New year. New wine.

Two summers ago, after a long day at the farm, our winemaking team cracked open a bottle of piquette made by our good friends at Wild Arc in New York’s Hudson Valley. It was the first bottled piquette we'd ever tasted. And we loved it.

Not sure what piquette is? Check out this blog Drew wrote in October of 2018: A New Take on an Old Classic

Here at Old Westminster Winery, we think that piquette is worth exploring. During harvest, we have TONS of grape pomace with little purpose but to be composted. Such a shame! It's with a resourceful and creative spirit that we decided to try our hand at making fresh, alluring, and artful piquette. A few months later we released our first pét-nat piquette followed by skin contact piquette in cans.

The reception has been incredible. So we went back to the drawing board and discovered an endless ocean of possibilities before us -- all connected by several common denominators: sustainability, resourcefulness, natural winemaking, lower alcohol and deliciousness.

Now that the stage is set, we are stoked to announce three new wine x piquette blends! Each riff is fermented with wild yeast, contains no added sulfites and is unfined & unfiltered. Our vision for this series is to make delicious, relatively low-abv, natural wine accessible to everyone. We think these wines will tell a compelling story that a lot of folks can relate to and enjoy.

Here’s the blend breakdown...

blinded by the light | v 2019 | 50% piquette blanc | 30% grüner veltliner | 20% vidal blanc. Acidulated to taste with verjus. Cloudy neon yellow color. Aromas of tart lemon, pineapple core, apricot skins. Tastes like lemonade, peach rings, pineapple and starfruit.

take it easy | v 2019 | 60% chambourcin rosé | 35% piquette blanc | 5% piquette rouge. Acidulated to taste with verjus. Hazy pink color. Aromas of tart red cherry and raspberry vinegar. Tastes like sea breeze, white cherry, sage and gooseberry.

come together | v 2019 | 40% piquette rouge | 35% blaufränkisch | 25% chambourcin. Acidulated to taste with verjus. Dense ruby purple color. Aromas of bramble and dark plums. Flavors of under ripe raspberry and tart berry jam.

Piquette has been all over the news recently: Eater Magazine says “In 2020, We’re Drinking Piquette.” Wine Enthusiast says “What is Piquette? Wine’s Easy-Drinking, Low-alcohol Style.” Washingtonian Magazine says “Sustainable Piquette is the Next Big Thing in Wine.“ We think the hype is justified. In Imbibe Magazine, I’m quoted saying, “Piquette is a natural byproduct of a sustainable winemaking program and has taste, history and experience all its own.” And that just about sums it up!

Get your hands on a bottle while you can. Available NOW on our webstore and coming to the following states this spring:

California – Revel Wine

New York, New Jersey & Philadelphia – MFW Wine Co

Washington, DC & Virginia – Siema Wines

Massachusetts – Mise Wines

Maine – Vacationland

Illinois – Maverick Wine Co

Minnesota – Amphora Imports

Tennessee – Best Brands

Florida – City Beautiful Beverage Company

Ohio – Cavalier Distributing

Arkansas – Arkansas Wine and Spirits