9 Festive Wines to Make Your July 4th Celebration Fine

This weekend in the U.S, we will celebrate Independence Day.  This holiday commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 which declared our independence from Great Britain. It is a national holiday celebrated with fireworks, parades, cookouts, concerts and ceremonies across the nation.

 

In honor of this distinctly American holiday, I searched for a few wines to pour as you celebrate “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness …” along with those fireworks, and some red, white and blue thrown in there, too.

Life

Ripe Life Wines www.ripelifewines.com is as close as we get to “Life.”  This is not a winery or vineyard but a private label founded by culinary school grad and New York City sommelier, Mary McAuley. Ripe Life started business last year and offers one wine: Clambake Chardonnay. Tailgate Red is expected to be released in the autumn of 2015.

Liberty

Liberty Creek Vineyards www.libertycreekwine.com based in Modesto, California plays off the July 4^th motif with about a dozen offerings. Their web page features the liberty bell and phrases from the Declaration of Independence. Wine offerings include Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Pink Moscato and White Zin, along with a few Tetra Pak offerings.

Liberty School offers several wines. Started in 1990, Hope Family Wines www.hopefamilywines.com produces reliable vinos under the Liberty School banner including Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cuvee and Chardonnay. The winery is located in Paso Robles, California.

Liberty Vineyards and Winery www.libertywinery.com is a family-owned winery located in western New York state in the heart of Lake Erie's wine country.  Almost two-dozen wines make up their portfolio including an appropriately named Reds, Whites and Blues, which is a sweet blend of red, white and blue grape varieties. This wine won a gold at the 2014 Florida State Fair International Wine Competition, two Chairman’s Awards from the Riverside International Wine Competition, and a "Highly Recommended, Best Buy" from Beverage Testing Institute. (Shame they didn't have a better photo ...)

Pursuit of Happiness

Pursuit of Happiness is a dessert wine crafted from Norton grapes and blackberries. Produced by Wide River Winery www.wideriverwinery.com of Clinton, Iowa, this wine won a gold medal at the 2012 Mid American Wine Competition.

And we also associate fireworks, firecrackers and lots of big booms with the Fourth, so here’s a few more wines to consider.

All That Bang

Fireworks Red Merlot should get your weekend off with a sparkle. Crafted by Adirondack Winery www.adirondackwinery.com in Lake George, New York, this wine garnered silver from Florida State Fair International Wine Competition in 2011 and a bronze in the 2009 World Value Wine Challenge.

There is a Firecracker Wine www.firecrackerwine.com out there but again this is not crafted by a winery or vineyard. Instead the parent company is listed as Intercontinental Packaging. The Firecracker Wine website offers only two wines: a Firecracker Red Blend and a Firecracker Fusion White. According to the webpage, the wines are “crafted with innovative techniques” to “create intensely flavored wines that will make your mouth say ‘WOW!’” 

No boom but there is a Boom Boom wine available, thanks to Charles Smith  www.charlessmithwines.com. Crafted from Syrah grapes grown in the Columbia Valley of Washington State, this wine is called “The Bomb” by the winemaker, and was crafted to be consumed immediately. (Take that as you please ...)

Oh Say Can You See

Tassel Ridge Winery www.tasselridge.com in Leighton, Iowa produces two festive wines for the Fourth. Star Spangled White is a sweet wine made from Edelweiss grapes grown in their Iowa vineyard. Red, White & Blue is a sweet red crafted from Concord grapes.

Apparently no one thought that “independence” was a good name for a winery, vineyard, or wine. As close as we get is the Texas Independence Wine Trail www.texasindependencewinetrail.com, which boasts 8 wineries on it. Definitely an independent way to spend your day.

When All Else Fails

If there’s no time to find a festively named wine for your holiday gathering, you can always fall back on the standard: White wine with lunch; red wine with dinner and a nice Blueberry dessert wine for the fireworks! Just pour a glass and join in the celebration!

Happy Independence Day, America!

~ Joy

Red, White & Blue – Fruit Wines to Celebrate the Fourth

The Fourth of July is celebrated as Independence Day in the U.S.  It’s the day the Declaration of Independence was adopted, declaring America’s independence from Great Britain. 

It is celebrated throughout the country with BBQ’s, picnics, concerts, festivals, parades, family reunions, and fireworks.  And with numerous gatherings planned, what better time to celebrate your independence from grape wines and try some patriotic fruit wines instead.

Of course, we want to stay with the Red, White and Blue theme, so let’s consider what fruits fit in this category and what foods pair well with them.

Red -

When searching for red fruit wines the options are numerous – Cherry, Cranberry, Strawberry, Raspberry, and Watermelon.  All can be great choices for pairing with 4th of July meals.

Enjoy a Cranberry wine served with roasted (or fried) chicken. Also nice with grilled turkey burgers and BBQ pork.

  

Cherry wine can make pork and ham stand out.  Or for an excellent dessert idea, take a Cherry or Strawberry wine and serve with Cheesecake! 

Strawberry also works well with salmon and salad. Or save for a dessert of biscotti or Baked Brie. 

Raspberry wine is made for chocolate desserts – light or dark. 

Watermelon wine paired with Feta cheese and a salad is amazing.

White -

White fruit wines can include Pear, Apple, Peach, Apricot and Banana. 

A dry Pear wine goes well with seafood and poultry.  A sweeter pear wine works with spicy foods and cheese.

Apple wine goes with cheese dishes, pork, brats, and warmed apple tarts.  Try the spiced Apple wines with pound cake.

Peach wines work well with spicy meals, and don’t forget to pair with Peach Pie alamode!

Apricot wine is a go-to for BBQ dishes and Baked Brie.

Banana wine, (rare, but it exists : ) is great with an Angel food cake or a banana cake.

And Blue -

Those Blue wines might be tough to think of at first, but they are out there.  Consider Blueberry, Plum, Blackberry, Current, and Elderberry wines.

Pair a Blueberry wine with pork chops or steak. 

Plum wines go well with Asian Cuisine or with a hearty steak.

Blackberry wine and roast lamb or duck.  Also serve with hard  cheeses and nuts.

Current wine goes well with beef or pork as a main dish.

Elderberry wine can be served with smoked Salmon or other grilled white fish.

Consider these Food – Wine Questions When Pairing:

Is the food flavor mild or savory?  Is the meal fatty or lean?  Is the dish acidic or rich?  Once you can answer these questions, you can locate a fruit wine that will go well with your dominant dish.  Basically mild wines go with milder foods, and spicy, bold wines will lend more flavors to spicy, robust foods.

Just remember that fruit wines can vary tremendously, depending on how they are crafted and the sweetness.  Be adventurous with your fruit wine parings, and you’ll discover some excellent options along the way.

Have a Happy Fourth and Enjoy!

~ Joy