Alcohol Type: Semi-Sweet Red Blend

Alcohol Content: 11.5%, 23 Proof

Price Point: Mid-range, $17, Acquaviva is located in Sycamore, IL but they can ship their Christmas wine to most locations. This wine is available all year-round, but may be hard to grab the closer it gets to Christmas. You can order their wine here: Christmas Wine Acquaviva Winery

Nose: Mulling spices

Flavor Profile: Raisins, mulling spices

Acquaviva is a small winery in Illinois that has many wines available including whites and reds, all made with grapes grown in Illinois. While Illinois is not as well-known for its grapes, there are some semi-sweet and dessert wines that hold up. Of their selection, one wine stands tall among the others. Acquaviva offers a Christmas wine year-round. This may sound strange, but there is a reason for it: the Christmas wine is a huge hit.

The Christmas wine made by Acquaviva is what is known as a mulled or spiced wine. It may be red, but don’t be fooled as it is not like other dry reds. Mulled wines are usually served warm – not room temperature warm, but rather heated in a crock pot or on the stove. That being said, they can certainly be served chilled or at room temperature as well.

When you look at the color of this Christmas wine, you will notice it is not quite as dark as other red wines. It is only 11.5 % alcohol so it is not considered a full-bodied red. The viscosity of this wine is also a little different than you would typically expect from a red; it is a little thicker. The nose of this wine is just absolute Christmas. When you open the bottle and pour a glass, it takes you to Christmas day. This is primarily attributed to the mulled spices. Some of the spices include allspice, cinamon, and clove. Although this wine is labeled as a semi-sweet red, I would say that it is very sweet. 

On Christmas day, this is the bottle I would have before dinner. Whether you are serving it hot or chilled, it is the perfect way to get in the holiday spirit.

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