We are having very hot summer days and need refreshments. One drink you may want to consider, that you have not yet heard about is, Piquette. Piquette is a low-alcohol wine made from a second pressing of the grape harvest — this time by adding water and fermenting the pomace (the grape skins, seeds, stems and pulp that remains after the juice has been pressed off for wine). Although linked to France, most European winemaking countries made a version of Piquette, usually to be enjoyed by farmhands and vineyard workers. It’s bright, uncomplicated, and has a light hit of fizz.
I received a White and a Rosé Piquette in convenient cans from the Okanagan’s Bartier Bros. Both Piquettes have 4.2% alc. I could not find the grape varieties listed for each of the Piquettes, so just open and enjoy them. The cans have a pop tab opening so once you open the can, you should drink it all as the bubbles will fade after a while.
According to the winery, “For owners Don and Michael Bartier, producing piquette presented both an opportunity and a challenge. “In our hearts, we’re farmers, simple and honest, and we deplore waste. We were excited by the idea of reusing the ‘leftovers’ from winemaking for a completely different kind of easy summer drink,” said winemaker Michael Bartier. “The challenge, of course, was that it had to be great. These cans have our name on them. We won’t put out a half-effort.”
It wasn’t Michael’s first time making piquette — that was 28 years ago, and it wasn’t on a commercial scale. Even so, developing the Bartier Bros. piquette protocol took months. The cellar team made 114 separate piquette batches throughout the 2022 vintage. Seven of them went into the drain. It took 63 winemaker hours in tasting and blending trials, and 5,130 measurements of chemistry parameters to get it exactly right. “There was a lot of trial and error, modification of protocols, and changing of the recipe on the fly,” said Michael. “Even the errors were important in the learning process, and contributed so much to the quality in the end.” The final touch: after fermentation and filtering, a small amount of carbonation is added to keep it fresh.”
My Piquette Tasting Notes
Bartier Bros. Piquette White (BC $15.99 for a pack of 4)
Nose: Medium-minus intensity aromas of citrus, floral, peach, and a hint of lychee.
Palate: Dryish, lean with a fuller mouthfeel to start then become lighter toward the finish. Medium-plus acidity and bubble size. The acidity leaves a prickle on your tongue. The bubbles get creamier with air. Citrus and peach flavours with a touch of floral then pear later with air.
Finish: Medium length finishing dry, with tart citrus and peach flavours.
Bartier Bros. Piquette Rosé (BC $15.99 for a pack of 4)
Nose: Medium-minus intensity aromas of red fruit, floral, sweet spices, and some herbaceousness.
Palate: Dry, medium-plus body and pronounced flavours. A mix of medium-sized creamy and biting bubbles. Red fruit, tropical fruit, and sweet spices on the palate. Quite bright acidity and lighter tannins.
Finish: Medium length with a dry finish. The fruit flavour fades quickly.
Thanks for the kind words Karl. Truly, you are a great wine pal!
Don
Cheers!
So what are the grape varieties used?
I don’t know. Hopefully Don can enlighten us. Could be Pinot Noir for the red and Gruner Veltliner or a blend with Gruner.