Learn About These Strange and Unusual Wines

Wines are usually made with fermented grape juice. They come in varieties, too, such as red wine, white wine, and dessert wine. However, they can also get weird sometimes, especially those which are made of other ingredients, such as flowers, berries, vegetables, and other unlikely things that you won’t imagine can turn into wine. Yes, there are strange wines that exist in different parts of the world. Most of the time, these wines reflect what’s locally available and honored in certain places, which are often peculiar but can definitely make wine tasting an unforgettable adventure.

If you haven’t tried unusual wines yet and you’re curious about what they are, then you’re in the right place. Today, we are giving you a list of strange and unusual wines. See which of these you’d like to try if given a chance.

Snake Bile Wine

a bottle of snake wine
A snake bile wine is made by mixing alcohol or rice wine with the black bile that is taken from the gallbladder of a freshly sliced cobra. This type of drink was first recorded to have been consumed in China during the Western Zhou dynasty. In fact, it is considered an essential curative, and they believed that it can reinvigorate a person based on Traditional Chinese medicine. Today, snake bile wine can be found in China, India, Vietnam, and other parts of Southeast Asia.

Meteorite Wine

If you love wine and astronomy, then the meteorite wine is perfect for you. In 2012, the manager of Tremonte Vineyard in Chile’s Cachapoal Valley named Ian Hutcheon mixed his love of astronomy and wine. He created a Cabernet Sauvignon that was fermented in a barrel with a 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite. The meteorite used was believed to have crashed into the Atacama Desert around 6000 years ago. With this, Ian Hutcheon called the wine “Meteorito.”

Birch Sap Wine

This type of wine is made with birch sap. During spring, the winemakers in Sav in Jamtland, Sweden, starts the production of birch sap wine. The first thing they do is extract the sap from silver birch trees. Birch sap is almost exactly like water, but fresher and has a hint of sweetness. It is a peculiar sparkling wine that follows a recipe that dates back to 1785. Some of the ingredients that birch sap is mixed with to turn it into wine are grape juice, lemons, sugar, and white wine yeast.

Blue Wine

Most of the usual wines that we see in stores and tasted in vineyards come in colors red, white, pink, and yellow. But did you know that there’s also a wine that’s blue in color? Yes, and it is made with six young Spanish entrepreneurs in a company called GIK. This company partnered with the University of the Basque Country and the food research department of the Basque Government to be able to make this unusual wine.

The blue wine is made from red and white grape blend. Then it’s added with a non-calorie sweetener. The vivid hue of this wine does not come from food coloring. It is a result of a natural pigment that can be found in the grape’s skin, combined with indigo from the Isatis tinctorial plant.

Lizard Wine

The lizard wine is a potent drink that can be found in China. They make this by marinating geckos in rice wine or whiskey for about a year. They believed that this drink can cure a range of ailments, including ulcers and arthritis. Aside from that, they also believe that it can protect people against evil spirits. It is a green-hued wine that tastes a little like brandy.

Coffee-Flavored Wine

There are times when you’re not sure if you want to drink wine to unwind or coffee to feel energized. If you often feel this way, then a coffee-flavored wine is perfect for you. In Florida, there’s a company that sells different types of canned wine, and it includes what they refer to as the world’s first coffee wine. They currently offer Chardonnay Coffee Cappuccino and Cabernet Coffee Espresso.

Retsina

pouring Retsina wine in a glass
Retsina wine is believed to be made of the tears of wood nymphs. But others trace its roots to the Roman invasion of Greece, during the time when Greeks added resin to their wine to discourage the aggressors from enjoying the loots of war. Retsina wine is fermented with tree resin, and it has a distinct piney taste. This wine is made for more than 2,000 years ago.

Cake-Flavored Wine

A New York-based company named Birthday Cake Vineyards makes cake-flavored wines. According to them, these wines taste like birthday cake. You can choose among wine flavors, such as cheesecake, cake batter, strawberry shortcake, and red wines flavored black forest cake and coffee cake. If you have a sweet tooth, then this type of wine is perfect for you. It is also a great birthday gift for friends and family.

Rose Petal Wine

two wine glasses with rose petals
A small, family-run winery called Lurgashall Winery in West Sussex, England creates wines that are made from natural ingredients, such as walnuts, honey, brambles, and birch sap. But the Royal National Rose Society, which is a plant society in England that focuses on rose care and cultivation, commissioned the winery to create rose wine from handpicked petals of the flower. With this, the winery was able to produce a pink-hued vintage wine that is aromatic and medium-dry. However, no one can tell if it tastes as fragrant as roses.

Jalapeño Wine

If you are brave enough to eat a whole jalapeño, then you’d also be brave to drink an entire bottle of jalapeño wine. This wine is made in Cardinal Hollow Winery in West Point, Pennsylvania. They make different types of wine, such as blackberry, dandelion, and strawberry, but their best-selling wine is jalapeño wine. If you think it’s terrifying to drink this wine, then you can instead use it in cooking. In fact, the winery suggests using it in marinating meat or sprinkling on salads. Aside from that, you can also mix it with other types of wine to add some kick.

Pumpkin Wine

Local pumpkins are used to produce a semi-sweet and cloudy white wine in Maple River Winery located in North Dakota. This wine is perfect for parties in the fall and winter. It can be served chilled or warmed, together with a slice of orange or lemon, and with a touch of honey.

Beer-Wine Hybrids

bottles of beer
There are people who like wine than beer and vice versa. But if you like both, then you could opt for some beer-wine hybrids. There are brewers who add grape juice or whole grapes to their products or ferment their beers using wine yeasts to make hybrids. One example of this is the beer crafted in Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, Delaware. One of their beers is named Noble Rot, which contains two white wine grapes.

There’s also a beer-wine hybrid called Midas Touch. It is inspired by ingredients found in 2700-year-old drinking vessels that were discovered in the legendary King Midas’ tomb by archaeologists.

Chocolate-Orange Wine

In St. Petersburg, Florida, you’ll be able to find the Cocoa Beach wine that is made with a combination of unexpected ingredients, which are chocolate and Valencia oranges. This wine is produced in the Florida Orange Groves and Winery.

Vodka Wine

Absolut Vodka launched a wine called Tune in 2012. It’s a sparkling Sauvignon Blanc that is spiked with vodka. However, in 2013, this wine was recalled in 10 states after discovering that the brand did not disclose if the wine contained sulfates. It was eventually discontinued by the company, but you’ll still be able to find a few online retailers that sell it.

These are some of the strange and unusual wines that you can find all over the world. If possible and given a chance, which of these bizarre wines would you like to try?