Blueberry Wine!

Recently I researched the topic of blueberry wine for the Berry Latest newsletter.  Ten years ago, I called all over the nation looking and found just a handful.   I have always been a fan of Tomasello Winery (Hammonton, New Jersey) and their delicious 100 percent blueberry wines.  Then came along Island Grove Winery in Florida with "Sorta Sweet" and "Kinda Dry."   Now, I searched and found more than 50 blueberry wines!     The product is catching on, and I found blueberry wines produced in more thn 20 states.  We have dry, sweet, dessert and even sparkling blueberry wines.   These are serious wines and not just grape wine flavored with blueberry juice.   Ask any winemaker, and they will tell you it is not that easy to make a blueberry wine due to the high acidity of the blueberry.  Same goes for most fruit wines.  Blueberry winemakers have their own secret methods and formulas.  Some seek very special cultivars that deliver desired flavors.  One thing is sure, the business is booming and more and more wineries are getting into the blueberry business.  With ample supplies of reasonably priced blueberries -- we will see more and more.   So "cheers" to real blueberry wine!