Tag Archives: Une Femme Wines

What I’ve Been Drinking of Late, Part 24

Heidrun's California Orange Blossom mead.
Heidrun’s California Orange Blossom mead.

Heidrun Mead

For a real change of pace from the usual Napa or Sonoma Valley wine tasting, head to Point Reyes Station for a tasting of mead.

Yes, sparkling wines not made from grapes but honey.

Since 1997, Heidrun Meadery has specialized in this distinctive bubbly made in the French méthode champenoise tradition. It is one of North America’s oldest meaderies still in operation.

Mead is an ancient beverage that has been made far longer than either beer or wine. Owing to the different flower nectars gathered by the bees, the resulting meads boasts surprisingly intense and varied flavors, as I found when I was fortunate enough to try samples.

Heidrun recently partnered with the World Honey Exchange, a U.S.-based organization that helps honey cooperatives around the globe, particularly those in the threatened ecosystems of Patagonia, Ethiopia and Tanzania, gain access to larger markets.

Its three new limited-edition meads ($65 each) are produced from the nectar of Chilean Ulmo, Ethiopian Geteme and Tanzanian Miombo woodland flower blossoms respectively.

All of the sparkling meads are meant to be enjoyed ice cold in flutes, just like Champagne.

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What I’ve Been Drinking of Late, Part 21

Summer was made for these easy-breezy piquettes.
Summer was made for these easy-breezy piquettes.

Piquette Pinot Noir and Piquette Chardonnay

Meet piquette — quite possibly your favorite new summer sip.

This traditional French drink, whose name means “little wine,” is actually made by adding water to grape pomace (the skins, seeds and stems of the grapes left over after pressing), and fermenting the residual sugars.

It makes for a light tasting, low alcohol beverage.

In June, Une Femme Wines launched two canned piquettes that I had a chance to sample.

The brand was founded by Jen Pelka, owner of the now shuttered the Riddler, a Champagne bar in New York City and San Francisco, and her brother Zach.

Its intent is to produce only Champagne and sparkling wine made by women. In fact, for every bottle sold, the company makes a donation to a charity benefiting women.

With 8 percent ABV, the piquettes come in 250ml pull-tab cans.

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