Tree of Life Pomegranate Wine

[Steve Mirsky]

Summer always inspires me to pack a picnic basket which actually turns out to be a big heavy ugly cooler and either head to a wide open meadow under a towering shade tree or to the breezy salt kissed beach. Barefootin’ it with your shorts and tank top, you want something as fun and fancy free as the flip flops you just carelessly kicked off.

Instead of the Pinot, why not try packing Tree of Life Pomegranate Wine. Brought to you by Aiko Importers, this wine hails from Armenia, one of the most ancient (over 5000 years old) winemaking regions on the planet. Armenia’s climate blesses it with about 300 days of sun annually making it perfect for growing top quality Pomegranate fruit. Armenia is just one of 2 or 3 regions worldwide where Pomegranate is able to ripen long enough to allow fermentation.

Tree of Life Pomegranate Wine comes in 2 varieties: Semi-sweet or semi-dry. Both are fermented from 100% pure squeezed fully ripened Pomegranate showcasing the fruit’s characteristic peppery sweetness with a 12% alcohol content. Courtesy of Aiko Importers, I was able to sample their semi sweet variety which was supple, tart, and fruity with good structure and freshness.

Optimally served at room temperature, Aiko’s semi sweet Pomegranate Wine is great with picnic food…think spices, BBQ sauces, crunchy French fries, and fresh Blueberry pie. It’s comfortable with a juicy burger as much as dessert yet delicate enough not to overpower seafood…like a clam bake perhaps? Paired with corn on the cob, it brings out a fruitier essence. Like a loveable Lab bounding around licking everybody in sight, it can also be a refined pure breed when given the challenge. After all, Pomegranate is a delicate fruit that can’t be gulped to appreciate it. You get a big burst on the palate but a light delicate floral on the finish. Just wait until you pair it with chocolate…and that goes for ice cream as well. This wine would also provide a solid foundation for a punch…Sangria anyone?

photo courtesy of aikoimporters.com