I love wine and bourbon….but together?  I am not sure about this one.

This new trend in the wine industry started in 2014 with the launch of “1000 Stories” by Fetzer Vineyard.

Wine is typically aged in Oak barrels. (Either French or American Oak)

With Bourbon barrels, they are required by law to be 100% American Oak and heavily charred.

The challenge for wine makers is to prevent Bourbon barrels from overwhelming the character of the wine.  To prevent this, the aging time is usually 1 – 2 months instead of the typical 1 -2 years. 

While I think this idea is very cool, it does not seem much different in taste to me than a wine aged in an American barrel.  Bourbon popularity has been increasing exponentially since 1999.    In my humble opinion, this is more about marketing and creating a new wine segment to capitalize on the growth of Bourbon.

What are your thoughts?  Have you found a Bourbon Barrel wine that has convinced you to add it to your list of favorites?

~Cheers