Volcano Winery
While on vacation, I had the opportunity to sample all of the beverages produced by Volcano Winery on the big island of Hawai’i. The vineyard is located just north of Volcanoes National Park (yes, that’s right, just a couple miles from the currently erupting volcano, Kilauea). Volcano Winery produces six very unique and very interesting wines. A couple of their products are not all-grape wines, and one is a honey wine.
Whites:
Their all grape whites are their Symphony Dry and Symphony Mele, both produced, of course, with Symphony grapes. In both of these wines, I could smell peach and lychee (thanks to the symphony grape being grown in that wonderful volcanic soil). The Symphony Dry, in my opinion, rivals some of the Nappa Valley Pinot Gris that I’ve sampled. As stated, the aroma is reminiscent of peach and lychee and flowing into hints of more tropical fruit on the pallet. This wine is a little lite on texture which didn’t hold up against it’s bright acidity, but still finishes with a hint of tropical fruit and melon. While I enjoyed this wine, I’m not sure I would spend the $16 on another bottle, though.
The Symphony Mele, again, smells of peach and lychee thanks to those wonderful Symphony grapes and Madame Pele’s handiwork. This wine, however, is really something special. For you meat eaters, this wine would go great with chicken, fish, creamy dishes, and could even be used as a desert wine. It’s character is very similar to some of the best Gewürztraminers I’ve sampled. The wine is light, the texture is smooth and nicely balances the acidity of the wine. On the pallet, the wine brings flavors of apricot, cantaloupe, and subtle hints of pear. I would happily jump through the necessary hoops to obtain this wine on the mainland, and look forward to my next chance to enjoy it.
Reds:
Probably the most surprising wine produced at the vineyard is their Volcano Red, a.k.a. Pele’s Delight. This wine is their only red wine, and is NOT an all-grape wine. The folks at Volcano Winery make clever and masterful use of the jaboticaba berry. The berry was introduced to the island by Brazilian and Portuguese settlers and is also known as the wine berry. The wine is light bodied and fruity. I taste hints of Blackberries and Cherries.
Finally, I want to take a moment to talk about the honey wine. The honey they use comes from the many Macadamia nut trees on the island. The wine is sweet, but not too sweet, and relatively light bodied for a mead. There are hints of tropical fruit and nuts and the wine is a little creamy on the tongue. It’s a great dessert wine and this is another one I am anxious to find on the mainland.
