Red Wine
Red wines are made from red wine grapes - most notably from the Vitus vinifera family, which includes such classic varieties as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot noir, Syrah, Zinfandel and more. The juice from the pressed pulp of these grapes is actually white - or pale yellow/green, which then gets it's red color from prolonged contact with the skins of the grapes prior to, and sometimes during the fermentation process. The longer the juice is in contact with the skins, the deeper the color of the finished wine. The Universal Life Church Monastery offers two sacramental red wines for use in your ceremonies - a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Merlot.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is often called The King of Grapes because it grows in almost every wine-producing region of the world and always seems to produce good to excellent quality wine. A rich and balanced Cabernet Sauvignon is a perfect part of a festive ceremonial evening or a beautiful daytime ceremony. Cabernet Sauvignon - or just "Cab", comes in a wide range of styles; from rich, full-bodied and oaky wines like those from Napa Valley in California and Walla Walla Washington. These are often called "fruit-forward" wines. At the other end of the spectrum are lighter, elegant Cabs - often blended with other red grapes, that tend to show hints of minerals and herbs to balance out the bolder fruit of this grape. Many examples from the Bordeaux region of France showcase this style. There are also many styles from different parts of the world that fall between these two extremes. Like most Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon's, our Sacramental Cabernet is a fruit-forward style of Cab, showing a lot of up-front fruit, with typical Cabernet hints of mint and eucalyptus, and soft, ripe tannins due to aging in new American oak barrels prior to bottling. Our Sacramental Cabernet is well-suited for your ceremonial needs, and is ideal for those who prefer a sacramental wine that is bold but nicely balanced for your congregation.
Merlot
These days Merlot is often thought of as the wine that the character Miles refused to drink in the movie "Sideways". In fact that movie did more to damage Merlot's reputation and sales world-wide than the oceans of poorly-made Merlot that came out of California in the mid 1980's. Don't let that stop you though! In reality Merlot is an elegant and poised grape that can produce some of the finest wine in the world. Château Petrus, notably the most expensive wine produced in the world every year, is 100% Merlot. Primarily known as the second primary blending grape in many classic Bordeaux red wines, it also makes outstanding single-varietal wine on its own - that is a wine made up entirely of one grape. Merlot is known for its perfuming capabilities and its soft, easy-to-drink style right out of the bottle. Washington State Merlot is know the world over as one of the finest red wines made today and our Sacramental Merlot offering is no exception to that rule! Rich and pure, it is an excellent example of what good Merlot can be. Flavors of sun-ripened red and black cherries and plums plus some nice soft leather undertones with just a touch of oak, make our Sacramental Merlot an excellent example of what a good Merlot is all about. Great for your blessings, mass and other ceremonies, you cannot find a better single-varietal, blessed sacramental wine anywhere in the world that is available only to you - our ordained ministers!
Our Sacramental Cabernet Sauvignon and Sacramental Merlot are available in 2-paks, 6-paks and 12-paks and you can even mix-and match.
