12/12/05 Monday question - Fruit wines

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. On today's program, we are answering questions from the email. A listener writes to ask, " Are so called fruit wines really wine?" So a listener asks if fruit wine is really wine  well grapes are fruit aren't they? However, I think what he is really asking is if the fermented beverages that are made with other fruits than grapes are, or should be considered, wine. The short answer is yes, of course. Although I would bet that most people would turn their noses up until they actually give them a try. Grapes are certainly not the only fruit that is fermented to alcohol. The same principles and processes take place and the results can be outstanding. Most of you have heard of Dandelion wine, rhubarb wine strawberry and pear wines. There are some beautiful pear and apple brandies in the world that started as pear or apple wine. There are some delightful sparkling pear ciders made in France that are a delicious accompaniment to those Holiday nut pies. A nice aspect of many fruit wines is that they are fermented fairly dry. If made well they with retain the beautiful fruit essence and loose most of the sugary sweetness. Unfortunately, really good fruit wines are difficult to find and we don't have many venues to taste them in. For now, if you do come upon a nice looking bottle of pear wine  give it a shot with some take out Asian food or a piece of pecan pie. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thank you for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.