R.A.S. Wines Bluish Cider: A Tasty Blend of Apples & Blueberries From Maine

Are you a fan of Cider? Cider is commonly produced from apples (and sometimes other fruits), and it can be sweet or dry, still or sparkling. It has a lengthy history in New England, and was extremely popular during the Colonial period. The popularity of cider decreased over the years so that by Prohibition, cider production was already very low. However, in recent decades, the popularity of cider has boomed, and artisan producers have been creating some intriguing and delicious ciders.   

Located in Portland, Maine, R.A.S. Wines produces a variety of wines, most made from locally-grown wild blueberries and sometimes other fruits as well. R.A.S. are the initials of the surnames of the winemakers involved in this endeavor: Dan Roche, Joe Appel and Emily Smith. Their website states: "We are committed to Maine people, land, and fruit, and that’s what produces all our wines." It also states, "Each wine we make shares a common spirit: forthright, pure, complex, balanced, and authentically reflective of the place it comes from."

Their first wine was released in 2021, and they currently have about six products, including Still Blue (a still blueberry wine), Wild (a bubbly blueberry wine in a can), Source Decay (a sparkling blueberry wine), Arkadia (a sparkling blueberry wine), Bluish, and A7 Americano (an aromatized blueberry wine). Their website also notes: "All of our blueberry wines are made from a field blend of several wild, low-bush varieties, yielding complex flavors that express the unique character of Maine."

The Bluish ($22.99) is a wild apple and blueberry cider, produced from sustainably grown fruit. The Golden Russet apples come from The Apple Farm in Fairfield, Maine while the blueberries are from    the Passamaquoddy Wild Blueberry Company (PWBC) in Columbia Falls, Maine. The PWBC, which has been in operation for over 40 years, is owned, managed, and staffed by members of the Passamaquoddy Tribe.   

The blueberries were harvested and pressed in August 2024 while the apples were harvested and pressed in November 2024. The fruits were co-fermented naturally and then aged in used oak barrels for eight months before being blended and bottled in June 2025. Secondary fermentation occurred in the bottle, providing a light effervescence. Only 140 cases of this cider were made, a limited product, in 750ml bottles topped by a crown cap. 

With only a 5.5% ABV, this cider has a golden color with red highlights, almost like a Rosé. On the nose, the alluring aroma of blueberries is most prominent, but there are subtle apple notes too. When you taste this wine, you'll find that it's dry and delicious, with bright blueberry flavors accented by a backbone of crisp apple flavors. It's elegant and nicely balanced, with a mild effervescence, almost like some Vinho Verde. There's light tannins in the cider, and the oak influence is very mild and nicely integrated into the cider. 

I'm impressed with this cider, and it paired very well with a pork tenderloin. It's food friendly, and I can see it working with any type of pork, a duck breast, or even some seafood. I've enjoyed a couple bottles of the Bluish, and those I shared it with really enjoyed it as well.  

This cider is currently available at Victoria Hill Wine, Spirits & Gourmet in Melrose.

Happy New Year's to All! And Plans for 2026.

Happy New Year's to All!

I hope that all my family, friends and readers enjoyed a safe and happy New Year's Eve and that 2026 ushers in a great year for each and every one of you. 2025 was probably a challenging year for many of us, especially economically, and I hope that 2026 will bring better news and good fortune to all. No matter what happens though, we shall find a way to make 2026 a better year.

For The Passionate Foodie blog, I resolve to try to make my blog even better. I have been making some changes here and there, all with the goal of improving matters. There will be plenty of food, wine and spirit items to cover in the new year. I will also celebrate the 19th Anniversary of my blog in May 2026. 

As for some specific projects I have planned for 2026: 

• I'm resurrecting two prior series, Culinary Creativity and The Mind of a Sommelier, and have already found some people willing to be interviewed for these series. 
• In addition, I have been working on two new historical articles, including The Origins of Chinese Spareribs & Boneless Spareribs and the lengthy A History of Boston's Chinatown and Its Restaurants: 1970s. 
• There will be upcoming restaurant reviews of places including Kyuramen in Winchester, Sun Kong in Malden, An Nam in Somerville, and Fumi Hibachi, Sushi & Chinese in Melrose, 
• I'm also working on A Culinary Road Trip To Arlington, similar to what I did for Ipswich+ in 2025. 

Thanks to all of my readers during the past year, and best wishes to you for the coming year, and I hope you will continue to read my blog in 2026. If you have any suggestions or topics you would like to see me cover, feel free to email or message me.

Cheers and dine and drink with passion!

