Have you heard it on the fruit wine?

Helena Moretti discovers a little-known gem of the drinking world: fruit wine

As students, most of us enjoy a drink now and again. Whether it’s a sophisticated scotch on the rocks with the wine and whiskey society, or the tradition pint of purple at the Duck, the drinkers of Warwick cover most bases. However, I have recently uncovered a little-known gem of the drinking world: fruit wines.

Fruit wines, also known as country wines, come in a vast variety of flavours. There are some that are fairly well known, such as strawberry and apricot, and there are others such as birch and cowslip which are a little more mysterious.

Many countries all over the world have a rich history of fruit winemaking. In China and Japan, plum wine is very popular, and there are wineries in Massachussets that are famous for their cherry wines. Though the warmer UK summers in recent years have made the conditions better for grapes to grow, our ability to grow other wine-worthy fruits is far greater. There are multiple fruit wineries in the UK, and they often sell their wares at food shows and farmers markets.

Just like traditional wine, there ar e many price options for the cash-strapped student, but you can generally get a good bottle for around £7 – considering that this is a drink to be savoured and not chugged, the price is well worth it. There are many different online retailers that stock different flavours, with the available types often depending on the season. Gales country wines provide the wines served at the Real Ale Festival, where I first fell in love with the stuff.

Lyme Bay winery also have many exciting flavours, from blackbeer and raisin, to my personal favourite, rosehip. Rosehip is light, sweet, and perfect for a warm summer evening. It quickly went from a curiosity purchase to a bottle that will appear on every order.

One winery in particular, the Skinningrove country wine company, pride themselves on eco-friendliness. They try, wherever possible, to use organic ingredients in the making of their wines, and they use recycled bottles as much as they can. Ian Coles, founder of the Skinningrove country wine company, says himself on the website that this isn’t the cheaper way, but it is the better way. Their delicious wines come in a massive array of flavours, including lemon balm and clover, and are just £7 a bottle. They also offer free shipping, which is the icing on the cake.

Country wines haven’t quite made their comeback in supermarkets yet, and though there are more varieties appearing on the shelves of the big stores, they tend to be a bit cheap and nasty. Memories of a £4 bottle of cherry wine that tasted a little bit like cough syrup come to mind…

Of course, not everyone is going to love every flavour. There have been one or two bottles that aren’t quite to my taste. However, most of the websites that you buy them from will give a good description of the body and flavour of the wine. Damson wine was one of the few that I didn’t enjoy, however, it will suit those who enjoy rich reds – it is very dry, and would go great with red meat dishes, such as steak or stroganoff.

In a country with such a rich culture and history of drinking, from the mead of the Vikings to the scrumpy cider served in pubs all over, it’s important to remember that grapes are not the only fruit out there. Next time you’re looking for a nice tipple to enjoy on a summer evening, consider the traditional country wines that generations before us have enjoyed.