Each of America’s milestone birthdays has inspired a cottage industry of collectibles, from commemorative coins to themed beer cans. A West Chester tasting room is getting in on the action with two limited-edition wines, produced exclusively for the semiquincentennial.
Turks Head Wines, a unique hybrid business that sources wine from California but serves it in Chester County, will release a pair of specialty blends in mid-April. Both use grapes from the famed Sonoma County wine region, and both are dubbed the Semi Q.
“I view wine as a communal beverage,” said Allison Owen, Turks Head founder and Level 3 sommelier. “I view it as a reason for people to meet, to socialize, to create memories off of. And I feel as though every bottle of wine really tells a story and our guests feel the same way.
“So to me it just felt super appropriate during this milestone — and it’s really a once in a generation event, none of us are ever going to be here for another large monumental birthday of the United States — having that bottle to be able to share stories and create memories off of was really the catalyst for me coming out with it.”
The white wine is a blend of Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon and Melon de Bourgogne priced at $45, while the red draws on four Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot. It’s going for $55. Each is packaged with a custom label that tints Turks Head’s usual gold knot logo red, blue and gold. (White doesn’t exactly pop on a white background.)
It’s the first commemorative release for Turks Head, which Owen launched in 2022 after quitting her corporate job. In that time, the business has evolved from a tasting room with charcuterie snacks to a farm-to-table restaurant offering wine classes and private tastings. It all operates out of a sprawling brick building at 120 N. Church St., where Owen strives to replicate the experience of a classic California wine pilgrimage.
The Semi Q is not a limited-batch release — Owen is ready to produce more to meet demand — but it will only be offered through the end of the year. Both blends will be available to Turks Head wine club members first before they hit the bottle shop and online store. Owen is pitching them as an ideal collector’s pieces, hostess gifts or keepsakes for families.
“I don’t think anybody pulls a bottle of vodka out of their cabinet at home and says, oh my gosh, I can’t believe grandpa has had this for as long as he has, and it’s been passed down for generations,” she said. “Wine does that. People do that with wine. So that’s where I thought it would be really interesting to do something like this because it could sit in people’s cellars for decades.”
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