This week’s wine is made from haskap berries; have you heard of these before?
Haskap berries were named by the indigenous Ainu people of northern Japan, and the name means many fruits on branches. Haskap berries are actually an edible, blue honeysuckle and they remind me of small, oddly-shaped Italian prune plums. The plant itself grows as a shrub and it is winter-hardy and relatively pest and disease resistant. Haskap berries are renowned as a super food, delivering triple the antioxidants and four times the anthocyanins of blueberries, as well as containing a high level of vitamin C.
Image courtesy of Echo Haskap.
Haskap berries have long been cultivated in Russia, Japan and China, but they are relatively new to North America. Here in British Columbia, Echo Haskap is one of the largest, certified organic haskap farms in the province. Margarita Valou, President of Echo Haskap, tells me that this 40 acre farm is located in Creighton Valley near Echo Lake Provincial Park, in the Okanagan.
Reminiscing about the first time she tasted haskap berries, Margarita says that inspiration struck and she knew she had to share this extraordinary fruit with more people. Margarita has been involved in all aspects of building Echo Haskap, including planting saplings, tending to the plants as they mature, as well as harvesting the berries.
The production of Rara Avis was a special project in partnership with Kalala Organic Estate Winery. Margarita explains that they “wanted to create something truly unique and special, that would capture the richness and depth of the berries”. The wine was produced as a custom crush at Kalala, where their expertise was invaluable in bringing this unique haskap wine to life. This successful collaboration will not be the last either. Stay tuned for more from these partners, as Echo Haskap is set to release two new haskap table wines this spring.
Rara Avis (375 ml) $45.00
Rara Avis means Rare Bird in Latin.
At time of publication little information was available regarding the making of this wine. Rara Avis is fortified with a neutral spirit, made of BC grown grapes from Kalala Organic Estate Winery; as the neutral spirit and the haskap berries were from different vintages, this fortified wine is considered non-vintage.
The back of the bottle describes this wine as luscious, and I would say that this is an apt description. Medium garnet in colour, Rara Avis has aromas of black plum, prune, India ink, dried blackcurrant, dried cherry, orange rind, vanilla, sweet spice, coffee and buttered digestive biscuits. This full bodied, fortified (18.5% ABV) dessert wine is well balanced, with high acidity, low, powdery tannins and a medium+ finish. The palate is concentrated, offering flavours of strawberry jam, ripe raspberries, espresso, black plums, prunes, dried blackcurrants, dried cherries and sweet spice, with a underlying mineral/saline quality that makes your mouth water and keeps you coming back for another sip.
Pair with a cheese plate, your favourite chocolate dessert, or simply enjoy a glass on its own after a special meal.
Rara Avis is available for purchase through Coal Harbour Liquor Store, Angry Otter Liquor, Kalala Organic Estate Winery and Echo Haskap.
References
www.haskapa.com
www.echohaskap.ca
Interview with Margarita Valou, President, Echo Haskap, February 7, 2024.
That chocolate cake! The decorating! You’ve outdone yourself! It’s fascinating seeing photos of the Haskap berries – I’ve never seen any berries shaped like this before. I am a big fan of fortified wines and am delighted to be introduced to a Canadian example. And particularly delighted that this Kalala Haskap fortified offers much of the complexity I’d expect from this style of wine.
Apologies for the late reply! Yes, these little berries are so fascinating and even more so knowing they can make a fantastic fortified wine! I’m looking forward to trying the table wines from Echo Haskap this spring!