Bob Claymier has been making fruit wine for more than four decades, and every year he reveals something different. The third bottling of GiGi Peachi—named for his brother’s dachshund that often greets Desert Rose Ranch & Winery’s guests at the door—presents off-dry with less than 1 percent residual sugar. Want more sweetness from this 100 percent peach sipper? The longer it stays in the bottle, the more candied it will become. GiGi Peachi (375ml), $16.
Desert Rose Ranch & Winery, 13726 Hume Road, Hume; desertrosewinery.com
Cana Vineyards and Winery produces three apple-based vinos, and the 2013 blueberry-apple blend is the newest in the line. There’s no pie here. Winemaker Brenden McMahon takes apple juice from Rinker Orchards in Stephens City, mixes it with blueberry concentrate and puts the batch through a few ferments to even out blueberry’s sweetness while preserving the apple notes. Blueberry Apple Wine, $18.
Cana Vineyards and Winery, 38600 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg; canavineyards.com
The Sweet Cherry wine at Hiddencroft Vineyards is made with Montmorency cherries, grown on-site and also sourced from other Loudoun County farms. The wine opens intense and sweet, with a soft cinnamon aroma from the skins. Winemaker-owner Clyde Housel says its tart finish cancels out the 3 percent residual sugar and suggests pairing it with dark chocolate. Sweet Cherry, $17.
Hiddencroft Vineyards, 12202 Axline Road, Lovettsville; hiddencroftvineyards.com
Owner Kent Marrs switched all of Village Winery’s wines over to box packaging in 2013, and his four apple-based offerings are aged in neutral French oak before being transferred to 3-liter pouches. The Apple, Raspberry & Elderberry Wine, also known as the Triple Threat, is a refreshing blend of apples grown in Winchester, West Coast raspberries and the winery’s own elderberries. Apple, Raspberry & Elderberry Wine, 3L pouch, $30.
Village Winery and Vineyards, 40405 Browns Lane, Waterford; villagewineryandvineyards.com
Other Northern Virginia fruit wines of note: The Strawberry, Bluemont Vineyard; Apple Wine, Corcoran Vineyards and Cidery; Hope’s Legacy Raspberry, Doukenie Winery; Aperitif Pear Wine, Fabbioli Cellars.
(October 2015)
