glass of rhubarb wine inspired Bill Fry’s journey into wine making in the mid-’90s. Impressed by his friend’s homemade wine, Fry set out to create his own combinations with any available fruit: raspberries, blueberries, kiwi, rhubarb, and more. Positive feedback from friends and family encouraged his hobby, and soon he outgrew his kitchen creations. In 2003, Bear Creek Winery and Lodging opened in Homer.

Bear Creek Winery primarily produces fruit wines, which Louis Maurer, co-owner and operations manager, admits is a niche market. Grapes are incredibly difficult to grow in Alaska outside of a high-tunnel controlled space, says Maurer. Bear Creek does import grape concentrate for wines; however, most of its wines are made with locally sourced fruits.

“We’ve developed a network of friends, berry pickers, and farmers markets who sell us fruit,” says Maurer.

On average, Bear Creek Winery purchases around 10,000 pounds of rhubarb and around 5,000 pounds of black currants and various berries statewide. Making fruit wine uses the same equipment and process as traditional grape wine: crush the fruit, ferment the juice, then age, clarify, and bottle the wine. The timing of each step and small differences in the process depend on the fruit.

“The biggest difference working with grapes and berries is their reactions to temperature changes during the fermentation process,” says Maurer. “It’s also easier for grape wineries to get tips online or from other grape-based wineries. It’s more difficult to find information from other fruit wineries. Bill spent a decade as a homebrewer, and it really paid off.”

As a small batch winery, Bear Creek Winery produces about 20,000 gallons a year that are sold statewide in major grocery chains and local liquor stores. However, winemaking is only one aspect of the entire experience offered to its customers. The winery also offers guided tours, a tasting room, lodging for visitors, and a botanical garden.

Most people are introduced to wines on the shelves of liquor stores: rows and rows of bottles arranged by color (white, rosé, red, sparkling, dessert, fortified wines) and further divided by grape varieties (Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot, Riesling, et cetera). Wines are only a portion of beverages offered by most liquor stores, but for some retailers it’s most of their inventory. Places like Crush Bistro regularly carry wines not available elsewhere.

“We feature a lot of wine you won’t find in a grocery store,” says Scott Anaya, founder and manager of Crush. “We ship wines from nine importers across the country and frequently offer new wines to Alaska.”

Imported wine might sound expensive; however, Anaya says that many of Crush’s wines are reasonably priced, between $10 to $14 per bottle. Anaya rejects the idea that wine must be expensive to taste good. Instead, his goal is to make wine relatable, enjoyable, and even experimental.

“There is still a pretentious attitude at high-end restaurants and wine shops across the country,” says Anaya. “Not here. I want to create an environment that I would want to shop in with wine descriptions and price tags. Wine shouldn’t be a mystery.”

And Crush employees are packed with the knowledge to demystify wines. Certified sommeliers—trained professionals who have attended formal wine training and passed extensive examinations—are on hand to assist customers. In addition to selecting and recommending wines in two retail locations in downtown and south Anchorage, they also lead tasting sessions at the bistro on G Street.

Maurer says there are many benefits to purchasing wine from a specialty retailer versus a general liquor store. The knowledge and experience at a wine retailer is often greater, and they can answer more questions than most liquor store clerks. Likewise, wine retailers allow customers to taste unfamiliar wines at tasting events or in tasting rooms.

“Tasting is really the best way to learn about wines,” says Maurer. “I recommend taking notes or pictures when tasting wine because it can sometimes be difficult to remember the different wines. Notes and pictures are a great reference for later.”

Anaya says Crush sommeliers start by asking customers about wines they regularly drink or enjoyed in the past. Then they ask if the wine is for a special meal or a larger occasion. Depending on the answer, Crush staff will narrow down the options and make appropriate recommendations. However, an uninitiated wine customer will require a longer journey to discover which wines fit their personal palates. He says wine tastings are an excellent introduction to the wine world, but Anaya also recommends joining a wine club and learning more about food and wine combinations. Crush employees taste a lot of wines before selecting one for their monthly wine club, and all recommended wines are selected by committee. They even go one step further by experimenting with wine and food pairings a customer may ask about.

“We get a lot of samples,” says Anaya. “Our staff will take them home and see how well they go with food ranging from a Moose’s Tooth pizza to a homemade lasagna.”

Occasionally, the learning process results in a few odd questions from customers and tourists. Anaya is frequently asked if Alaska produces wine, which is “yes,” but with the clarification that it’s fruit wine because Alaska is too cold for grapes. Maurer says on occasion his staff is asked if fruit wine is really wine, since it wasn’t made with grapes.

“Some people get really argumentative about it because it’s completely different than what they’re used to,” says Maurer.

Once a customer purchases a wine, either in person or through a wine club, Anaya and Maurer have a few thoughts regarding preparation and presentation. First, not all wines need aerating (commonly known as decanting or letting a wine breathe) prior to consumption. It’s a common belief that red wines need aerating and white wines don’t. However, that isn’t a hard and fast rule. Maurer says that aeration depends on the tannic profile—a bitter and astringent flavor derived from the skins, stems, and seeds of grapes used to produce the wine. Many young red wines have high tannic profiles and need decanting. In the case of berry wines, Maurer says there is little benefit to aerating, unlike a variety of grape-based wines.

Also, decanting is a good idea for aged red wines with visible sediments, which are tannins and other natural chemicals bound together and solidified. To make things more complex, vintage ports (not the same as regular ports), some white wines, and wines that simply defy the rule also need aeration.

Anaya says a good wine retailer will explain these differences.

“We guide our customers through the decanter process and optimal time to let each type of wine breathe,” says Anaya.

When it comes to presentation, it’s common to serve red wines in glasses with larger bowls and wider openings and white wines in smaller glasses. The shape of the glass does serve a purpose. In the case of red wines, a bowl-shaped glass mitigates the bitterness of the tannin by allowing a smoother taste to come through. The smaller white wine glasses preserve floral aromas and help maintain cooler temperature. However, there are several styles of red and white wine glasses that are sometimes assigned to wines depending on if they are full or light bodied.

This doesn’t mean a budding wine connoisseur needs to rush out and buy an entire set of wine glasses. Though the wine glass will make it easier to smell the wine before tasting, Maurer says the most important thing is that people enjoy the experience. If presentation is a factor, then he does recommend investing in the right glass, especially for champagne or sparkling wines. He says manufacturers will laser etch imperfections in the glass to create a nucleation site where bubbles form. The imperfections in the glass are invisible to the naked eye. What is visible are streams of tiny bubbles that form as the carbon dioxide in the wine diffuses into the gas pockets.

Aside from presentation, both Maurer and Anaya say people should choose to drink wine from whatever makes them happy.

“I’ll drink wine out of a coffee cup,” says Anaya. “We’re in Alaska after all.”

Anaya says importing wines from the Lower 48 has become a bit more difficult in a post-pandemic world. Shipping and logistics are problematic as the shortage for truck drivers increases. Nowadays it takes ten weeks to acquire wine from an East Coast importer. He says his order spends most of the time in a container awaiting pickup at a port in California.

“It’s made it hard to plan,” says Anaya. “Last year we had to order champagne in September to make it by New Years. This year we had to order it in February just to make sure it arrived in time for holidays.”

Still, Anaya says the extra effort is worth it. Like Maurer, Anaya enjoys meeting fellow wine lovers.

She says, “Wine imparts a sense of community that elevates any experience.”