Friday, December 22, 2017

Fruit Hills Winery Marquette - Non-Vintage

Happy Friday!  We are really getting down to the wire, just 2 days left until Christmas!  I have another big get together planned for tomorrow, so it will be a full day of cooking, but don't fear, I'll probably have enough time for one more post before the big day.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of wine that I bought from a local producer about 7 miles from here, Fruit Hills Winery.  They source a lot of grapes from other locations, but I tend to focus on the wines made from local fruit (that being Indiana and Michigan!).  The Marquette is a blend of grapes from their vineyard in Bristol, Indiana (mostly Cabernet Franc) along with Marquette grapes from Michigan.  For those unfamiliar, Marquette is a hybrid released by the University of Minnesota in 2006 that traces its roots to Pinot Noir, so that's what makes this a good wine for tonight's dinner!


The wine has a lighter body, very similar to a Pinot Noir.  The nose presents aromas of green grass, plum and red raspberry, along with a bit of that funk that Pinot fans are so familiar with.  The taste is a rush of green grass and floral notes that transition to some warm spice notes midpalate.  The tannins are somewhat muted, leaving a finish that is somewhat sharp but still dry.  Very much a Pinot Noir type wine!


Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7, it's not really spectacular, but it is quite versatile when it comes to food pairings.  This wine would pair well with Christmas ham or turkey, a variety of chicken dishes, or seafood.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some fresh sea scallops seared in toasted sesame oil along with buccatini tossed with broccoli rabe sauteed in garlic and olive oil.  Cheers!

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