Are you familiar with Frosae Wine Sorbae?
Well you should be. It’s about to be everywhere this summer.
Frosae, a sorbet made with wine, comes in three flavors: elegant white made with Peconic Bay 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, royal red made with Peconic Bay 2008 merlot and chocolate merlot made with chocolate wine from Dutch winemakers ChocoVine.
The East Patchogue-based company is looking for a new supplier since they bought up all the leftover stock from the now-closed Cutchogue vineyard.
The frozen treat doesn’t have an overly sweet aftertaste like a product made with high fructose corn syrup. It’s gluten free and the white and red varieties have just 110 and 120 calories per serving respectively. The chocolate flavor has 160 calories.
And the original taste remains intact even while frozen.
A wine connoisseur could guess the varietal and vintage from just one bite, said Frosae president Ben Amato.
“The taste of the wine is the taste of the dessert,” said Mr. Amato, a retired English teacher from the Middle Country School District who came up with the idea in January 2012. “On the second bite, the wine taste moves to the front.”
At 1.8 percent alcohol by volume, you’ll probably get a brain freeze before you can catch a buzz. Still the product is only available to those 21 and older.
The freezing process was invented by Mr. Amato’s friend John Pastore, a company partner and owner of the Ice Cream Cottage in Mastic. The company is in the process of patenting the secret method.
“We take the best ingredients of Italian ice with some of the techniques you use for gelato,” Mr. Amato said. “And then we add really good wine.”
Frosae hit local supermarket shelves earlier this year. Quarts retail for $12.99 to $14.99 and are available at King Kullen stores in Cutchogue, Wading River, Manorville and seven other locations on Long Island.
It’s been featured on the menu at Claudio’s, Bistro 72 at Hotel Indigo East End and other restaurants. The product was picked up by distributors Sysco and 3G’s vino and will soon be available at concert venues, farmers markets and other vendors across the Island and beyond.
Last year Frosae earned $25,000 in sales. The soon-to-be ubiquitous company has increased profits for 2014 tenfold and new orders are pouring in every day.
“We need to be ready for a tsunami,” Mr. Amato said.
