April 07, 2015
Fruit wine sounds a little redundant, doesn’t it? After all, wine is made from grapes and grapes are fruit, right? Not exactly. The term “fruit wine” refers to any wine made from fruit other than grapes. Many Missouri wineries make delicious, award-winning fruit wines. Common flavors are peach, cherry, blackberry, apple and strawberry, but as you explore Missouri wine country you’ll find other unique fruit wines such as mango, blueberry, and strawberry rhubarb. There are so many wonderful ways to enjoy Missouri fruit wine. Here are some of our favorites:
- Sipping: A glass of fruit wine is delicious and refreshing all on its own. If you find a fruit wine that’s a little sweet for you, try adding a splash of club soda. It can calm the sweetness, and who doesn’t like bubbles?
- Mixing: Fruit wines make fantastic mixers for your next cocktail concoction. Whether you’re perfecting your sangria recipe or developing a brand new cocktail creation, fruit wine is a great way to mix things us (pardon the pun).
- Cooking: Fruit wines add fantastic flavor and fun to the most basic recipes, especially in marinades and sauces.
Marinades, especially overnight marinades, are great with fruit wines because they are low in acid. Peach wine marinades are great with chicken and cherry is exceptional with pork. Generally, a good ratio for marinades is: ½-1 cup of wine, ¼ – ½ cup of fat (olive oil, etc.), 1 tsp – 2 Tbsp herbs of choice, ½-2 tsp salt
A fruit wine sauce is a delicious addition to an entrée or dessert. Reducing wine into a thicker sauce consistency is very simple. Add your wine to a heated pan over medium high heat. Bring to a simmer. The alcohol and water will evaporate out of the wine. Simmer like this with any added spices you would like until it has reduced by half. Remove from heat, let cook slightly and enjoy!
- Baking: Substituting wine for water or part of the fat (oil, butter, etc.) while baking adds flavor and complexity. So, next time you dawn an apron to bake up a treat, don’t forget the fruit wine.
Fruit wines are truly versatile. Don’t just take our word for it. Try sipping, mixing, cooking, and baking with them.
Missouri fruit wine pairs well with trying something new!