More Evidence That People Will Make Wine Out of Anything
Jill Misterka of Ontario, New York, makes wine out of edible flowers.
Misterka’s first attempt at making lilac wine was in 2009, when she used Penfield-grown blossoms and a recipe from the Internet. For the 2010 vintage, she used blossoms from a friend’s yard in Webster.
Misterka says she now has dandelion petals tucked away in her freezer for the next round of winemaking and plans to experiment with red clover for the first time, using dried petals she found in an Amish shop.
Making wine out of flowers opens a whole new world fo wine writers, who are running out of ways to describe the taste of conventional wine. So:
A light whisp of pollen inspired a mild but not altogether unpleasant allergic reaction, but the sniffles were a small price to pay for the hint of bee evident in the wines’ long but eventually wilting finish.
In what is perhaps damning evidence that there are too many wine competitions giving out too many medals, this:
Making wine from edible flowers has become a signature move for Misterka, who is the newsletter editor for Rochester Area Home Winemakers. More than 25 members of her group also won medals in the fair’s amateur wine competition this year.
Misterka herself won three medals, though she doesn’t know what color they are.
June 21st, 2011 at 2:55 PM
MMMmmm, Upstate Violet Wine with notes of Barolo and Oregon Pinot Noir.