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Some Biblical scholars believe that Eve tempted Adam with a pomegranate, not an apple. The pomegranate is a symbol of fertility in Turkey, Iran, Egypt and Greece.
Throughout history, men and women have examined almost any fruit or berry (and even a few vegetables) and immediately asked, Can we make wine out of that? When considering the pomegranate, we should not be amazed that someone is actually creating wine from it. The only question is: Why did they take so long to do it?
Some Biblical scholars believe that Eve tempted Adam with a pomegranate, not an apple. The pomegranate is a symbol of fertility in Turkey, Iran, Egypt and Greece.
Its juice may also be the healthier drink. According to scientists, pomegranate juice is better than Viagra in raising the erectile function of rabbits, a species that is rarely seen as suffering from that particular problem.
With twice the potency of red wine and more antioxidants than found in grapes, cranberries, blueberries, and green or black tea, pomegranates can slow hardening of the arteries, improve the lives of diabetics, destroy breast cancer cells in a test tube, delay the spread of prostate and skin cancer, fight diarrhea, lower blood pressure, battle Alzheimers, do wonders for the common cold and, because it is the only plant known to contain estrogen, alleviate hot flashes. If it were good for washing windows, it might be the perfect fruit.
Because of the possible health advantages, there is an ongoing pomegranate product explosion. During seven months in 2006, 215 new uses for pomegranate were marketed, compared to 19 in all of 2002.
Pomegranate is now found in lip gloss, suntan lotion, shaving cream, skin-care products including soap, facial cleansing foam, creams, sunscreens, bottled water that claims to make the drinker thinner and even in martinis. The Red Carpet, designed for those special Hollywood parties, is a vodka martini with Grand Marnier, pomegranate juice and a gold leaf.
It was probably inevitable that some day there would be pomegranate wine. With all those healthy qualities, a pomegranate wine might turn the drinker into a long-lived, happier person.
Three years ago, the Rimon Winery, in Israel’s Galilee Mountains, became the first in the world to make a pomegranate dessert wine. Their pom wine arrived in America a little over a year ago, and it is already in almost 20 states.
A third-generation Israeli farming family owns the Rimon Winery. The grandmother is a Holocaust survivor and the grandfather came from Morocco. All seven grandchildren work on the vineyard and farm.
Yoav Gilat, Rimon’s representative in America, said that Rimon has improved the trees so their fruit has more juice and sugar. They also have special machines to separate the seeds, which contain the juice, from the skins.
Gilat said, “No sugar or alcohol is added when the wine is made. What is in the bottle is pure pomegranate wine, which has even more health- giving qualities than the non-alcoholic juice on the market.”
These days, Rimon produces about 100,000 bottles a year.
Marvelously tart and refreshing, it tastes like pomegranate (what would be the point if it did not?).
Not to get too Biblical about it, the wine is a revelation: Marvelously tart and refreshing, it
tastes like pomegranate (what would be the point if it did not?). It refreshes while avoiding the sometimes-intense lip pucker that comes from chewing on a pomegranate seed. Rimon Dessert Wine has an inviting, earthy aroma (resembling a pomegranate skin) and a clean aftertaste. It’s a dry dessert wine that can be served before or after dinner.
Soon the winery will be marketing additional pomegranate products including another wine, Rimon Dry ($36) and a port called Galilee ($48).
A drink suggestion based on personal experience: A special cocktail for a Christmas party consisted of equal parts of the Italian sparkling wine Prosecco (specifically Prosecco di Valdobbiadene by Mionetto) and Rimon’s pomegranate dessert wine, with a few fresh pomegranate seeds added for strangeness
and zest.
Rimon 2005 Dessert Wine ($26–$29) is available through the winery at www.rimonwines.com and in almost 20 states, especially at Whole Foods stores. The Rimon Dry and the Rimon Port will be for sale in less than six months.
Credits
by Norman Mark
