THE HERITAGE OF ELDERBERRY WINE
Across the British Isles, the elder has long been a familiar presence in hedgerows and gardens. In Scotland, a traditional name for the tree is bourtree.
It is this recognisable yet often overlooked fruit that forms the heart of Vinum Afiléon's first expression.
THE ELDER
A FAMILIAR TREE, A DISTINCTIVE FRUIT
Elderberries are small, dark fruit borne in clusters in late summer and autumn. Their concentrated colour and character have made them a longstanding ingredient in homemade wines, preserves and other preparations.
The use of elderberry in winemaking belongs to a wider tradition of British fruit wines — a tradition defined by fruit, seasons and the ingenuity of its makers.
THE BOURTREE
A SCOTTISH NAME
To call our first work Bourtree is to acknowledge a regional word for the elder. The name speaks to the ingredient and its place in British fruit-wine tradition.
THE AFILÉON INTERPRETATION
TRADITION AS A STARTING POINT
We take the character of elderberry and explore it through a fortified composition, shaped with honeyberry notes and selected rum. We do not set out to recreate a traditional domestic wine. The intention is to make an unmistakably contemporary work.
FROM INGREDIENT TO OBJECT
THE FIRST WORK
In Bourtree — Genesis, the history of an ingredient meets the vision of Afiléon. The liquid, vessel and final presentation are considered together.