Rollin' Yer Own...

[stevebody]

Since trying this for the first time while I was running an Italian restaurant in Seattle's University District, I've done it half a dozen time and would like to see if any of you have tried it:

I took a couple of sample bottles I was given by one of my reps and blended them 60/40 Umberto Cesari Sangiovese and Bocaini Dirada Merlot. I got the idea because the shortcomings of each bottle were almst exactly the opposite of the other. The result was a very nice, food-friendly faux Super Tuscan thing that I even tried on some of my patrons (no charge), who liked it a lot. I've tried it since with some of the Trader Joe's cheapies, most recently dumping together bottles of Chuck's Merlot, D'Aquino Cab, and Caravaggio Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. My guests that night sucked it up like crazy and wanted to know who made it. (I evaded the question) The best one I made was a bottle of Snoqualmie Cab, Montes Merlot, and a sample bottle of Lost Mountain Winery Cab Franc in a 40/30/30 blend.

I enjoy this a lot and was wondering if any of you have experimented with it. In the case of the cheap stuff, the resulting wine has been FAR more than the sum of its parts; not spectacular but a lot more palatable.

Any stories?