Signature Rouge
Norfolk is a country of agricultural heritage and provides some of the most fertile and high yielding farmland in the country. Sloes grow naturally in abundance, and it is these sweet fruits which are used to create the latest addition to the Foras Signature range, Rouge.
Historically the act of fortifying wine was used to preserve it, though in modern times it has been to add extra flavour and enhance the richness of the taste. Rouge is an English fortified wine, created by steeping freshly picked Sloes in Vodka and then aging the resulting sweet nectar for a minimum of two years.
The vodka itself is produced in small batches, using ingredients sourced and harvested in Norfolk. The Sloes are all picked from within 10 miles of the distillery, with a small addition from the coast for a little hint of the sea.
Each batch is hand produced and as such the alcohol content varies. Our artisans have chosen to focus on the taste rather than a standardised ABV so the actual percentage of each batch is written on the bottles by hand.
The taste is of gentle fresh fruit, with an inherent smoothness from the lack of any artificial additives. It is these which give commercially made Fortified wine a sometimes-cloying aftertaste or stickiness in the mouth. Signature Rouge is as nature intended, sweet in a natural way, with enough sharpness to cut through any food with which it is paired.
Signature Rouge is exceptionally well placed with cheese, working alongside a smooth brie or commanding camembert perfectly. It is strikingly similar to a ruby port, however with a taste and lineage which is distinguishably Norfolk.
