Elephant Island Orchard Wines

Elephant Island Orchard Wines
Apricot (2004)
Sweetness 8
Serve chilled, 10C - 11C
9% alc/vol
$17.95 CAD for a 375 ml bottle

For my first review I’ve chosen one of my favourites – a fruit wine from Elephant Island Orchard Wines (Naramata, BC). I picked an unusual wine (not even a traditional wine because their wines aren’t made from grapes, but from Okanagan fruit) because I’ve loved Elephant Island wines since I first tried them about four years ago. My favourite is one of their dessert wines: Apricot.

This warm buttery yellow wine is perfectly sweet, with a hint of tartness (acidity) for balance. It tastes just like fresh, juicy apricots, yet there are subtle hints of green apple, vanilla and … pineapple (tropical fruits). Despite being sipped chilled, this velvety smooth wine has warmth to it, partly because it’s slightly syrupy and full-flavoured.

The mouth is saturated with rich apricot and the light-bodied wine feels effervescent on the tongue. It’s a perfect dessert wine for a lazy summer day or a snowy winter evening. Everything about this fruit wine is delicious, from the fresh apricot-apple aroma to each and every silky sip. I highly recommend this dessert wine.

Elephant Island Apricot wine pairs well with sinfully rich desserts, like cheesecake, apple pie, chocolates, vanilla pudding and crème brulè. As well, it’s tasty with fruit and soft cheeses like Camembert and Brie and flavoured cheddars, like Cointreau, and or Papaya/Mango.