Faces of Chambourcin

Blue Sky Vineyard harvests the Chambourcin grape at three separate times for three different styles of wine:

1. The first picking of Chambourcin grapes is for our Chambourcin Blush.  The brix (sugar) is lower and the acid is higher.  This allows us to make a lighter, sweeter wine that can be drunk on its own or pairs well with spicy foods.  Most of the grapes for this wine come from Levan's Vineyard within the Shawnee Hills AVA and Thurston's Vineyard in Pulaski, Illinois.
2. The second harvesting of these grapes is for our Papa's Rosa.  The brix (sugar) is higher and the acid is lower.  This wine is made into a semi-dry wine.  We do not age this wine in oak so it is similar to a Beaujolais style wine.  It is a fruity wine meant to be drunk young.  This wine pairs well with any tomato based foods such as spaghetti or pizza.
3. The final picking of Chambourcin goes into our premium Chambourcin Reserve.  This wine is estate bottled which means all of the grapes come from Blue Sky Vineyard.  We are able to incorporate vineyard practices that allow us to harvest a smaller crop yet the fruit is perfect for a premium dry red wine that is aged in oak.  This wine will improve in the bottle for 5 - 10 years.  Our Chambourcin Reserve has won numerous gold medals and pairs well with any red meat.

Make sure to visit Blue Sky Vineyard during the month of March for great discounts on all of our Chambourcin wines.

Also, keep an eye out for our "Wine & Food 101" class - Coming In April.