From vinnews.com
MOUNT AIRY, MARYLAND (VINnews)-Loew Vineyards has released Mechaya, the first Star-K certified honey wine produced in Maryland.
The Mount Airy winery, located at 14001 Liberty Road in Frederick County, began offering the wine after a release event held Sunday, Aug. 9. Mechaya is a cyser, a traditional mead fermented with local apple cider blended with wildflower and clover honey. It is fermented dry, producing a bright, citrusy wine with acidity rather than residual sweetness.
Rachel Loew Lipman, the fifth-generation winemaker who operates the winery with her partner Sam, developed Mechaya as a revival of a family tradition interrupted by the Holocaust. The Löw family produced honey wine in Galicia, first in Bursztyn and later in Lemberg (now Lviv), shipping it across Europe until the war ended the business. Decades later, Holocaust survivor Bill Loew and his wife Lois purchased 37 acres on Liberty Road and began planting in 1982.
The new label incorporates elements of an original Löw family bottle label from 1870. Lipman reconstructed production methods based on surviving family records and artefacts.
Unlike conventional grape wines, honey requires dilution, yeast nutrient additions and acid adjustment because it provides little beyond sugar. Fermentation proceeds slowly and cool to preserve delicate floral aromatics. The resulting dry style pairs with gefilte fish, roast chicken, apple-based dishes, goat cheese and salads with fruit and nuts. The winery recommends serving it well chilled as an aperitif.
Loew Vineyards also released this year’s honey harvested from the property. Both the wine and honey are available for online order and in the tasting room. Traditionalists typically reserve non-grape wines for uses other than Kiddush, such as Havdalah.
The winery continues to offer a range of grape wines under different certifications. Mechaya can be ordered at bit.ly/star-kmechaya. Reservations for tastings are available through the winery.
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