Art + Science – Quince

This sparkling quince wine is made from 100% foraged quince in the Willamette Valley. Quince or Cydonia oblonga is the sole member of the genus Cydonia in the family Rosaceae, which also includes apples, pears, and roses. It is a small deciduous tree that bears fruit that is reminiscent of pears that are bright golden yellow. We find our quince at old original homestead orchards originally planted as a natural source of pectin for making jam because quince is extremely high in pectin. Therefore, we choose to keeve our quince prior to fermentation. Keeving is an artisan method for naturally clarifying cider that may have a pectin haze. The keeving process involves the formation of a pectin gel, which floats to the top of fresh pressed juice while all the proteins settle at the bottom of the tank. The clarified quince juice is then allowed to ferment naturally with ambient yeast in used white wine barrels where it ages for 8 months. Then it is re-sweetened and put in bottle to finish a secondary fermentation to add a little sparkle. This beverage is made with no added sulfur, no added acid, no forced carbonation and no pasteurization. The result is a high acid, high tannin sparkling fruit wine with extreme floral aromatics that reminds you how close of a relative it is to the common Rose. Do not under estimate the power of the quince!