02 Dec Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Discover Your Inner Winemaker with The Blending Lab

Have you ever thought about making your own wine? What would you make? Would it be a particular grape variety or a blend? If it was a blend, how would you know which grapes to blend and the percentages in the blend? At The Blending Lab in Paso Robles, as well as in Los Angeles, you can discover your inner winemaker by creating your own wine blends. And that is why it is the Please The Palate pick of the week. The Blending Lab was founded by Michael, Magdalena, Chris, and the Lab’s wine dog Cafe Au Lait. Michael and Magdelena both work in marketing. On a trip to Argentina many years ago, they had the chance to blend their own wine. They had so much fun and the idea to offer something similar in the U.S. was born. They first opened their doors in Los Angeles in 2016 and then opened a second location in Paso Robles in June 2023. The Blending Lab team purchases grapes and has their winemaker make the wines. They produce a range of varieties, including Grenache, Malbec, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, Merlot, and more. Blending Lab makes its own blends. Some blends are traditional, such as Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre, and others are more unique, such as Grenache and Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah. These blends are bottled and labeled with catchy labels that have a scientific look and the grape varieties are written like the periodic table. These wines are available to taste in a traditional flight for $25. But if you want to try to blend your own wine, then try the wine blending class. The Blending Lab wine blending class is a 2-hour wine experience that is both fun and educational. You start by tasting and learning about the details of three wines. These wines are tasted blind so you do not know the grape variety. By tasting blind, everyone starts at the same level. It eliminates any preconceived ideas about particular grape varieties. The Blending Lab host will coach you through the process, starting with a discussion about the basics of tasting wine. You will taste the three wines and rate them. Once you have finished, your host will encourage you to re-taste the wines, this time filling out information on a provided form that helps describe the wines. And then you can start playing with different blends. The key is to let the tasting guide your blend. There is no right or wrong answer. It is about learning to understand and appreciate your own palate. After trying different combinations, you will select your final blend. The Blending Lab staff will then bottle your final blend in a half-size bottle. You can decorate the label and then take the bottle home to enjoy later. Whether you are just learning about wine or consider yourself an oenophile; whether you dream about being a winemaker or just want to have a fun edutaining experience, The Blending Lab is for you. And what a perfect experience to do for groups of up to 20 people. Two locations: