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Quady Elysium Black Muscat is a delicious, sweet, red dessert wine from California’s Quady Winery. A firm favourite with dessert wine aficionados, this lightly fortified gem bursts with intoxicating aromas of roses, lychees, cherries and vibrant red berries. It is a perfect companion for chocolate desserts, fresh berries and blue cheeses. 37.5cl half bottles are available to buy now in the UK at Fareham Wine Cellar.
Quady Elysium Black Muscat is made from 100% Black Muscat grapes and is classified as a Liqueur Wine of the USA. The production style is similar to a mistelle, such as Pineau des Charentes or Floc de Gascogne.
Quady Elysium Black Muscat was first created in 1983. Some Black Muscat grapes were destined for a local church and were originally intended for making sacramental wine. The church closed down, and somehow Andrew Quady acquired the grapes. Divine intervention of some sort, perhaps?
Quady Wines, located in Madera in the San Joaquin Valley, was founded by Andrew and Laurel Quady in 1977. Before this, Andrew Quady was in the fireworks business before he made the explosive leap into the wine trade (I am sure he has heard all the jokes by now!).
Looking for a lifestyle change, Andrew began studying oenology at the University of California, Davis, and learnt his trade at the Lodi and Heublein wineries. Quady initially began producing a sweet Port-style wine made from Amador County Zinfandel grapes.
Things really took off when he discovered some Orange Muscat grapes (known in Italy as Moscato Fior d’Arancio) and began producing the Quady Essencia Orange Muscat. It was an instant success and he could not make enough to satisfy demand.
Quady specialises in dessert wines like this Black Muscat dessert wine, but also produces other wines, including a Palomino-based Fino Sherry lookalike, several Port-style wines, such as a cleverly named Starboard, and two styles of Vya Vermouth: a sweet and a dry.
Quady Elysium is a brilliant crimson-purple colour with aromas of ripe berries, rose petals, strawberries and lychees. The vibrant acidity balances beautifully with the sweetness of this wine, making it very refreshing.
The Black Muscat flavour profile pairs well with desserts containing red fruits, such as English Summer Pudding. It also works well with dark chocolate, cream desserts and cheesecake. Elysium poured onto vanilla ice cream is an effortless favourite.
Quady Elysium Black Muscat is one of the best dessert wines to pair with cheeses, especially goat cheese or blue cheeses like Gorgonzola.
It is also a great ingredient to use in spritzes and cocktails.
The Black Muscat grape, also widely known as Muscat Hamburg, Muscat de Hambourg, or Black Hamburg, is just one of many underappreciated Muscat grape varieties. It is a Vitis vinifera hybrid created in 1850 in Bedfordshire, UK and is one of the few black-skinned Muscats.
Today, there are plantings in California, Virginia, Oregon, Texas, Washington, Vancouver Island and further afield, including India, China and Eastern Europe.
Yes. Quady Elysium is lightly fortified by adding grape spirit during fermentation. This stops fermentation early, preserving natural grape sweetness while gently increasing the alcohol level to around 15% ABV.
Serve chilled. Slightly cooler than room temperature. It can also be served over ice and in long drinks.
A standard serving of dessert wine is normally around 75ml smaller than a regular glass of wine. So you can get 5 generous servings from a half-bottle of dessert wine.
In practice, I would aim for 6 servings of dessert wine from a half bottle.
The rose-like aromas of the wine led to it being named Elysium, Greek for heaven or “state of eternal bliss”.
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