# Dande (NV)

- **Producer:** Spirit Hills Winery
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Region:** Alberta, Canada
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Average price:** €18
- **Vegan:** No
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 7–10 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** peach, violet, rose, herbaceous, mint, honey, hay

## About this wine

Spirit Hills Winery was founded in Alberta, Canada, by the Bonjean family, who brought generations of French winemaking lineage from Belgium to the Rocky Mountain Foothills. Dande is an innovative craft flower wine created by fermenting local wildflower honey harvested from hundreds of foothill beehives alongside hand-picked dandelion flower petals, rosehips, and herbs. Designed to capture the complexity and structural balance of a classic white grape wine without using grapes, this unique bottle represents an outstanding achievement in artisanal botanical winemaking.

## Interesting facts

- Contains an average of 120 times the antioxidant levels found in traditional red grape wine.
- Endorsed by Michelin-starred chefs and top European sommeliers for its wine-like structure.
- Dandelion petals are hand-picked in early June from wild meadows along Alberta's foothills.

## Food pairing

The medium-dry sweetness and bright acidity of this flower wine complement spicy curries and creamy or mustard-based sauces, while its honeyed aromatics match beautifully with roasted root vegetables and delicate white meats.

## Wine making process

Dande is produced by rehydrating raw wildflower honey into liquid nectar, which undergoes primary fermentation using Champagne yeast together with rosehips, Italian parsley, and peppermint in stainless steel tanks. Organic dandelion flower petals, hand-picked in early June from foothills meadows, are integrated during the finishing phase to build aromatic complexity and structure. The wine matures in stainless steel vessels before spending six months aging in bottle prior to commercial release.