Belle of the Vine

Submitted by: Joyce Nissley, March 5, 2010

Joyce's Notes:

Belle of the Vine was an off-dry white blend that we made for many years. At first, the wine was named Belle of Donegal (after my maternal great grandmother, who was known for her beauty). And the real beginning of the blend goes way back to the Aurora 1979, which won our first gold medal.

I mention all this because the blend was my favorite. I liked the balance. At 1.5% residual sugar it was just right - not too sweet, not too dry. Sadly, it was not a hit with our customers. Every Spring, during tank trials, a sibling would suggest that we discontinue this slow mover. Finally I agreed, though. We needed to introduce a new wine, and it was important to keep our wine list manageable.

The last Belle that we made was the 2004 vintage. I still miss it. But I have adapted. And this is my recipe.

Belle of the Vine (wannabe)
1/2	glass	Nissley Vidal Blanc, a dry white French-hybrid varietal, with .5% residual sugar.
1/2	glass	Nissley Rhapsody in Blue, a semi-dry white French hybrid blend, with 2.2% residual sugar.

Note: The math isn't perfect. However, to borrow a memorable quote from the famous Sideways movie, "It tastes good to me."