Bordeaux, Chianti, Rioja, the U.S. — so much of the world of wine is centered around red blends. Although blending red grapes has been part of winemaking since antiquity, the category dubbed “red blends” is a relatively new phenomenon. So, how do we define what qualifies a red blend today? In Europe, even though there are a lot of red blends, they are strictly regulated within appellations. If you make wine outside the region’s set of rules you cannot put said appellation on the label.