Wild Arc Farm - Rosato Piquette 2021 (375ml can)

Todd and Crystal left Brooklyn in the Summer of 2016 after a combined 30 years in the city to try their hand at building sustainable food systems in the Hudson Valley.

Both had very limited experience in agriculture, mostly relegated to growing tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and hops on fire escapes (when the neighborhood squirrels didn't kill everything out of spite.) Being lifetime New Yorkers, they wanted to show that interesting and dynamic wines could be grown in the Hudson Valley in the context of a small, Biodynamic, permaculture-focused farm.

Wild Arc Farm is in the Hamlet of Pine Bush, “The Gateway to the Gunks,” in the Mid-Hudson Valley. The Hudson Valley has been at the heart of New York State's food production for hundreds of years. It is also home to both the oldest and the longest continually operating wineries in the United States. We believe that the granitic soils of the area and the Atlantic and Catskills influenced microclimates can grow world-class wines. 

Piquette Notes: Piquette has become quite a phenomenon recently, with many wineries bottling something similar, often using the name Piquette on the label, but Todd should really be credited with bringing this French tradition back into the spotlight. Originally, Piquette was something wineries would serve to their harvest workers. Something pleasant they could drink that wasn’t so high in alcohol they wouldn’t be able to work hard in the vines. The basic concept–to use the cast-offs from winemaking including the leftover must, stems, and seeds–is wonderfully zero-waste, and Todd’s version is zhuzhed up with a bit of the original wine and some local honey for a fine sparkle. 

Making of: The pomace is soaked in water and ferments to a low alcohol fizzy beverage thanks to the addition of something sweet (local honey in Todd’s case). Blended with a bit of wine to reach 7% ABV. No additional SO2 additions beyond what was residual in the must.

Personality: always delicious and refreshing! The Rosato is a raspberry soda on the first day of summer.