10 New Year's Resolutions For My Readers

Happy New Year's Eve and I hope you celebrate well but also spend this holiday safely. I also hope you will enjoy some type of delicious Sparkling Wine, from Champagne to Crémant d'Alsace, Cava to Franciacorta, or something Sparkling from a U.S. producer. It's my fervent wish that this New Year is better for all of us, in so many ways, than 2025. 

This is also the time when many people will ponder the conduct of their lives and choose to make Resolutions, the things they want to do, or not do, to make their lives better in the New Year. Maybe you want to give up smoking or lose weight, maybe you want to start going to a gym regularly or save more money. Unfortunately, many people will break their resolutions after only a short time, within less than a month, so numerous people will choose not to make a resolution, figuring they won't follow it anyways.

As I've done for the last several years, I want to offer some alternative suggestions for resolutions, all connected to food and drink. Rather than deal in absolutes, or exact measurements, I merely hope that you choose to do your best to follow these suggested resolutions with the simple goal of doing better than you did last year. I don't expect anyone to follow these resolutions all the time. Please just do your best. I think you might find this easier to do than a more specific resolution which is an either/or proposition. Seek continued forward progress in these ten resolutions throughout the entire year.

1) Resolve to eat & drink healthier
This encompasses so much, such as eating less calories, consuming less sugar, and choosing less items are overly processed. Take small steps in your approach rather than diving into a major change. The smaller steps won't seem as burdensome and it will make it easier to take another small step later on. And even small changes can bring about positive changes, especially when they accumulate over time. We all would benefit from eating and drinking healthier and it will also help our environment and economy.

2) Resolve to consume more local food & drink
Local products can help the environment, the local economy and benefit the local community. Plus, many of those local products can be healthier than mass produced, overly processed foods that might come from thousands of miles away. Eating more local seafood is such a great idea, for many reasons, from bettering your health to helping the local fishing industry. This resolution also includes drinking local wines, as every state now produces wine, and you might be surprised by the quality of some of that local wine. Not all local food and drink is delicious or good for the environment, so do some research to find out the best.

3) Resolve to eat more seafood, especially domestic
Seafood can be extremely healthy for you, especially those fish rich in Omega-3s, so it's an excellent choice for dinner. Seafood is also delicious, versatile and often easy to prepare. Yes, it can be more expensive, but it is well worth the added cost, and there are ways to get more value in your seafood purchases. Buying more domestic seafood will help our economy, rather than buying so much imported seafood. It has been scientifically proven that consuming 26 pounds of seafood annually will reduce your chances of heart disease by 36%. An easy and delicious resolution.

4) Resolve to expand your drink horizons
Don't keep drinking the same old stuff all the time. There are so many wonderful beverages out there to taste, and you might find some new favorites. Break out of your rut and endeavor to try something new on a regular basis. If you mainly drink Chardonnay, venture out and try some other white wines, such as Gruner Veltliner, Trebbiano or Albarino. Try Sherry, Sake, Japanese Whisky, Mezcal, Franciacorta, Baijiu, and other under-appreciated beverages. Sample wines from different countries, including Croatia, Moldova, Greece, Israel, and more. Taste it all, constantly trying new beverages, and continue drinking those you enjoy.

5) Resolve to expand your food horizons
In a similar vein, don't keep eating the same old stuff all the time. There are so many wonderful foods out there to taste, to see if you can find some new favorites. Break out of your rut and endeavor to try something new on a regular basis. Try some less common meats, from rabbit to wild boar, or maybe something even more unusual like insects or guinea pig. Seek out cuisines that are new to you, and look for new ingredients you can try out in your own kitchen. Taste it all, constantly trying new foods, and continue eating what you enjoy

6) Resolve to cook more at home
Cooking at home is another way to benefit the environment, and it can be more economical than eating out all the time. It also gives you a better handle on exactly what you eat, so you can make the food as healthy as you desire. It can be fun too, if you cook with someone else, breaking the potential boredom of cooking alone. Be creative in what you cook, seek out new recipes, and share recipes with others.

7) Resolve not to be THAT jerk when you dine out
When you dine out at a restaurant, get take-out, or delivery, please be polite and show respect to everyone working at or for the restaurant. Don't fault the restaurants for legal restrictions they must follow. Don't demand special treatment or threaten the restaurant just because you write reviews on some community website. Tip generously, showing your servers gratitude for all their hard work. If you have a problem at a restaurant, speak to the management and see if they can resolve your issue. If you enjoy a restaurant, spread the word about your positive experience. Good restaurants can use, and deserve, all the help they can get, especially in these times. It's a very tough industry, and a very tough time, and consumers need to better understand its difficulties, and be more understanding of restaurant efforts.

