Northern Hollow Apple Spice Review

Name: Northern Hollow Apple Spice
Place of Origin: Grasston, Minnesota, USA
Style: Fruit Wine
Grapes Used: N/A
ABV: 10%

Originally when I was sampling this wine, I was at a crossroads of sorts. For you see, the idea was to focus mainly on “traditionally made” wines. However a thought occurred to me in which I’ve reviewed several beers in the past that have been anything but “traditionally made.” After all, I did review a beer a few years back that was made with a yeast strain which was found in someone’s beard; Much to my shock, it was quite refreshing and drinkable! So the point I’m trying to convey is that I will not be picky when it comes to reviewing wines that are made with “unconventional” ingredients.

Which brings us to today’s wine from Northern Hollow Vineyards, based out of Grasston, MN, simply called: Apple Spice. As the name suggests, it’s a wine made with apples and spices. I usually like to put in the finer details about wines, in particular, what kind of grapes were used…..except I couldn’t find anything about it through my research. In fact, most of the information I know about this wine comes from the wine label itself & a quick search on Google on the winery itself.

Appearance -  A clear white-golden color that reminds one of cider.

Aroma – I’m picking up on some sweet honeycrisp apples and they’re front and center. I’m also picking up on some mild white grape & tannins in here as well but they’re secondary to the sheer…..appleness (if that’s not a word, it is now) of the overall nose.

Taste – White grapes upfront with some potent honeycrisp apple and all-spice flavors. I’m picking up on some mild pear sweetness, while the back end of the palate finishes with some light tannin notes. The aftertaste does have a brief flash of apple sweetness but fades quickly. There’s also a nice warming sensation after taking a sip, courtesy of the spices.

This is one of those wines that is definitely meant for the colder months of the year since one sip of this warmed me up significantly &  the grapes used here mash really well with everything else. That said, it’s best to enjoy this wine on a crisp autumn day as opposed to say a scorching hot summer day because this warms you up & fast! I’ll be sure to keep my eyes open for more of their offerings in the future, information or not!

Northern Hollow Apple Spice - 8/10