Bantam "Wunderkind"

As the fall season has come upon us we have gotten into all things fall related: pumpkin coffee (really, all things pumpkin!), good hair days,  Oktoberfest beer, and of course hard cider. Last weekend we popped into Harvest Hoopla at Pemberton Farms in Cambridge to sample a variety of mead and hard cider. Among our favorites was Cambridge, MA cider maker - Bantam - and their flagship cider "Wunderkind". I was impressed with how crisp and refreshing it was - so of course a bottle was purchased and saved. The perfect beverage for a pre-hurricane evening in!

This sparkling hard cider offers a 6% ABV - enough to make it's presence known but not overwhelmingly so. It looks like champagne and smells like that most festive of drinks as well!  The bottle indicates Wunderkind should be served chilled at 40 degrees - and in this state the taste is crisp and dry and palate-awakening - completely refreshing. 

As it warms up a bit, you get more of a sense of the flower-blossom honey it is made with and they taste gets a little sweeter, the feel a little smoother. It is completely delightful from beginning to end and has such a wine character that I think it would be perfect with food. Instead of wine or champagne try serving Wunderkind with a fall appetizer spread - maybe some Roasted Figs Stuffed with Goat Cheese or  Baked Brie?