There is something special and sparkling in the works at Rustic Roots this year. “We’re expanding our sparkling portfolio this year,” says Winemaker Sara Harker. Fans of the fizz will now have more tasty choices from the landmark Cawston winery.
In addition to the Fameuse Frizzante from their 100-year-old Snow/Fameuse Apple tree, blended with Santa Rosa Plum, they will be producing a dry white version made with Pippin Apple and Nectarine. Apples make great sparkling wine bases, says Harker. “Any time you ferment apple in a stainless steel tank, it traps co2. So it’s perfect for making a sparkling wine because it has a bit of co2 already.”
Just like with grape wines, complexity is always at the top of the priorities. “I do blending of different yeasts and play around a lot with that to find yeasts that bring out the characteristics I want.” Blending also plays an important part in adding complexity. Sara blends varieties of fruit including different maturities to reach optimal balance.
The big project in the works this year is a sparkling Iced Orin Apple. “It will be the world’s second sparkling iced apple wine,” explains Harker. It will miss out on being the first by only a year to a company from Quebec. No doubt fans of their Iced Orin dessert wine will be looking for this one when it hits the wine shop shelves.
Stop in for some great new bubbles this year at Rustic Roots!
~ Luke Whittall