What is "Blouge"? The wine that's neither white nor red

Blouge is a wine that blends red and white. The name comes from "blanc" (white) + "rouge" (red) = blouge. It's neither a white, nor a red, nor a rosé. Blouge is a wine that stands out from the ordinary.

It's not an Hectolitre invention. It's a small but growing trend, driven by winemakers and merchants who have decided to stop choosing between white and red. We'll explain everything.

Vin de France, the category that allows for freedom

To understand blouge, you need to understand one thing: French appellations (AOC, IGP) impose strict rules. Which grape varieties, which area, which yields, which methods. A Beaujolais must be made like a Beaujolais. A Bordeaux like a Bordeaux. Blending red and white? No appellation allows it.

Except for one category: Vin de France.

Vin de France is the most liberal designation in the wine landscape. No appellation constraints, no imposed area, the possibility of blending grape varieties, colors, and regions that AOCs forbid. It's the playground for winemakers who want to create without asking permission. It's the category that allows for what doesn't fit anywhere else. To delve deeper, the official website of Vin de France and its blends page explain it well.

For a long time, "Vin de France" had a reputation as a basic, low-end wine. That's changing. More and more winemakers are deliberately choosing this designation, not by default, but because it gives them the leeway to make lively, different, uninhibited wines. Blouge is the perfect example.

Can you really blend red and white wine?

That's the question everyone asks. And the answer is funnier than it seems.

The most common misconception: rosé is a blend of red and white. False. In Europe, making rosé by blending red and white wine is strictly forbidden. A true rosé is made from pressed red grapes, with short skin contact to get just enough color. No blending. The only exception is Champagne, which is allowed to blend red and white for its rosés.

Blouge, on the other hand, doesn't cheat or disguise itself as rosé. It embraces the blend, openly. And since no appellation allows it, it steps outside the box and becomes a Vin de France. Not a workaround, but a choice.

How to make a blouge

There's no single way to make a blouge. Depending on the winemaker, the blending happens at different times:

• Co-fermentation: white and red grapes are fermented together from the start. They macerate and ferment at the same time. This is the most "fused" blouge.

• Pre-fermentative blending: white and red juices are blended before fermentation begins.

• Post-fermentative blending: white and red wines are vinified separately, each on its own, and then blended just before bottling.

Three methods, three results. The color, tannins, freshness, and texture change depending on the winemaker's choice, proportions, and grape varieties. A blouge doesn't have a unique profile; it has as many as there are winemakers who make it.

Blouge is not just a recipe

Each winemaker makes their own with what they have and what they like:

• In Burgundy, Arnaud Lopez makes a Blouge by blending Aligoté and Gamay, naturally, near Nuits-Saint-Georges.

• In Roussillon, Mas des Caprices makes its "Blanc sur Rouge" with Mediterranean grape varieties and direct pressing.

• In Bordeaux, Maison Advinam offers "L'Allumée," a natural blouge made with Sémillon and Malbec, without added sulfur.

• And it's even available in bag-in-box / BIB, for everyday blouge to share.

Different grape varieties (Gamay, Aligoté, Sémillon, Malbec, Southern grape varieties), different regions, different methods, different formats. The only common point: a wine that is neither white nor red, light, often easier to digest, made for immediate pleasure rather than for cellaring. This is also one of the reasons for its success: with increasingly hot summers, blouge is a way to keep freshness and drinkability in the glass.

And ours

The Hectolitre Blouge is our version, from Beaujolais.

• Grape varieties: 70% Gamay, 30% Chardonnay

• Method: post-fermentative blending, in tank

• Designation: Vin de France

• Alcohol content: 12.5% vol.

• Profile: light, fresh, fruity (raspberry), very low in tannins

Gamay brings the fruit and freshness of Beaujolais. Chardonnay rounds out and lightens it. We blend the two after fermentation, directly in the tank. No wood, no embellishment. Clear color, red fruit on the nose, supple and thirst-quenching on the palate.

How to drink it: well chilled, between 10 and 12°C. For an impromptu aperitif, with a cheese board, pizza, barbecue, or on a terrace. It's not a cellar wine; it's a wine for now. You open it, you drink it, you have a good evening.

To go further

Blouge is creating a buzz. Here are some readings if you want to delve deeper into the subject:

• Blouge, the hybrid white and red wine that's gaining popularity — WineGuru, on this new category and its response to global warming.

• Blouge, what is it? The half-white, half-red wine explained — Vinibee, on co-fermentation and the search for freshness.

• Blouge wines: neither white nor red — Le Club Terroirs & Co, on the trend and the winemakers embracing it.

FAQ — Blouge

Is blouge a rosé?
No. A rosé is made from pressed red grapes, never a blend of wines. Blouge is a true blend of red and white, openly declared as such. That's why it's classified as Vin de France and not as rosé.

Why is blouge a Vin de France and not an appellation?
Because no AOC allows the blending of red and white. Vin de France is the only designation free enough to permit it. This gives the winemaker the freedom to create.

Is blouge necessarily Gamay and Chardonnay?
No. Each winemaker makes their own: Aligoté-Gamay, Mediterranean grape varieties, natural versions, etc. Ours is 70% Gamay and 30% Chardonnay, but that's just one recipe among others.

How is blouge made?
In three ways: co-fermentation (white and red grapes fermented together), blending before fermentation, or blending after fermentation. Our Blouge is blended after fermentation, in the tank.

What temperature should blouge be served at? Chilled, between 10 and 12°C. It's a wine to be drunk cold, not at room temperature.

How long does blouge keep?
It's a wine for immediate pleasure, to be drunk within the year. Not a cellar wine.

Where can I buy Hectolitre Blouge?
On the Hectolitre shop and at our partner wine merchants.