My Grandmother was of stout Greman Catholic extraction,family name Raskob,and was a pretty good wine maker using Chokecherries,wild plums,wild grapes and beets.Iknow,the beet idea seems odd on the face of it but they are high in sugar content.
The plums,grapes and Chokecherries were all picked on the family farm in western South Dakota,east of the Black Hills.
It's been many years since I tasted any of these but as I recall...
Grape,astringent,dark purple,light bodied,fairly high alcohol content.
Chokecherry was rather heavy bodied,dark oxblood coloured and sweet.Very "fruity".Probably close to a Maneschevits?
Plum slightly astringent,lighter in body,slightly pink in colour.
Beet again sweet,red,light bodied and actually quite tasty.probably had the highest alcohol content but that is only a guess.
These were all used as apertifs on Holidays when the family gathered.
Any thoughts?