Life
From Cold Brew Coffee Wine To Chocolate Wine, These 12 Unique Wines Are Worth Trying
Get ready for some very necessary celebrations: National Wine Day is happening on Fri., May 25. I don't think I need to explain to many of you why this is a day 100 percent worth taking part in. Wine is wonderful — it's one of the best things about being an adult. While every wine-drinker has their favorite type and brand, it is always fun and even a little exciting to try something new and unique. National Wine Day is a good time to try unconventional wines, and luckily, there are plenty of options to choose from.
To be honest, you shouldn't even need an excuse to taste different wines. Aside from being delicious and relaxing, there are also plenty of health benefits to enjoying a glass of vino. It contains antioxidants that can help fight off a whole bunch of diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, and some forms of cancer. It is known to reduce the risk of a stroke and lower cholesterol. It can be beneficial to brain health! On top of that, a glass of wine is a good stress reliever at the end of a very long day, something I think we can all appreciate once in a while.
While a classic glass of white, red, or rosé will always be satisfying, it can be interesting to try different flavors and branch out a bit. The immense popularity of wine has led to some seriously unique bottles that might sound a little bit crazy, but also... weirdly delicious? Here are a few unconventional wines you should definitely drink on National Wine Day:
1Rosé Cider
Wolffer No. 139 Dry Rose Cider, $13.99, TotalWine.com
Rosé has been known as the drink of the summer for a few years now, and it's not showing any signs of getting less popular. Rosé is so big, in fact, that brands are starting to think of new, creative ways to serve it. One example is rosé cider, which you should expect to see everywhere this summer. It's basically a mix of hard cider and rosé, and it has a sweet, apple-like flavor. It's also light, easy to pair with many dishes, and comes in a gorgeous millennial pink color. What more could you want?
2Cold Brew Wine
Apothic Brew, Find Store Locations Here
Apothic Wine introduced a hybrid of two of my favorite things: coffee and red wine. It's basically cold brew wine, called Apothic Brew. It's literally a mix of cold brew coffee and wine. And don't worry - it has almost no caffeine, so it's not going to make you feel wide awake.
3Chocolate Wine
Chocovine Chocolate Wine, $11.99, TotalWine.com
If you're less into coffee and more into chocolate, then you absolutely need to try chocolate wine. This is a deliciously sweet drink that mixes red wine with chocolate flavors, and you can drink it over ice, or in a cocktail. So, it's less like a traditional wine and more like a dessert wine, but still - amazing.
4Coconut Wine
Coconut wine is going to be pretty difficult to find, but it's still worth mentioning. Vino de Coco is totally organic and is made with the fresh sap from the flower of a coconut tree. There are even three different flavors: a Dry Red Coconut Wine, a Sweet Red Coconut Wine and a Sweet White Coconut Wine.
5Rose Petal Wine
Not to be confused with rosé, rose petal wine is made in West Sussex, England. It is literally a wine made from handpicked rose flower petals. It is supposedly aromatic and dry. While this is another one that may be hard to purchase, there are lots of recipes online you can try if you want to create something similar for yourself!
6Rosé Gin
Wölffer Estate Vineyard Rosé Gin, $27.99, BottleHampton.com
Rosé cider isn't the only rosé hybrid out there. There's also rosé gin, created by Wölffer Estate Vineyard. The gin is made in small batches using distilled wine as the base, and was first created using hand-picked juniper berries from the Hamptons vineyard. It's supposedly clean, full-bodied, and has a bit of spiciness to it.
7Jalapeno Wine
Anyone who loves spicy things will be intrigued by jalapeno wine. Cardinal Hollow Winery in West Point, Pennsylvania makes a lot of different and unique wines, but the most interesting has to be jalapeno wine. If you can't manage to down a glass, the winery suggests using it as marinade or sprinkling it on salads. You can even mix it with other wines.
8Beer-Wine Hybrids
Dogfish Head Mixed Media, find locations near you
You don't always need to choose between beer or wine - there are beer/wine hybrids out there that give you the best of both worlds. It's brewed with a distinct Belgian yeast strain, and supposedly has a spicy white wine body with notes of sweet melon and white grape.
9Orange Wine
2015 Quady Winery Electra Orange Muscat, California, $12.99, Woods Wholesale Wine
Orange wine comes in a shade that is similar to a light beer. It's basically a white wine that is produced like a red wine, and is made out of white-fleshed grapes and is then left in contact with the skins for days, weeks, or months, which creates the orange color. Orange wines are cool looking and taste good, and are relatively easy to find.
10Frosé
Frosé is one of the latest ways to kick rosé up a notch, and it's perfect for the summertime. It's literally like a rosé slushie! Because it's frozen, you can't really buy this and have to make it — but there are lots of recipes, it's easy, and it's really good to serve at parties.
11Blue Wine
Blanc de Bleu Cuvee Mousseux, $18.99, Wine.com
A mix of red and white grapes, blue wine is almost too pretty to drink. Almost. It gets its blue hues by being colored with two natural substances found in grapes. It is super sweet and you might not be able to do more than one or two glasses, but it's definitely a very fun one to test out!
