Review: Winzerwald Cranberry Weisser

I have a secret love affair with fruit wines. However, I freely admit there is good reason for their poor reputation. Certain fruits should not be made into wine, for instance, strawberry. Whenever I taste strawberry wine, it feels like I am chewing on a leather strap. While some lovers of reds may enjoy that note, I do not.

However, I think some fruits can make perfectly serviceable wines, among them blackberry, cherry, and cranberry. Certain fruit wines can also be pleasant if blended with grape wine. So when I was at Kahn's last week, I just had to pick up Winzerwald's Cranberry Weisser. They also have the Strawberry Weisser, but for the reasons stated above, I stuck with cranberry. This was also a nice chance to review this winery's product before I have a chance this spring to get to the winery near the Ohio River.

This semi-sweet tart blend of grape and cranberry wine (I paid $14.49 at Kahn's, but it is $11.99 at the winery) is part of the winery's Wilhelm Tell Collection. This, according to the label, "celebrates the Swiss heritage of Perry County with fruit and Swiss-style wines that commemorate Wilhelm Tell's historical feat when he shot the apple from his son's head." I don't know what the hell that means. The Weissers come in cranberry, strawberry, blueberry, and cherry. Shouldn't they have cider? What does wine have to do with the legend of William Tell? The lawyer in me also wants to know if we should be combining alcoholic beverages with legends involving shooting fruit off a loved one's head.

Despite the confusion with the wine's backstory, this is actually a pretty good wine. The color is ruby, or rather, cranberry, and the liquid is of the proper consistency. Nice,if slight, bouquet, and a nice balance of tart and sweet. I believe that in order for a fruit to be a good candidate for wine, it needs to have significant tartness to combat the cloying effect, which is why I can enjoy cranberry wine. The wine is simple, but enjoyable.

The wine held up very well the second night after being preserved by the Vinvac. No noticeable difference in quality or taste.

I only wish I could find more information about this wine. What is the percentage of grape to cranberry? What variety of grapes are used? And again, that whole Wilhelm Tell tie-in is really bugging me. Alas, nothing I could find could shed any light on these matters, but hopefully, I can find out one day. In the meantime, if you are looking for a sweet yet tart fruit wine that would be good for the holiday season, give this Weisser a try.