They've shown up in salads and in teas, so of course the next iteration of consumable dandelion products would be wine. Its been made in the Midwest for a long time, but considering the new-found popularity of all things dandelion, as Today explains, others are getting into the game. But this is no fad, as Zoe Kissam, an herbalist for Traditional Medicinals reveals: “Dandelions have a rich history in the U.S., and more and more people are re-discovering the nutritional and health benefits associated with all parts of the plant.”
So how do you go about producing dandelion wine from scratch in California, like they're doing at Murietta Wine Field? First you need dandelion seeds. Most people, however are trying to get rid of the entire weed at any cost. So owners Kevin and Christalyn Brooks had to mail order seeds from Oregon. How many? Try 80,000.
But where does this couple have an advantage over grape growers? A big one is that instead of just one harvest per year, they might be able to squeeze in four harvests in their first season alone.
One more interesting fact about dandelion wine: unlike teas, you use the flowers, not the roots.
Are you interested in trying dandelion wine?
