Blo Cider Wild Berries

Blo Cider Wild Berries is a sparkling, berry-flavored cider-style wine made in Massachusetts by Esplanda. The listing gives no ABV, sweetness level, or berry breakdown, so the notes below describe what bottles in this category usually show, not measured figures for this one. Expect a lively, fine-bubbled mousse and red and dark berry fruit, most likely raspberry, blackberry and strawberry. Styles like this tend to lean off-dry to medium-sweet, with a crisp apple-driven backbone that keeps the berry fruit from turning jammy. Body is typically light and the finish short and clean. Sparkling berry ciders have little or no tannin, because they carry no grape skin or oak structure. Acidity does the work of balancing the sweetness, so the palate should read as refreshing and fruity, not heavy. Oak is not part of this style, and you shouldn't expect any toasty or vanilla notes. Serve it well chilled, around 38 to 45°F (3 to 7°C), which keeps the bubbles fine and stops the sweetness from reading as flabby. A couple of hours in the refrigerator or about 30 minutes in an ice bucket is enough. Don't decant it, because pouring a sparkling bottle into a decanter only knocks out the carbonation. A flute or a small tulip-shaped white wine glass works best, since both hold the fizz and concentrate the berry aromas. A standard white wine glass is a fine alternative if that's what you have. For food, the fruit and sweetness suit salty and rich dishes: prosciutto and melon, a sharp cheddar or creamy brie, charcuterie boards, spicy fried chicken, and mildly spicy Thai or Korean dishes. It also works with fruit tarts, pavlova and vanilla cheesecake, as long as the dessert isn't sweeter than the bottle. Fruity sparkling wines like this are made to be drunk young and fresh, so open it soon after buying and don't cellar it. A splash over ice or in a spritz with soda water and a few frozen berries is a simple way to use any left in the bottle, though a re-stoppered bottle will lose its fizz within a day or so.