Fermentation products from fruits are among the oldest alcoholic beverages. Even in ancient times the Greeks made wine not only from grapes but also from apples, dates, figs and other fruits. The Romans and Germanic tribes also knew fruit and fruit wines. The mead (in the picture Melomel) was even considered a drink of the gods in Germanic mythology. Today fruit wine or Today, fruit wine is made by alcoholic fermentation of juice or mash of suitable fresh pome fruit (apple, pear, quince), stone fruit (cherry, apricot, nectarine, peach, sour cherry, all kinds of plums and damsons), Soft fruit (blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, elderberry, redcurrants of all colours, gooseberry) or other fruit beverage produced with an alcoholic strength by volume of not less than 1,2 % vol A fruit wine may also be produced from fruit juice. The alcohol content can reach up to 18 vol. by fermentation, for which sufficient sugar must be added to the fermentation batch. So-called "naturally pure" fruit wines (i.e. without the addition of sugar) rarely reach over 10% vol. As a rule, the alcohol content is between 5 to 6.5 (cider) or 5.5 to 9 percent, depending on the product.
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Dr. Christa Hanten
Fachjournalistin, Lektorin und Verkosterin, Wien