10 Jun Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Bluet Wild Blueberry Sparkling Wine from Maine

Wine is made in every state in the US but that does not mean that all wine is made from grapes. There are also fruit wines that can range from dry to sweet. I have had very little experience with fruit wines. But after tasting the Bluet from Maine, my interest has been peaked. A beautiful dark purple color, if you did not know any better, you might think it was a Lambrusco but Bluet is a sparkling wine made from wild blueberries and is the Please The Palate pick of the week.

ABOUT BLUET

Bluet was created by childhood friends Michael Terrien and Eric Martin who grew up together in Maine. They both worked harvests in Napa after college and Michael continued making wine at Acacia and Hanzell before founding Poseidon Vineyard and Obsidian Ridge, as well as Terrien Wines. Eric moved to North Carolina and became a novelist. But, they would meet in Maine every year, where wild blueberries grow. In 2014, they created Bluet, a Charmat method  sparkling wine made from wild blueberries. Wild blueberries have existed in Maine for 10,000 years. They grow in the glacial soils of Maine, as well as north in Canada. Wild blueberries are smaller and sweeter than what we normally see in our markets, and they are also packed with more antioxidants and have great natural acidity. Michael and Eric saw that wild blueberries share a certain affinity with the white wine grapes of Champagne and have the right chemistry to make a delicious, complex, age-worthy, low-alcohol sparkling wine.

TASTING NOTES

There are two pounds of Maine wild blueberries in every bottle. The blueberries are picked and fermented by adding yeast. Bluet is made in the Charmat method, like Prosecco, in which the bubbles are trapped via carbonation in large steel tanks. They also make a traditional method version, with the secondary fermentation inside the bottle. Thinking of blueberries, one might think of blueberry pie. But, in fact, wine grapes like Pinot Noir or Merlot, have twice the sugar content of blueberries. Looking at the color of Bluet in the glass and you might also think it is rich. But the Bluet Wild Blueberry Sparkling Wine is only 7% alcohol and bone dry. It has aromas of fresh berries and citrus and is vibrant and refreshing on the palate.

HOW TO DRINK BLUET

Bluet is delicious and can be served chilled as an aperitif. It can be paired with a meal, such as with Maine lobster, as it works with fat and salt. Or add Bluet to a cocktail, such as in a French 75.

WHERE TO PURCHASE

Bluet is available in some retail stores but can be purchased directly from Bluet. Buy it in a can ($4.99) or in a 750 liter bottle ($19.99). You can also purchase the Champagne method Bluet ($32.99). Not only is Bluet Wild Blueberry Sparkling Wine delicious, it is also packed with antioxidants, low alcohol, zero carbs, and has no sulfites.