8) Resolve to give more to fight hunger
Despite the wealth of the U.S., there are still far too many people in our country who can't afford to eat properly. Hunger is a major problem in our country, as well as all across the world, and one that we can do something about. Give food or money to local food banks, national organizations, or any other charity that is trying to combat this problem. Those of us without food security issues can all help out, in whatever way we are capable.

9) Resolve not to waste as much food
It is said that up to 40% of our food ends up as waste, and that is a nearly unbelievable statistic. Food waste can lead to higher food prices and cause more environmental damage. Do your part to help reduce food waste. Don't make as much food as normal when making a meal so you don't have leftovers in the first place. As your mother probably once said to you, finish everything on your plate. Use any leftovers to make additional meals.

10) Resolve not to drink & drive
As I have said time and time again, do not drive if you are impaired AT ALL by alcohol. It is much too dangerous and you could injure or kill yourself or someone else. Even if you don't get in an accident, you could be arrested and that comes with its own high costs. It isn't worth doing it, so please just don't drink and drive. Take a Uber, taxi, or catch a ride with someone else. This is probably the most important resolution of the ten, and the one everyone should opt to follow.

Is there anything I missed?

Rant: Forget Useless Predictions

In three days, it'll be 2026 and you'll hear plenty of predictions for this New Year, but not from me.

As I've said multiple times before, predictions for the New Year are basically useless. At the end of the year, nearly all of those predictions will have failed to come to fruition and even those that did are probably due more to luck than any actual ability to predict the future. You would have just as much success by reading tea leaves or the entrails of goats. I know that if I devised my own list of predictions, they too would probably fail. 

We all hope that 2026 will usher in positive changes to the local food & drink industry, which has faced many challenges this year. Instead of offering any predictions, I'm going to provide a list of ten of my desires, those trends, issues and items which I would love to see step forward and take precedence in 2026, though I'm not predicting they will actually come to fruition. Some of these items I've been wanting for many years to happen and they still haven't become a trend. I think we would all benefit if any of these desires were fulfilled.

We possess the ability to make these desires come true. They pose valuable opportunities for entrepreneurs and others to step up and make their mark. They are matters we can request and promote, matters we can suggest to restaurant owners, sommeliers and others to pursue. We can hope to make these tends become a reality.

1) More Breakfast Pizza

A breakfast pizza, such as a white pizza with thin slices of potato, bacon (and/or sausage), cheese and a fried egg (or scrambled), can be absolutely delicious. It isn't a difficult dish to create yet you won't find it available on many menus. Think of all the pizza joints you know and then consider which ones make a breakfast pizza. You might know one or two, at best, but then you might not know any place that serves them. So why isn't breakfast pizza more popular and widely available? It's puzzling to me and it seems such a no-brainer. People love pizza so why wouldn't they also love a breakfast pizza? Breakfast pizza would work fine for lunch and dinner too. This seems to be a missed opportunity for many, so I hope more restaurants decide to add these to their menu.

2) More Savory Pancakes

I'm not a fan of overly sweet pancakes, such as those covered in powdered sugar, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Unfortunately, many breakfast spots offer such sweet pancake treats. I'd much rather enjoy savory pancakes, such as one filled with ham and cheese. They are much harder to find and I don't understand why more restaurants don't offer savory pancake options. Such savory pancakes could come in many different forms and its unique nature might interest many restaurant patrons. Crepes, kind  of a skinny pancake, often come in savory variations, so why can't regular pancakes do the same? 

3) More French Toast Sandwiches

The Monte Cristo sandwich, ham, turkey and cheese on French Toast, is popular but why aren't there more sandwiches on French Toast? Iron Town Diner, in Saugus, used to have an excellent Monte Cristo, but were also willing to make special orders, including several other sandwiches on French Toast, such as a cheeseburger, chicken cutlet and pastrami & cheese. They were all delicious, and enhanced by the eggy French Toast. So many different sandwiches could benefit from French Toast as their bread. More restaurants should add such French Toast sandwiches to their menu, and I suspect they would be very popular. 

4) More Duck Wings & Legs

Chicken wings get all the attention and you can find them in many different restaurants, often as an appetizer. There are even restaurants that specialize in chicken wings. Part of the reason for their ubiquity is likely that they are usually inexpensive. However, duck wings or legs can be so much tastier than chicken wings, yet it's very difficult to find restaurants which offer them. A Tavola, in Winchester, sometimes has duck legs on their menu, as a special, and they are quite scrumptious. A few other restaurants have offered them too, and I always order some. Let's see more restaurant start offering duck wings and legs on their menu, showcasing their taste and versatility. 

