Red Raspberry
Decadent Bold Addictive
Tasting Notes: LaBelle’s Red Raspberry is sweet, not cloying or syrupy, with lively acidity to balance the sweetness. This dessert wine is fabulous with chocolate, can be reduced and swirled into homemade ice cream, or added to Prosecco for a ruby-colored sparkling cocktail. In cooking, a reduction can coat a duck breast, pork roast or salmon steak. Drink at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Fruit Source: Nourse Farms in Whately, MA is the primary source. Depending on the size of the crop, supplemental raspberries are sourced from Walker’s Fruit Farms in Forestville, NY. Because raspberries have a very short shelf life after picking, the berries are flash frozen after harvest. This means that berries from multiple sources that are picked at different times can be consolidated for fermentation at the winery. In addition, frozen berries respond better to crush at the winery.
Winemaking Notes: The frozen berries are crushed and slowly fermented in order to pull the color and tannin from the skins. The yeast is selected to preserve the fresh fruity characteristics. Raspberries have high natural acidity that provides balance. The cool, slow fermentation lasts for 3-4 weeks. The wine ages up to 6 months in stainless steel tanks. Filtration is minimal. The wine is fined with gelatin (not vegan) followed with a fining with bentonite (clay) to get rid of the proteins (they fall to the bottom of the tank.) No additives like glycerin.
First year produced: 2007
Cases Produced: 400 cases at 375 ml.
Acidity: 3.1 – 3.2 PH
Residual Sugar: 4-5%
Available in New Hampshire:
Available in Massachusetts:
Awards Won At:
