Our Frontenac grapes were the last grapes we harvested this fall. We left them on the vine after the first frost caused all the leaves to drop, hoping they would continue to develop. Once we finally brought them into the winery, we found that our Frontenac grapes had remarkable character and flavor. The flavors were so intense and distinct that we were inspired to create a dessert wine.
Ken fermented the Frontenac grapes gently on their own native yeast. He then added neutral grape spirits, stopping the fermentation and leaving some residual sugar in the wine. The wine's natural sweetness complements its intense fruit. George, Lynn, Wayne & Diane came up with the name, Nancy designed another great label and Fireside Red was brought to the public. This is Famous Fossil Winery’s first Estate Bottled wine, meaning that the grapes in this wine came exclusively from the Famous Fossil vineyard in Cedarville.
Why do we call Fireside Red a dessert wine rather than a Port? Port is a fortified, sweet wine made from red grapes grown in Northern Portugal’s Douro Valley. The Douro Valley was recognized as an appellation in 1756, making it the oldest defined and protected wine region in the world. It is this distinction which led the region to claim the name “Port Wine” as its own. In the United States, sweet, fortified wines are labeled “dessert wines.”
Fireside Red is best served after dinner as it is sweet and has an alcohol content of 20%. Fireside Red's alcohol content is significantly higher than the average Famous Fossil wine of 12%. Gotta take this wine slow and easy!
There is an old vintner's saying that great wines are "grown" in the vineyards. It is important then, in the learning of wine, to first grasp the importance of the raw material. In this case the grapes. No winemaker can "create" quality.
ReplyDeleteWine of the Month Club