Elderflower and Elderberry wine is a traditional Cornish drink made from the flowers and berries of the Elder shrub or tree. It has something of a legendary status that evokes images of paganism, drunken revelry and church fetes, somehow all at once! It was at one point considered sacred, quite in keeping with the central role that wine has played in religious ceremonies over time. Myths both good and bad have revolved around the wine, it is said that Jesus' cross was made of elder.

Elderflowers and berries are believed to have many health giving properties, not least due to their high vitamin C content.

Rose Petal wines were popular in 17th century Cornwall and until the early 19th century dried rose petals were believed to have mysterious powers. Napoleon gave his officers bags of rose petals to boil in white wine, to cure the lead poisoning from bullet wounds.

Even today, rose water is still used to refresh the hands before a feast or festive gathering, from the Middle East to northern India. There is also a special rose language invented as a secret means of communication between lovers who were not allowed to express their love for one another openly on the harems of the Middle East.

We have a full range of sparkling wines bubbling away in the bottle at present and will be ready to launch early part of the new year to cater for that special occasion wedding, christening etc. Elderflower, Apple and Pear sparkling wines being the most popular.

In the 18th and 19th Century Ginger and Clove Wine was one of the most popular alcoholic drinks of the time, and was buoyed by claims as to its 'health' giving properties, something not entirely unfounded as ginger has a positive influence on the digestive system.

Clove and Ginger Wine has a distinct flavour, which gives it something of a bite and is ideal for warming up on a cold night. Clove and Ginger Wine really comes into its own when mixed with Whiskey. This can be made as a straight mix of one third whisky to two thirds Clove and Ginger Wine (Whiskey quantities can be reduced to taste). As a variation of this the Whisky and Clove and Ginger wine can be heated in a pan with cinnamon and slices if orange, making the ideal alternative to mulled wine.

The earliest reference to the use of pears for making a fermented drink was by Pliny. Palladius, in the 4th century, wrote of pears being used like apples to make both a drink and a sauce and said that the Romans preferred wine made from pears to that from apples. He also gave instruction on how to make Perry, then called Castomoniale. During the centuries following the collapse of the Roman Empire, Perry making was well established in France but there is no evidence of it in Britain until the Norman Conquest. In 1580, Pirrie (from the word pirige meaning a pear) was made from pears along with cider in Cornwall.