5) More Bread Pudding  
Bread pudding is relatively easy to make and can be inexpensive as it can be made with day old bread. Plus, it's a diverse dish that can be made in a wide variety of flavors, with different sauces, and accompaniments. I've had some superb bread puddings at local restaurants, and would like to see more restaurants offering it on their dessert menus. However, I also think there is a great opportunity for an enterprising baker to open a Bread Pudding Bakery. They exist in other parts of the country so why not in the Boston area? Skip opening another damn cupcake bakery, think outside the box, and opt for a bread pudding bakery instead. I've been pushing for this for numerous years and it still hasn't caught on. Why not?

6) Less Powdered Sugar
Stop using so much powdered sugar, covering pancakes and French toast, adding even more sweetness to sweet desserts. It doesn't make those dishes look more appealing to have a plain white powder on them. In fact, it acts to hide the natural look of the desserts, concealing their true nature. And adding it to sweet desserts is unnecessary as they are already sweet enough. It's overkill. Yet chef after chef still uses it and that needs to stop, especially its use on pancakes and French toast. Find other ways to make your food look better. Find a better way to make your desserts sweeter if that's what you really want to do.

7) More Adventurous Diners

Unfortunately, there are too many boring diners, people who eat only a limited variety of foods, unwilling to try different cuisines, or different dishes, that are outside their normal intake or comfort level. A hundred years ago or so, Americans were more adventurous with their palates but that has been changing over time. We need to return to that prior time, to be more adventurous in our palates, being open to experience new foods and drinks. If we do, then maybe more creative restaurants can flourish in the Boston+ area rather than struggle.

8) More Sake At Non-Asian Restaurants 

In the Boston area, Sake is largely confined to Asian restaurants and there is no reason why that should be the case. Sake pairs well with all sorts of cuisines, from Italian to French, Barbecue to Burgers. I've previously written about The Science of Sake & Food Pairings, explaining reasons why it pairs so well with varied cuisines. For Sake to become more popular and mainstream, we need more non-Asian restaurants to carry and promote Sake. And they need to promote Sake for more than just Sushi. Seafood restaurants could promote Sake for everything from oysters to fried clams. Let's see a pizza or burger joint offering Sake. And hopefully customers will expand their palate and try Sake with their meals. 

9) More Love For Niche Wines
So many excellent wines get largely ignored by the general public, and even by a significant number of wine lovers. I want to see more people willing to expand their palates and explore these niche wines, from Sherry to Georgian wines, from Crémant d'Alsace to Croatian wines, from White Port to Greek wines. Why do you restrict your drinking when you could be sampling all of the world's wine bounty? We need more restaurants adding these niche wines to their lists, and then promoting them to their customers. We need more wine writers to cover these wines, persuading their readers to check out these niche wines. You'll find so many interesting and delicious wines if you break out of your usual drinking patterns and try something new.

10) More Food Pairings With Bubbly

Sparkling wine actually pairs well with numerous food dishes yet most people drink it only as a celebratory wine or as an aperitif. More people should try pairing sparkling wine with a variety of dishes, to learn how well it can pair with their dinner. We also need restaurants and wine sommeliers to start making recommendations for sparkling wine for various menu items. Whenever I've sought a wine pairing recommendation from a sommelier, only rarely have they suggested a Sparkling wine. Sparkling wine even pairs well with simple foods, like potato chips! Why not set up a Sparkling Wine tasting with various flavored potato chips?

What food & drink trends would you like to see in 2026?

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays To All

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to my family, friends, readers and everyone else!

May the glad tidings of this holiday season shine on you, your family and friends. May your celebrations be joyous and overflowing with great people, excellent conversation, fun times, delicious food and fine drink. May the gifts you give to others be well appreciated and bring joy to the recipients. May you thoroughly enjoy whichever holiday you celebrate at this season.

This is one of my favorite times of year. It should be a joyous occasion, reveling in all of our blessings, for no matter what ills there may be, there still is much to appreciate. That appreciation deserves recognition and sharing, and not only during the holidays. Do not dwell on the negative but rather embrace all that is good in your life.

It's also a time for giving, for sharing with those less fortunate than us. Please donate as much as you can to your favorite charities, whether you give money, time or goods. Even small donations can make a significant impact. Think of more than just yourself at this time and throughout the year.

Make sure you have a safe holiday as well. Please, please, please don't drink and drive, and drive safely and cautiously. If you're going to drink, let someone else drive, or take a taxi, Uber or public transportation. Again, please do not drink and drive! I hope that everyone will remain around to celebrate the New Year and see what 2026 brings all of us.

Drink and dine with passion this holiday, as well as every day of the year! Passion is what gives our lives meaning, what drives us toward excellence. A life devoid of passion is empty and shallow, and desperately needs change. Seek out whatever makes you passionate and revel in its delights. And share your passion with others.

Happy Holidays!