FAQs
How long will it take to get my order?
Widden Brook Farm is 40 kilometres out of town, at the end of 17 kms of a dirt road that is frequently described as ‘the worst I’ve ever driven on’, so a trip to the nearest town, Rylstone, takes about 40 minutes each way. As a result we send out orders once a week, usually on a Wednesday, although if we have a build up of orders we will do a special run. It then takes two to eight working days for the delivery to get to you.
Why does the colour vary from carton to carton?
Elderflower Mist Sparkling is a completely natural product. Everything that goes into a bottle is either produced on Widden Brook Farm or sourced locally from organic suppliers. Because there is natural variation in these ingredients according to the time and conditions of the season and there are no colourings, preservatives or other additives, Elderflower Mist varies in appearance from carton to carton and batch to batch.
Why does the fill level vary from bottle to bottle?
Elderflower Mist is produced by hand in small batches, never more than 1,100 bottles at a time. Because it is a sparkling, fill levels can be a little hard to judge and vary a bit as a result. Rest assured, however, that there is a minimum of 750 ml in each bottle.
Why do bottles of Elderflower Mist Sparkling contain sediment?
Most winemakers use fining agents such as egg white or bentonite to clarify their products. We don’t do this. We filter the pure mountain spring water we use to make Elderflower Mist going into the vat and we filter the product as it’s bottled, but not too finely.
Because we use the pétillant naturel (pét nat) process, fermentation continues in the bottle and it’s important to not filter out the naturally occurring yeasts that drive this process.
The sediment has no impact on the taste of Elderflower Mist sparkling or on its shelf life. If the bottle is stored upright, the sediment will settle on the bottom and stay there.
What is pétillant naturel?
Pétillant naturel, pét nat for short, translates from the French as naturally sparkling and while drinks using the process seem to be the latest new thing, they’ve been around for at least 500 years.
Put simply, pét nat wines are made with as little intervention as possible and so is our Elderflower Mist Sparkling. There are no yeasts, colourings, preservatives or other additives added. Elderflower blossoms are steeped in a mixture of water, sugar and citrus and allowed to ferment.
While still undergoing fermentation, Elderflower Mist is taken from the vat, filtered coarsely to remove bits of blossom, plant stems etc. and bottled with a crown seal. This traps a small amount of CO2 that occurs naturally from the fermentation process and creates the bubbles.
Does it have any additives or preservatives?
No. Elderflower Mist Sparkling contains nothing but elderflower blossoms, pure mountain spring water, organic citrus, organic sugar and a few other organic ingredients.
Is it vegan friendly?
Yes, there are no animal-derived ingredients. Elderflower Mist Sparkling contains nothing but elderflower blossoms, pure mountain spring water, organic citrus and organic sugar. Also, no vegans were harmed in the making of this product.
What is the shelf life?
That is an excellent question. We recently opened an Elderflower Mist Sparkling that was bottled in the Spring of 2021, and it tasted great. It does not, however, seem to improve with age like some wines do, instead it develops to the point where we start releasing it to customers and stays that way.
We have a few bottles left of our 2021 batch and will crack another around Easter next year. However, most people find that once they’ve opened a bottle of Elderflower Mist, it disappears very quickly…
How do I drink Elderflower Mist Sparkling?
Elderflower Mist is made to be enjoyed as a standalone drink. We suggest serving it chilled in a Champagne flute, however, it can also be used as a mixer.
Our classic Elderflower Mis Sparkling with the green label goes well with gin, white rum, vodka or any other white spirit. Our Crimson Delight is not used as often as a mixer, however, we have been told that it goes well with a very, very dry gin or coconut rum. Our latest product, Wild Mountain Hop, goes very well with dark spirits; whisky, Scotch, dark rum and dry bourbon.
