Have You Ever Had Lithuanian Rowan Wine?
If I feel like I have a hard time selling the concept of Turkish wine, how must the Baltic countries feel? This question came up recently when Goda, owner of Vines & Pearls, shared with me a bottle of Geri Metai rowan wine.
I knew a number of northern countries made wine, so I was not overly surprised when Goda offered to share a bottle of wine from her home country. Up until the early 20th century, Lithuania was more of a beer and mead producing kind of country. Many of us would hear that and think, well yes obviously. As far north as it sits, Lithuania enjoys neither the more temperate climates grapes prefer, nor an especially high number of sunny days throughout a grape vine’s growing cycle. As such, the majority of Lithuanian wines are made with fruit other than grapes. In fact, Balys Karazija, who produced the first Lithuanian wines in the early 20th century, won an award in 1938 for his apple wine.
The magic of the rowan tree.
The rowan is a magical tree, steeped in mysticism and the mythology of many cultures. In Lithuania, it protects your house from evil, brings peace, and is a symbol of good luck and fertility. In Celtic mythology, it’s known as the Tree of Life and symbolises courage, wisdom, and protection. Norse mythology would have you believe that a rowan saved the god Thor from certain death. In most cultures where the tree grows, it also provides protection from witchcraft.
Geri Metai translates to English as “an amazing year”, something winemakers Irma and Giedrius strive to put in the bottle each vintage. All the wines they make at Geri Metai come exclusively from rowan berries. They make everything from white, rosé, and red and wines run the gamut from sweet to dry. Wanting a life that is, as they say, “…slower, more natural, greener…”, Irma and Giedrius left behind city life to start their small farm and winery. They don’t just make with with rowan berries, they grow the trees themselves. They tend to trees offering 15 different varieties of rowan berries that offer a color palatte spectrum from bright orange to almost black, each with its own taste and character.
Geri Metai Rowan Wine Taste No. 21, 2022
Because they make all their wine with the same fruit (albeit different varieties thereof), Irma and Giedrius give their wines numbers to tell them apart from one another. Goda shared with me the Taste No. 21, a white wine. They describe the berries as being “vinous” in character, meaning they offer aromas and flavors apart from just rowan berry and are greatly affected by vintage variations.
Enough chatter! What did it taste like?! Pale, peachy gold in the glass with richly perfumed fruity aromas of white currants, citrus, honeyed peaches, and a hint of red berries. Fresh and energetic on the palate with low alcohol (11.5%) and vibrant notes of tart lemon, stone fruit, and berry with a noticeably bitter orange finish.
I love exploring wines from under appreciated or not even thought about countries! This was a cool experience and I look forward to the next time I can try a Lithuanian wine.