I've never seen a grocery store or wine store offer any kind of fruit
wine such as cranberry wine, blueberry wine, plum wine, etc. Why is
that? Is there some law against it? Maybe there's a federal law that
prohibits adding sugar to a wine for the purpose of increasing alcohol
content, and therefore every fruit except for grapes would be
unsuitable for wine. What gives? Thanks.

http://www.tomasellowinery.com/

Wine stores and grocery stores are both driven by what consumers want
and purchase most. Our local Harris Teeter grocery store can easily get
Tomasello Fruit wines, but I have to order a case and wait 3 weeks to
get them. They stock sometimes around the holidays, but usually only a
case and it's sold slowly, since many folks won't try unusual wines. The
above web site - if you contact them via email, will tell you where
local retailers can get their fruit wines.

Kinda sad, too. Cause Cranberry wine makes an incredible Cosmopolitan,
Blueberry wine is luscious, and plum wine, well, it's different. smile.
So I make my own. The peach-mango is almost ready to bottle. :*)

DAve

p.s. I asked a wine store, and they said they could get fruit wines, but
would not "move them" quick enough.

Igor wrote:
> I've never seen a grocery store or wine store offer any kind of fruit
> wine such as cranberry wine, blueberry wine, plum wine, etc. Why is
> that? Is there some law against it? Maybe there's a federal law that
> prohibits adding sugar to a wine for the purpose of increasing alcohol
> content, and therefore every fruit except for grapes would be
> unsuitable for wine. What gives? Thanks.
>

On 3/21/2006 3:14 PM, Igor wrote:
> I've never seen a grocery store or wine store offer any kind of fruit
> wine such as cranberry wine, blueberry wine, plum wine, etc. Why is
> that? Is there some law against it? Maybe there's a federal law that
> prohibits adding sugar to a wine for the purpose of increasing alcohol
> content, and therefore every fruit except for grapes would be
> unsuitable for wine. What gives? Thanks.

Igor,

I suppose it depends on where you live, and how hard you look. I live
in Northern VA, and there are a number of local wineries who also make
fruit wines, and fruit/grape blend wines. (And yes, I'm aware that
grapes are a fruit)

One such which I have enjoyed are the various "Chateau le Cabin"
offerings from Horton Vineyards. You may peruse their selection he
http://www.hvwine.com/chateaulecabin.htm
These are available in many of the grocery stores in the area, and the
Total Beverage stores, but I am not aware as to how far away they are
distributed.

I have also sampled non-grape wines in a few other states while on
vacation. Vermont in particular (Burlington area) seemed to have a
large offering of blueberry, cranberry, and maple syrup wines.


Cheers,
Ken Taborek

A couple of years ago some winery was advertising a peach blush wine on
TV. Dunno why it didn't seem to catch on. But I'm sure some liquor
stores still sell it.

> Maybe there's a federal law that prohibits adding
> sugar to a wine for the purpose of increasing
> alcohol content, and therefore every fruit except for
> grapes would be unsuitable for wine.

In many places, the law forbids the addition of water, which makes many
fruit wines taste far too syrupy to be commercially successful (at
least the ones I've bought in Canada have been). I've bought some good
berry wines in Germany (although one must be lucky to find a store that
carries them), but not here.

There are some wines that are mixtures of grape and fruit (blackberry
merlot, peach chardonnay, etc.)- the ones I've tried taste like a mix
of cheap wine and Kool-Aid, so I'm surprised they are as successful as
they are.

wrote:
> A couple of years ago some winery was advertising a peach blush wine on
> TV. Dunno why it didn't seem to catch on. But I'm sure some liquor
> stores still sell it.

Do you mean the "arbor mist" stuff?

That stuff is to wine what Coca Cola is to lemonade...once, a long time
ago there was actual lemon juice (or in this case wine) in it.

Casa de Fruta, a traveler's country store /tourist trap on Highway 152
at Hollister (east of Gilroy) California, has a long history of selling
decent fruit wines (I remember apricot, blackberry and pomegranate).

If you are so inclined, their website is www.casadefruta.com.

Gene

wrote:
> A couple of years ago some winery was advertising a peach blush wine on
> TV. Dunno why it didn't seem to catch on. But I'm sure some liquor
> stores still sell it.
>

wrote:
> > Maybe there's a federal law that prohibits adding
> > sugar to a wine for the purpose of increasing
> > alcohol content, and therefore every fruit except for
> > grapes would be unsuitable for wine.

No federal law that I'm aware of.

Nashoba Valley Winery in MA also makes some fruit wines. I've never
tried them but hear they are pretty good.

Andy

Friar Tuck's chain in my area (Central Illinois) carries locally produced
fruit wines.


