Fruit wines have been produced in America for hundreds of years. While these are not products that receive much in the way of critical acclaim, they do represent a sense of pride from dozens, perhaps hundreds of vintners in the country.

Name a fruit and chances are it is made into a wine, be it apple, peach, blueberry or even pomegranate. Most of these are medium-sweet or even sweeter; generally these are not products that have acidity levels similar to most table wines.

These sweet fruit wines offer flavors that are derived from the fruit they are made from; pair these with mild cheeses, fresh fruit or sweet desserts.

We have extolled the virtues of traditionally made American fruit wines for some years now; the category is full of well made and downright excellent wines. Perhaps most surprising is the fact that some of the best wines are actually made in dry table styles. These are often at their best with food. 'It's really exciting to match these wines with food,' said Maine blueberry winemaker Bob Bartlett, 'because there's no history, no precedent.' He suggests serving blueberry wine with Italian dishes or grilled lamb, and pear wine with smoked fish. A tasty thought indeed.