A Flowery Song

Background: This apple wine is made by Wölffer from apples grown by the Halseys of White Cap Farm in Watermill, New York. The wine is fermented with Côte des Blancs yeast, a strain known for preserving fruit flavour and aroma, and contains the following apple varieties: 20% Braeburn, 20% Gold Rush, 20% Pink Lady, 20% Fuji, 9% Ida Red, 6% Jonagold, and 5% Mutsu.

Nose: Fresh, crisp apples and hints of yeast.

Taste: Lightly sweet, mild acidity and good apple flavour. Creamy yeast notes.

Overall: Clean, refreshing wine with enough acidity to cleanse the palate after robust foods like bacon and blue cheese.

Background: Wine made from ume (also known as Chinese plums or Japanese apricots), with “other natural flavors”. May actually be umeshu, which is a liqueur made from soaking ume in a shochu base.

Nose: Peach and citrus.

Taste: Somewhat sweet, somewhat sour, quite fruity. Tastes, well, like ume.

Overall: Light and refreshing. Good balance between sweet and sour, clean fruit flavour.

Background: This 100% pomegranate wine is produced by Oceanic Alco (my, that's an interesting name) in Yerevan, Armenia. The front label says it's part of the “Tree of Life Collection”.

Appearance: Painted, dried out cork. Pours a dense ruby (with bonus floating cork pieces!).

Nose: Musky, tart fruit, a bit of alcohol.

Taste: Smooth, nice light sweetness, nondescript juicy fruitiness. Metallic aftertaste.

Overall: Okay, nice balance, very light and refreshing.

Background: Brewed by HomeBrewTalk member ScubaSteve, received as part of the 08/08/08 RIS swap. Based on EdWort's Apfelwein with honey added.

Appearance: Golden yellow, a slight haze.

Nose: Apples and alcohol.

Taste: Funky, apple-y, and dry. Some rubber and yeast notes.

Mouthfeel: Dry, some hot alcohol.

Overall: Definitely could do with some age (whoops, my bad). Though I try not to get tetchy about such things it's also way out of style for an apfelwein, being carbonated and much too strong.

Background: From Traverse City, Michigan; a sweet fruit wine made from tart Michigan cherries.

Presentation: Clear glass bottle, synthetic cork. Pours a deep red. 11% ABV

Nose: Cherry, funk, and alcohol.

Taste: Sweet cherry, somewhat cloying, some earthy funk, and a bit of tartness in the finish. Hot alcohol.

Overall: Not great. The earthy notes were interesting, but they were the wine's only redeeming quality.

Background: From Kiuchi Brewery in Japan, this wine is made from yuzu, an Asian citrus fruit which is possibly a hybrid of Ichang Lemon and sour mandarin.

Presentation: Tall thin 500ml cobalt blue bottle with cork stopper. Pours clear. 11% ABV

Nose: Sake yeast, mild lemony citrus.

Taste: Odd mix of lemon, grapefruit, and mandarin citrus character. Slightly sweet, but not sticky. Dry sake in the finish.

Overall: Pretty good, really. Nice aperitif, or treat it as a (very light) white wine for pairing.

Background: Traditional ginger-flavoured currant wine from England.

Presentation: Green screw-top bottle. Pours a medium gold with red tints. 13.5% ABV

Nose: Spicy ginger on a fruit background with some hot alcohol notes.

Taste: Quite sweet. Raisin, currant, and orange peel base with piquant ginger.

Overall: Decent, good ginger flavour and nice bite. Mix it with some whisky to kick it up a notch and take the edge off of the sweetness.

Background: It's made from apricots. Thought this is a normal fruit wine, evidently they also have an “iced wine” version of this, where the apricots are frozen prior to being pressed. Interesting.

Presentation: Clear glass bottle. Pours a clear, light orangey yellow. 12% ABV

Nose: Sweet apricot and peach. Slightly hot.

Taste: Cidery, fairly sweet with loads of apricot flavour and refreshing acidity. Medium-length, dry-ish finish. Alcohol from the nose does not come through on the palate.

Overall: Quite nice. Well-balanced, perfect served chilled on a warm summer day.

Background: Blend of Jonathon, Spy, Ida Red, Jonathon Gold, and Golden Delicious

Presentation: Clear bottle. Pours a clear, light golden yellow. 12% ABV

Nose: Apple and earth, with light citrus notes.

Taste: Crisp apple flavour on a lightly earthy background is reminiscent of autumn. Slightly sweet, with a long apple-y finish.

Overall: Very nice; not too sweet, well balanced with a clean flavour.

Background: The Tomasello winery is located in New Jersey and produces a range of wines, including four sparkling wines and five fruit wines.

Presentation: Clear 500ml bottle. Pours a clear, light red. 9% ABV

Nose: Earthy undertones, fruity cranberry, with lightly sweet citrus notes.

Taste: Alcoholic cranberry juice. Rich and jammy fruit, a nice balance of tart and sweet, but not much depth.

Overall: Meh. I'd rather serve cranberry juice.