"Igor" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> I've never seen a grocery store or wine store offer any kind of fruit
> wine such as cranberry wine, blueberry wine, plum wine, etc. Why is
> that? Is there some law against it? Maybe there's a federal law that
> prohibits adding sugar to a wine for the purpose of increasing alcohol
> content, and therefore every fruit except for grapes would be
> unsuitable for wine. What gives? Thanks.
>

Igor > wrote:
> I've never seen a grocery store or wine store offer any kind of fruit
> wine such as cranberry wine, blueberry wine, plum wine, etc. Why is
> that? Is there some law against it? Maybe there's a federal law that
> prohibits adding sugar to a wine for the purpose of increasing alcohol
> content, and therefore every fruit except for grapes would be
> unsuitable for wine. What gives? Thanks.
>

Most of the stores in Minnesota that sell any significant amount of wine also
sell fruit wines, as well as local grape wines (yes, descent wine grapes can
be tortured in MN). I see many fruit wines, melomels and even meads
available; most brewed in Wisconsin or Minnesota.

--
Thomas T. Veldhouse
Key Fingerprint: 2DB9 813F F510 82C2 E1AE 34D0 D69D 1EDC D5EC AED1

I don't really go looking for fruit wines at the liquor stores here
(Colorado), but have seen plenty of fruit wines for sale at the wine
festivals around the state.

Also, they have Japanese plum wines at every store here.

And don't forget Boones Farm. Or did they finally stop making this fine
elixer?

St.James winery in Mo. has an excellent blackberry that I see in all the
grocery and liquor stores in the stl area.

Igor wrote:

>I've never seen a grocery store or wine store offer any kind of fruit
>wine such as cranberry wine, blueberry wine, plum wine, etc. Why is
>that? Is there some law against it? Maybe there's a federal law that
>prohibits adding sugar to a wine for the purpose of increasing alcohol
>content, and therefore every fruit except for grapes would be
>unsuitable for wine. What gives? Thanks.
>
>
>
Blueberry and peach wines are available in stores in Canada. Apple too.
I've had peach wine that I bought at Winn-Dixie in Fla.
You should web search and find some, they are out there.

"Igor" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> I've never seen a grocery store or wine store offer any kind of fruit
> wine such as cranberry wine, blueberry wine, plum wine, etc. Why is
> that? Is there some law against it? Maybe there's a federal law that
> prohibits adding sugar to a wine for the purpose of increasing alcohol
> content, and therefore every fruit except for grapes would be
> unsuitable for wine. What gives? Thanks.
>
>

You can find fruit wines but good ones are not generally available. There
are several things working against them.

First people connect fruit wines with low quality country wines and are not
willing to pay much for them. Less money means less incentive to make and
sell them.

Second, people expect fruit wines to taste like the fruit they were made
from. When fruit wines are made dry they taste like wine. Does dry grape
wine taste like fresh grapes? No. The way to make a wine have some of the
original fruit character is to make is sweet. This cuts down on the market
again as there is just not that large of a market for sweet wine.

For the foreseeable future, if you want good fruit wine, you need to make it
yourself. But then that does not bother me greatly. ;o)

Ray

Hello,
There's are some winery's in Wisconsin who make a variety of fruit wines -
Three Lakes Winery in Three Lakes Wisconsin, one in Door County, and another
in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. You can order on-line from the Three Lakes Winery.
I have tried a couple of their wines and they are very good, but since I
make my own and it is much cheaper I don't buy them much.
Darlene

"Ray Calvert" > wrote in message
. net...
>
> "Igor" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> I've never seen a grocery store or wine store offer any kind of fruit
>> wine such as cranberry wine, blueberry wine, plum wine, etc. Why is
>> that? Is there some law against it? Maybe there's a federal law that
>> prohibits adding sugar to a wine for the purpose of increasing alcohol
>> content, and therefore every fruit except for grapes would be
>> unsuitable for wine. What gives? Thanks.
>>
>>
>
> You can find fruit wines but good ones are not generally available. There
> are several things working against them.
>
> First people connect fruit wines with low quality country wines and are
> not willing to pay much for them. Less money means less incentive to make
> and sell them.
>
> Second, people expect fruit wines to taste like the fruit they were made
> from. When fruit wines are made dry they taste like wine. Does dry grape
> wine taste like fresh grapes? No. The way to make a wine have some of
> the original fruit character is to make is sweet. This cuts down on the
> market again as there is just not that large of a market for sweet wine.
>
> For the foreseeable future, if you want good fruit wine, you need to make
> it yourself. But then that does not bother me greatly. ;o)
>
> Ray
>