The wine you know and love may be made with grapes… but we’re here to expand your mind; to convince you to give maple wine a try.
Think of it like a maple mead. Or fermented maple syrup. Canada’s pride and joy.
But what is maple wine anyway? To make wine, as with most alcohol, you need sugar. Maple syrup is naturally jam-packed with the stuff. It was only a matter of time before Canadians decided to make an alcohol out of it.
Most winemakers will dilute the syrup with water (or evaporate less water from the sap), and add yeast to let the fermentation begin. Next step is aging – perhaps in whisky barrels? – and filtering. Follow those steps, my friends, and you get maple wine.
Similar to ice wine, maple wine is beautiful in colour (think amber gold) and will have a sweetness that works best as an aperitif or dessert wine. It is usually found in the same tall, thin bottle. There a number of wineries making the sweet stuff in Ontario.
At Archibald’s Estate Winery in Durham Region, they’re making maple wine with Macintosh apples. It’s sweet yet delicate with bright acidity & excellent length. We think it will be excellent paired with with fruit, nut & chocolate desserts.
At the Garland Sugarshack in Vars, outside Ottawa, they’ve turned their wine-making hobby into big business in 2017 by making maple wine. The family has been tapping trees on their property for over 40 years. Their maple wine is made with their very own 100% pure maple syrup which features smooth maple aromas.
Head to Muskoka and you’ll find maple wine at Ontario’s favorite cranberry bog. Muskoka Lakes Farm & Winery makes a Red Maple Dessert Wine. This fortified dessert wine is a perfect blend of spring and fall in Muskoka. Tart, red cranberries harvested just as the leaves take on their brilliant fall hues, combined with sweet maple syrup collected during the first, warm days of spring. The mouth-watering cranberry nose hints of caramel and mint. On the palate, the warm weight of maple syrup caresses the tongue, but is prevented from becoming cloying by lively cranberry acidity that lingers on the finish. We definitely recommend visiting this Feast On Certified spot near Bala and picking up a bottle!
Looking for more maple adventures?
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