Specialty Wine that Put the Special in Specialty

Specialty wines are not your typical "grape-based" wines. These wines often replace the grape with fruit, honey, or other plant life.

Have you ever tasted dandelion wine? What about pumpkin, rhubarb, or elderberry wine? If you have, welcome to the world of specialty wines.

Wineries in Wisconsin offer a large selection of these wines. Specialty wines differ from traditional norms of winemaking, such as a different grape or substitute for grapes (think ingredients such as honey, apples, or even onions). It can also involve the fermentation and aging processes. The taste and aroma of the wines are also important. The winery you visit may offer some unusual and tasty variations, given the agricultural diversity of Wisconsin. Here are the most common specialty wines.

Ice Wines-Sweetness and a Little Rare

Many wineries in the state offer some ice wine. Ice wine is unique to northern climates because the grapes must freeze on the vine to make the product. Temperatures must drop slightly below 20°F, be harvested, and pressed while frozen, permitting the higher sugar and flavor content to explode. This is a time-intensive process but produces a sweet, often tropical flavor. Most ice wines are categorized as dessert wines because of their sweetness. The weather must cooperate for ice wine production, making the wine somewhat rare even in Wisconsin. However, that uncertainty adds to its appeal . . . and cost.

Non-Grape Fruit Wine

Think of Wisconsin from a fruit perspective. Several fruits come to mind: apples, cherries, blueberries . . . the list is lengthy. Each fruit is tasty but turned into wine; the sky is the limit. Making fruit wine follows a similar process to making grape-based wine. Taste is the big difference. Lest you think these fruit wines are nothing more than fruit juice with a kick, many fruit wines offer the same complexity as their grape counterparts. Fruit wine ranges from the dryest of dry to intoxicatingly sweet. Many are great on a hot summer day and hold their own in other, more formal situations.

The Buzz Created by Mead Wine

Not everyone knows this beverage, but it dates to biblical times. Some wine purists do not consider mead a wine, but we’re not purists here, so the heck with them. Honey is the main ingredient of mead. Some winemakers also add fruits, grains, hops, and more. Does this whet your interest in tasting some mead wine? Only a few Wisconsin wineries produce mead, so you will want to find out which wineries do and then plan to visit soon.

Specialty Wine Made by Special Winemakers

Not everyone appreciates specialty wines, and that’s their loss. Wisconsin winemakers are a welcoming and friendly group, willing to try different wines and turn them into extreme deliciousness. Take a trip to one of the many wineries across Wisconsin and live on the wild side with some fantastic specialty wines.