Red, White and Blue!

There’s red wine, white wine, even pink wine. But now thanks to six young Spanish entrepreneurs, in collaboration with the University of the Basque Country and Azti Tecnalia (the food research department of the Basque Government), blue wine—which targets millennial drinkers—is about to hit European markets. Created by Iñigo Alday, Imanol López, Jen Besga, Gorka Maiztegi, Aritz López, and Taig Mac Marthy in Spain’s Basque region, Gik—which fits into the chilled, sweet white wine category—is made from an undisclosed blend of red and white grapes predominantly sourced from vineyards in La Rioja, Zaragoza, León (all located about three hours north of Madrid), and Castilla-La Mancha (about two hours south of Madrid). The 11.5 percent ABV juice is hued neon blue with anthocyanin (a pigment found in grape skin) and indigo (a dye extracted from the Isatis tinctoria plant), and a non-caloric sweetener is added as well. A 750ml bottle retails for 10 euros, or about $11 USD.After two years of research and development, Gik soft launched last year in Spain when the wine was sold via the company’s website. But in the next couple of months, Gik will expand retail sales to France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Germany. And after that, founders are eyeing the U.S. Co-founder Aritz López explains that neither he nor his partners had prior winemaking experience, but that they “wanted to create something really innovative.” The team collectively felt that Spain’s wine industry was “missing a little revolution.” He continues, “We were raised in a country with a strong wine culture, but wine has always been a beverage put on a pedestal. So we thought about how it would be to have real people making wine for real people, not a wine made by experts for pseudo-connoisseurs”. Making wine? Check out the full line of Skolnik Stainless Steel Wine Barrels Skolnik Stainless Steel Wine Barrels here.