# Wines made From Fruit (Other Than Grapes?) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 13, 2003, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-made-from-fruit-other-than-grapes/174936 "2003-05-13T13:09:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-made-from-fruit-other-than-grapes/174936/21 "2003-05-13T19:24:44Z")
Elephant Island Wines in Penticton, BC is a yearly stop for us. They make Apple, Pear, Black Current, Apricot, crab apple, you name it. They even make fortified wine, desert wines, casis and Port as well. Fantastic stuff! [http://www.elephantislandwine.com/](http://www.elephantislandwine.com/) We’ve got a couple cases in the basement still. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-made-from-fruit-other-than-grapes/174936/22 "2003-05-13T19:36:36Z")
Not exactly wine, but my grandma used to have a neighbor that made apricot, cherry, peach, choke cherry, and several other kinds of brandy. Primarily they were made for cooking, but they were pretty good as a drink, just really damn strong. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-made-from-fruit-other-than-grapes/174936/23 "2003-05-13T19:43:28Z")
Over 20 years ago, I tasted some strawberry wine from Bargetto Winery in Soquel, CA. ( A bit larger than a mom-n-pop operation) It was like liquid strawberries - heavenly. Apparently very difficult to make, I kept asking for it but they never made it again. They do have 3 good dessert wines still… Occasionally others. [http://www.bargetto.com/chaucers.shtml](http://www.bargetto.com/chaucers.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-made-from-fruit-other-than-grapes/174936/24 "2003-05-13T19:44:52Z")
I’ve always been under the impression that it can’t be called wine unless it is made from grapes. It can be called an alcoholic fruit beverage or somesuch, but not wine. ---
**Author:** ![whatami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/85f322/32.png) [@whatami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whatami)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-made-from-fruit-other-than-grapes/174936/25 "2003-05-13T19:45:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bup \* > \*\*Are you sure that was a wine? Usually the ‘pear in a bottle’ trick is done with brandies. The first several months of a wine’s life it lives in a barrel, then it’s bottled after maybe 6 months. > \*\* I had to do some searching, and it appears that you’re right… From [here](http://www.wweek.com/html/gg98-food.html) > [@](#): > > Clear Creek Distillery produces nationally renowned brandy, eau de vie, grappa, marc and single malt whiskey. Its Pear-in-the-Bottle Eau de Vie ($79.95, Clear Creek Distillery, 1430 NW 23rd Ave., 248-9470–also available at selected liquor stores), is a sight to behold. When the pear is but a bud, it is immersed in a bottle attached to the tree. Once the fruit matures, its stem is cut, leaving the pear inside the bottle to ripen. ---
**Author:** ![mipiace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@mipiace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mipiace)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-made-from-fruit-other-than-grapes/174936/26 "2003-05-13T19:53:23Z")
My absolute favorite is an Italian wine called Fragolino. It is a sparkling strawberry dessert wine. Yum! I don’t know where to get it in the states but I would LOVE to find some. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-made-from-fruit-other-than-grapes/174936/27 "2003-05-13T20:05:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kalhoun \* > \*\*I’ve always been under the impression that it can’t be called wine unless it is made from grapes. It can be called an alcoholic fruit beverage or somesuch, but not wine. \*\* [You can have it either way](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=wine). ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-made-from-fruit-other-than-grapes/174936/28 "2003-05-13T21:49:45Z")
And don’t forget the _delicious_ _cough_ pineapple wine Tedeschi makes on Maui 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-made-from-fruit-other-than-grapes/174936/29 "2003-05-13T23:38:01Z")
There is a winery in the Niagara region called East Dell Estates ([www.eastdell.com](http://www.eastdell.com)), which used to make fruit wines, but they have stopped because their grape wines (their main business) were becoming so successful that they decided to concentrate on it. One of their BEST fruit wines was actually an Icewine…a Winter Apple. It was sweet, but very good - it went very well with pork or as a dessert wine. I had hoped they had more, but they sold out. I believe other Niagara vinyards might be taking advantage of the prime ice-wine type weather and making fruit icewines…if you’re ever in the area, I definitely recommend a couple of winery tours!! ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2003, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-made-from-fruit-other-than-grapes/174936/30 "2003-05-14T00:05:03Z")
My friends’ grandma made black cap raspberry wine that was really more a liqueur…it was intense, fruity, with a great feel, I wish to god she was still alive to make it ☹ ---
**Author:** ![optionsguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ad7895/32.png) [@optionsguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/optionsguy)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-made-from-fruit-other-than-grapes/174936/31 "2003-05-17T00:57:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jonathan Chance \* > \*\*Linganore Winery, Mount Airy, MD. > > Come to the Spring party. I’ll get you drunk. \*\* I use to live in Frederick and have been to Linganore Winery many times. The festivals and wine tastings are assume. The owners tour of the place is great and very theatrical. Not a fan of the Dandeline Wine but was going to post it. ---
**Author:** ![Greywolf73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@Greywolf73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greywolf73)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-made-from-fruit-other-than-grapes/174936/32 "2003-05-17T03:16:58Z")
My parents own a strawberry farm which is in peak season right now. Several people buy “old” berries at half-price to make homemade strawberry wine. I have no idea how it’s done or what it tastes like though. I’ve had blackberry wine on occasion. My husband’s grandparents keep a bottle of it on hand as an old-timey remedy for indigestion. Amazingly, it works wonders for an upset stomach. Very tart and very “berry-ish” in flavor, if that makes any sense. ---
**Author:** ![Davebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Davebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Davebear)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-made-from-fruit-other-than-grapes/174936/33 "2003-05-17T03:51:26Z")
There’s a winery, called [Nashoba Winery](http://www.nashobawinery.com/), outside Boston, that makes quite a variety of fruit wines. My personal favorite is their Cranberry Apple, which is a nice accompaniment to Thanksgiving turkey. Their Sparkling Apple Wine is also very good. ---
**Author:** ![Geoduck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c37758/32.png) [@Geoduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geoduck)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-made-from-fruit-other-than-grapes/174936/34 "2003-05-17T04:57:34Z")
Washington state has outstanding dry fruit wines. Raspberry wine made by the Hoodsport and Paul Thomas wineries are heavenly, especially when accompanied by dark, rich chocolate. The Clear Creek pear brandy is intense; the bottles without the imprisoned pear are a lot cheaper to purchase. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wines-made-from-fruit-other-than-grapes/174936.md?page=1)