THE WORLD’S FIRST BLUE WINE

ALTHOUGH THE HUES may vary, wine is pretty much one of three colors: white, red or pink. . . until now. A group of young Spaniards has broken the mold with the launch of the world’s first blue wine. Six entrepreneurs have invented Gik, a bright blue wine from Bierzo in northwest Spain made with red and white grapes. The wine took two years to develop in collaboration with the University of the Basque Country and Azti Tecnalia, the food research department of the Basque Government. First, a base wine is created from red and white grapes, then anthocyanin and indigo pigments are added to turn it blue and the wine is softened with sweeteners. Its makers recommend serving it cold due to its sweetness. The unconventional wine (11.5% ABV) is aimed at younger consumers. The first batch has gone on sale for 1O euros a bottle via the Gik website and the plan is to make the wine at different wineries across Spain depending on demand. Interestingly, none of the six founders have any previous winemaking experience but perhaps that does not make a big difference here.