Menage a Trois Red Blend
Menage a Trois Red Blend is a 750mL California red wine blending the three grapes that gave the brand its name: Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Created in 1996 at Folie à Deux Winery in St. Helena and part of Trinchero Family Estates since 2004, it is made — per the producer — by fermenting each variety separately, then blending before bottling to keep each grape's character in the mix. The producer's published 2020 fact sheet gives the blend as 45% Zinfandel, 30% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- Size: 750mL
- Grapes: Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon — 45/30/25 in the producer's 2020 fact sheet
- Origin: California, USA
- Winemaking: Each variety fermented separately, blended before bottling (official)
- Score: 90 points, The Tasting Panel — for the 2020 vintage
Three Grapes, One Very Famous Name
The joke in the name is the recipe: three varieties, each with a job. Per the producer, Zinfandel brings the blackberry and raspberry jam, Merlot the generous mouthfeel and red fruit in the middle, and Cabernet Sauvignon the rich flavour and firm tannins underneath. It has been made that way in California since 1996. Browse the range on the Menage a Trois Wines vendor page or see more red wine.
Tasting Notes
From the producer: fresh, ripe, jam-like California fruit — blackberry and raspberry jam up front, a generous mouthfeel, rich flavours and firm tannins, finishing forward, silky and soft.
How to Enjoy
With grilled meats and chicken, per the producer — or a burger night, where the jammy fruit and soft tannins are in their element.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which three grapes are in it? Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon — published as 45%, 30% and 25% respectively in the producer's 2020 fact sheet.
Is it a dry red? It is a ripe, jam-fruited California red with a soft, silky finish — fruit-forward rather than austere.
Where does the name come from? The three-grape blend itself, created at Folie à Deux in St. Helena in 1996.
California's original three-way blend, jammy and soft — get Menage a Trois Red Blend online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.