Crafted from Sokol Blosser Wines and Local Botanicals, Aperitifs Were Inspired by the European Apero Tradition
Dundee Hills, Ore. – Feb. 13, 2024 – Sokol Blosser Winery, a pioneering family-owned and -operated winery, is introducing its first collection of aperitif wines, now available online and in the Sokol Blosser Tasting Room.
The two new aperitifs – one white, one red – are the creation of Nik Sokol Blosser, brother of Alex and Alison Sokol Blosser, Sokol Blosser board member – and cocktail enthusiast. “I’ve been interested in amaros and other fortified wines for years and thought it would be worth creating one under our family’s brand,” said Nik. “I wanted to differentiate it by using our own wines and layering in locally sourced botanicals to give the wines their own sense of place.”
Nik started the process in his own basement, experimenting with recipes to land on something delicious. He then collaborated with local distiller Lynsee Sardell and together, they envisioned a unique brandy crafted from high-quality, yet unsold, Evolution wines – a line that, despite its discontinuation in box form in 2022, found new life in this venture. “It was a great solution, repurposing our unsold wine into something extraordinary,” Nik adds. The move reflects the innovative spirit and sustainable approach that is part of the Sokol Blosser “DNA.”
Nik, Lynsee and the distillery team then went to work macerating dozens of botanicals in the brandy, ranging from honeydew melon, citrus peel, and pomegranate seeds for the White Aperitif to local cherries, marshmallow root, and Ceylon tea for the Red Aperitif. The final blends of macerated botanicals were each added to the red and white wines (separately), and the aperitifs were bottled by hand in August.
The White Aperitif offers bright notes of tart lemon, tropical pineapple, and honeydew melon, accented with a hint of anise. Nik recommends trying it in a Sokol Spritz (with soda water and Bluebird Brut Sparkling wine, over ice with a lemon slice) or a Vesper Martini, with gin and vodka and a lemon peel garnish (see Product Sheet for recipes).
The Red Aperitif presents with anise, dark cherry, pomegranate, and warm mulled wine and is closer to a bitter amaro-style aperitif than a sweet vermouth. Try it in an SB Negroni with gin and sweet vermouth or a Blosser Boulevardier with rye whiskey or bourbon and sweet vermouth. Both Aperitifs are delicious, served over ice with a lemon or orange slice.
“I’m excited to share these wines with our customers,” says Nik. “I leaned on our family’s 50-plus years of winemaking expertise and tapped my own curiosity to create these aperitifs and think they are a great complement to our portfolio of still and sparkling wines.”
Sokol Blosser Winery President Alex Sokol Blosser adds, “We value innovation, and Nik really brought it when it came to creating these aperitif wines. I’m always excited to try something new, and I think our customers will be, too.”
The Sokol Blosser Aperitif Wines (first edition) are both priced at $25 per 375ml bottle. The White is 16% ABV, and the Red is 16.5% ABV. Both are available at the Sokol Blosser Tasting Room and online.
About Sokol Blosser Winery As one of the pioneering wineries of the Willamette Valley, Sokol Blosser has played a key role in developing and shaping the now-prominent Oregon wine industry. The winery remains family-owned and -operated, with the second generation now at the helm. Achieving B Corp certification in 2015, the winery crafts wines of world-class quality, produced in a sustainable manner, reflecting the distinctive flavors of the grapes, soil and climate. The winery produces Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gamay, Riesling, sparkling wines, and small quantities of single block Pinot Noir under its Sokol Blosser brand, and white and red blends, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling under the Evolution label. Follow @sokolblosser on Instagram and Facebook.
