Lothlorien Feijoa Wine - Medium product reviews

I have to say that after reading the rave reviews on KIWIreviews, I had to rush out and try a Lothlorien product. They all sounded pretty good. So I checked on their website and drove to an unfamiliar supermarket to see if they had a bottle of this medium wine variety. Thankfully, they did indeed have a bottle. It was the only thing they stocked in that store, but I hope to seek out other varieties in the near future. The bottle of medium cost me $13.99 which was in line with the pricing on the Lothlorien website minus postage so I was pretty happy with that.

The first thing you notice about this wine is the beautiful way it is presented. The bottle is a clear glass with a die cut label showing a beautiful tree motif. There's a golden leaf on the neck, confirming that the product is organic. The bottle itself is sealed with a real cork and minimal wrappings, giving it a very crisp and clean look. There was also that satisfying POP when the bottle opened which is always exciting.

So we had a glass of this each. The first thing I noticed was an almost floral smell from the wine. I reminded me of apple and feijoa tree blossoms and summer and all those good things. As I took my first sip, a taste of feijoas hit the back of my throat before any of the wine got that far. The essence of feijoa is right there. Then the taste of the wine itself is sweet but there's also end notes that are quite sour. Lemony at first, but then you start to recognise the flavour as the sour of the feijoa skin. To me it tasted like biting into a feijoa, skin and all. I wanted to try baking with it, but before I knew it the bottle was empty. It lasted two glasses each. As far as feijoa wines go, this one was very nice. Hopefully more will find its way into my basket next time I go to that supermarket.

Of the three types of Lothlorien, this was one I was expecting to rate well, but not be my favourite. I was wrong, this was, for me - and my wife, who is a very selective wine drinker - the favourite of the lot. I would class it more of a medium-sweet than a straight medium, mainly because the natural sweetness of the fruit shines through the very subtle sharpness of the alcohol, leaving a well-rounded flavour and a rich aftertaste that lingers with a sweet feijoa wash. A solid fruity bouquet pleases the nose as much as the wine pleases the tastebuds, making this an all-round winner in my books.

I used this in a #FoodLab cheesecake - "Tropical Marshmallow" - along with some orange and lemon-lime Sodastream flavours. It helped give the cheesecake a more balanced fruit flavour, managing to shine through without drowning out the rest of the fruity flavours. Possibly one of the best cheesecakes I have made yet, this is a recipe I plan to keep on hand towards the potential future cookbook - Tucker's Tucker : Experiments from the KIWIreviews #FoodLab."

Overall, a most excellent drop, well worth exploring for those who enjoy something a little more sweet and fruity. This went well with a BBQ dinner, but I think it would also hold itself well with a fried or seared fish dish. Poached fish may or may not work, depending on the fish as this has a definite flavour and may drown out more delicate fish. Try it with salmon or a nice fresh trout and you should be fine.