The Fenn Valley Sparkling Riesling is sourced from grapes grown in a family owned estate vineyard in the Fennville AVA in Southwest Michigan. The vineyard is located near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, not far from the Michigan Shore resort town of Saugatuck and easily within a days drive from Chicago. They are able to grow grapes here because while Lake Michigan does help deposit a great deal of snow in the winter, the Lake also moderates the temperatures. Sparkling Riesling is known as Sekt in Austria and Germany, where they make Sparkling wine from Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, usually in the Charmat Method, that is where the second fermentation occurs in large vats, rather than in each individual bottle, like Champagne. The alcohol content is 12.5%.
The color is a pale butter yellow with tons of tight tiny bubbles. The nose is sugary sweet, a little reminiscent if Ice Wine, pineapple, Lemonheads candy, apricot and pear. This is a bright, crisp, clean Sparkling wine, a little on the sweet side, but not overly sweet. It tastes of melon, apricot, lime and grapefruit, the rounded fruit flavors and the citrus mix together nicely. The bubbles are light, they hit your tastebuds and disappear and the finish is subdued but tart, whats there sticks around for awhile.
Well, I imagine people scoffed when Gruet started making Champagne style Sparkling wine in the middle of nowhere in New Mexico and I imagine people think, “Sparkling wine grown and produced in Michigan? I don’t know about that.” But they would be wrong, this is tasty, enjoyable, well made Bubbly, probably better suited as an aperitif than a dinner wine or better yet serve at a holiday party, I sure few of your guests will have had much experience with fine Michigan Bubbles.
