Le Reeiscur Pineau de Charentes

Pineau des Charentes (aka, Pineau Charentais) is a regional aperitif from western France, named for the 'department' it's from - Charente. The proper pronunciation is a bit tricky, as the first word is similar to the old and familiar 'Pinot', but at least to my ear, the last syllable is closer to 'new' then 'no'. Chatentes is easy - just drop the s at the end and say 'sha rent'.

Like Amaros and Vermuts, this form of pre-dinner drink is highly popular in its home region but only recently gaining traction abroad, just now catching the wave of aperitivo popularity. About bloody time, we say!

Pineau des Charentes is a fortified wine, beginning with either fresh grape juice or a lightly fermented wine and then adding a distilled Cognac eau-de-vie before maturing the wine for at least 18 months (a minimum of 8 months in oak barrels). The most common version of this aperitif is bottled after aging for two years, though there is also a pricier version aged far longer prior to bottling. The local grapes offer the winemaker some leeway in their blend, but the most common are Ugni blanc, Folle blanche and Colombard, though Sémillon, Sauvignon blanc and Montils are also allowed.

ABV is between 16% and 22% ABV but I've never seen one that varies much from 17%. Most are a golden color though with a wide degree of variation. This is definitely a sweet wine but as with most such wines, it is nicely balanced by acidity.