Tonight after a long day of packing I decided to have a little dessert before dinner - dessert wine that is! The sweet stuff included a bottle of Rhode Island ice wine and a NY strawberry wine.
My sister got me this bottle of 2007 ice wine from Newport Vineyards. Ice wine is a treasure because it is made from grapes that have been left on the vine long enough into the cool months to freeze. The frozen grapes are then picked and crushed, and the resultant juice is very concentrated and sweet. The whole process takes patience and care, and yields are usually low. This ice wine was made from Vidal Blanc, a white hybrid grape with a thick skin, well-suited to this chilly style. The ice wine was delicious - with a silky texture, fresh apricot, pronounced honey and elderflower flavors. A really pretty wine for this summer night. Thanks, sista!
The strawberry wine, called "Fraise," was from Alison Wines and Vineyards in the Hudson Valley and was a gift from my old boss. Wine is technically a fermented beverage made from grapes, but other fermented fruit beverages can call themselves wine as long as the fruit base is specified. So, there are no grapes in here - just strawberries. It smelled intoxicatingly like strawberry jam and tasted only slightly less sweet. It reminded me of these fresh dried strawberries I used to get from Fresh Direct - yum! It would probably be even better over vanilla ice cream or chocolate cake... maybe I'll go out and get some of that now. Who needs dinner?
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