Fruit wine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- "Country wine" is also a common translation of "vin du pays", or "Landwein"
Country wines are fermented alcoholic beverages made from a variety of ingredients other than grapes (the base of "ordinary" wine) and having a variety of flavors. Country wines are always called something wines (e.g., plum wine), since the word wine alone is often legally defined as a beverage made only from grapes. Country wine can be made from any fruit or, with addition of sugar or honey, from many plant sources. This term is utilized more commonly in Great Britain than elsewhere. In France and Germany, "vin du pays", or "Landwein" refers to standard grape wine.
Few foods other than grapes have the balanced quantities of sugar, acid, tannin and water to produce a stable, drinkable wine, so most country wines are adjusted in one or more respects. Enough natural sugar is needed to support a satisfactory fermentation and provide bacteriological stability through sufficient ethanol content, so the winemaker adds table sugar (sucrose) or sweet sap tapped from trees such as maple, birch, or palm; or honey. If a food is too tart, sugar and water may both be added to dilute the acidity, or additional tannin or acid may be required to round out the taste. These are added as chemicals or by adding a balancing fruit like crabapples, raisins or dates to an unbalanced base.
The other ingredients that give the wine its flavor and character can be fruits, flowers, herbs, etc. Examples are elderberry wine and dandelion wine. A wine made from elderberry flowers is called elder blow wine. If the flavoring ingredients are leaves or roots then the beverage is sometimes called a beer (for example, ginger beer). (Note that the beverages known as root beer, ginger beer and ginger ale are often non-alcoholic).
If the sugar source is honey then the beverage is usually called mead; if it is apple or pear juice then the beverage is called cider or perry, respectively. Cyser is made from apples and honey.
The fermentation of country wines at home was particularly fashionable in the UK in the 1970s and was popularised in the BBC TV series The Good Life.
There are two approaches when making country wines: to imitate the flavor and appearance of grape wines, or not to. Some country wines that resemble grape wines are:
Other country wines made from fruits:
- apricot
- banana
- blueberry
- cherry
- gooseberry
- pear
- raspberry
- redcurrant
- rowan
- persimmon
- pineapple wine
- rose hip
- strawberry
- watermelon
- mangosteen
- mango
- sweetsop
Country wines made from flowers:
- dandelion
- elder blow (made from elderberry)
Country wines made from vegetables and roots:
Country wines made from legumes:
- peanut butter (rare as it has never been commercialized, although it was a commonly home-made wine in the early 20th century)
[edit] See also
| Wine styles: | Red/White • Rosé/Blush • Sparkling • Dessert • Fortified • Fruit • Ice Wine | |
| Notable varietals: |
White Albariño • Chardonnay • Chenin blanc • Gewürztraminer • Muscat • Pinot blanc • Pinot gris • Riesling • Sauvignon blanc • Sémillon • Viognier |
Red Cabernet Franc • Cabernet Sauvignon • Carmenère • Durif • Gamay • Grenache • Malbec • Merlot • Petit Verdot • Pinotage • Pinot noir • Sangiovese • Syrah/Shiraz • Tempranillo • Zinfandel |
| Notable regions: |
Amarone • Asti • Barolo • Barossa • Beaujolais • Bordeaux • Burgundy • Chablis • Champagne • Chianti • Commandaria • Dão • Egri Bikavér • Madeira • Marsala • Port • Retsina • Rhône • Rioja • Sancerre • Sauternes • Sherry • Tokaji • Valpolicella • Vermouth • Vinho Verde • Vouvray • Wachau | |
| See also: | Glossary of wine terms • List of grape varieties • List of wine-producing regions • List of wine producing countries | |
