Sparkling seasonal fruity wine

&Wine Zeitaku Ringo

Brand: Suntory

Price: 300 yen

Place of purchase: 7-11 convenience store

Rating:

My local 7-11 convenience store stocks both imported and domestic wines. The tencho also brings in a selection of Suntory's &Wine series of small (350 ml) aluminum bottles. Suntory's product page indicates that there are five varieties with suggested food pairings. The Zeitaku, or luxurious, apple wine is low-alcohol at 5% with a blend of white wine and sweet apples. The product page recommends it as a sip with sweet potato or apple confections. The lovely, fruity, sweet flavor went well with slices of apple and cheese.

This "luxurious" apple-scented white wine, &Wine Zeitaku Ringo, has a pleasant sweet apple aroma. It's okay for the price, but it's not showstopping. The other versions, sparkling white and red, garnered the Japan Food Selection prize. Perhaps they're more enticing. The concept for these blended wines is pairings of food & Wine. Zeitaku Ringo is certainly apple flavored but it has no complexity and a light body. I had mine with apples, cheese, and nuts. The wine is a seasonal limited-time offering to coincide with autumnal foods.