating to the 12th century."

"“In more recent millenia-and right up to the present-winemakers in France's Southern Rhône either blend or coferment red and white grapes to maintain balanced fruit, acidity, and tannins in world-famous wines like Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Most Champagne and Chianti bottles contain a blend of red and white wines, too.”"

Read at Bon Appetit