Fruit wines are best served slightly chilled -- and go delightfully with dessert.
Fruit wines have been around for centuries. Nearly every culture has its own winemaking tradition. Japan and China, for instance, have both been longtime producers of plum wine, while the Hawaiian culture is historically recognized for the creation of pineapple wine. Today, within the United States, the production of fruit wine has become a treasured art form.
Pick a Fruit
More than 10 pounds of fruit go into a gallon of wine.
Essentially, a fruit wine is defined as any wine made with a fruit other than grapes. Different fruits produce different flavors, and in an effort to maximize and retain the fruit's character in the wine, the process of fermentation is controlled under colder than normal conditions. Naturally, this practice varies from winemaker to winemaker, just as the flavor preference does.
Perfect Balance
Plum wines are often crafted with raisins to enhance sweetness.
In general, the sweeter the fruit, the finer the wine. However, any wine can have sweeteners added if needed, usually in the form of sugar or honey. A quality fruit wine will never have added fruit flavors. When made well, the wine should find a perfect balance between the fruit's acidity and its residual sugars -- tasting both arresting and bold.
Easy as Pie
Berries make wonderful wines and are loaded with antixoidants.
Common fruit wines include blackberry, raspberry, blueberry and apricot, but almost any variety of fruit can be found in the form of wine. If unable to locate a fruit wine that you expect you might enjoy, it's easy to craft right in the comfort of your own kitchen. For just this reason, fruit wines are commonly referred to as country wines throughout various regions of Europe.
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