IMG_3680.jpeg
Luke and Merideth in a vineyard next to a mirror ball (Copy)
IMG_3680.jpeg
Luke and Merideth in a vineyard next to a mirror ball (Copy)

Lares 'Ad Astra Per Aspera' Skin Contact Melon

$29.00

Elkton Valley > Oregon

Melon de Bourgogne

From the psychedelic mind of Luke Allen Wylde, comes this vintage of “Ad Astra Per Aspera,” - a Latin phrase for “A Rough Road Leads to the Stars.” All organic fruit comes from Tuckaway Vineyard in Elkton south of the Willamette. Melon is the famous grape of France’s Muscadet, a minerally white wine. But here, our prone-to-exploration queer winemaker soaks the grapes on the skins for 28 days, extracting all kinds of aromatics, and then ages the wine, once fermented dry, on the lees in neutral oak barrels, bringing forth textural weight and harmony. A glimmering wine worth the journey to the cosmos.

Elkton Valley > Oregon

Melon de Bourgogne

From the psychedelic mind of Luke Allen Wylde, comes this vintage of “Ad Astra Per Aspera,” - a Latin phrase for “A Rough Road Leads to the Stars.” All organic fruit comes from Tuckaway Vineyard in Elkton south of the Willamette. Melon is the famous grape of France’s Muscadet, a minerally white wine. But here, our prone-to-exploration queer winemaker soaks the grapes on the skins for 28 days, extracting all kinds of aromatics, and then ages the wine, once fermented dry, on the lees in neutral oak barrels, bringing forth textural weight and harmony. A glimmering wine worth the journey to the cosmos.

Grape: Melon de Bourgogne

ABV: 12.4%

Story: Lares Wines is named in honor of ancient Roman deities that protected home, hearth and harvest. Luke Allen Wylde (they/them), owner/winemaker, describes them as “deeply personal family gods” instead of the big names like Apollo or Jupiter. From the colorful wine labels that draw heavily from heavy metal music, his Dungeons & Dragons obsession, and scary dream themes to Wylde’s innovative techniques, there’s not another winery in Oregon quite like Lares. This small label gives Luke the space to lean on what he has learned over the years and to create new things because of that experience. Ultimately, Luke wants to make wine in his own way, in a style that’s not dictated by representations of anything but his own curiosity. Working with grapes that are either new to them or using them in unfamiliar ways. They follow intuition, listening to the flow influencing the world around them, never going into harvest with “a plan”.

Personality: Dried apricot, citrus pith, a little aperol on the nose. The palette has body, texture, and soul. Don’t let the label scare you away!

Harmony: A versatile food wine, or just fun to drink with friends during game night. Recommend a chill, but not too cold.