2018 Achilleé Crémant 'Quetsches Alors'

Region: Alsace < France
Grapes: 95% Victoria plums + 5% Riesling
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Biodynamic farming; plums are macerated and foot trodden, the juice is fermented naturally, and then the second fermentation in bottle starts with a liqueur of Riesling juice; 333 cases; 5.5% ABV

Winemaker: Pierre and Jean Dietrich

WHY IS THIS A UNICORN?  Pet’nat of plums that tastes like next-level kombucha and makes you feel like you’re doing something healthy for your body?  Yes please, we’ll take another glass of delicious pink antioxidants!

We know what you’re thinking…plum wine? That swill they give you for free at the end of the meal at cheap sushi joints?  Bleh.  Because that’s exactly what was going through our minds. Until we tried this bright, hazy plum fizz bottled under crown cap from a small biodynamic estate in Alsace. Brothers Pierre and Jean took over the farm, farmed biodynamically since 2003, from father Yves in 2016 – the same year they stopped sending grapes to the cooperative and started bottling everything themselves.  As well as vineyards, the estate has six hectares of fruit trees, so the brothers decided to experiment, and last year made 4,000 bottles of this plum crémant, a refreshing magical elixir that makes the perfect Indian Summer late afternoon pick-me-up (tested)!