Frosae North Fork Wine Sorbet Hits Grocery Store Shelves
Frosae, a frozen dessert made with wine from North Fork vineyards, is now being distributed to grocery stores and other outlets across Long Island.
The sorbet is produced in Mastic at the landmark Ice Cream Cottage using an original recipe created by Frosae partner John Pastore. Frosae has three different flavors: Royal Red, Elegant White and Chocolate Merlot.”
“Right now we’re using Peconic Bay Wines, the 2008 Merlot and the 2012 Sauvenon Blanc,” Frosae partner Ben Amato says. “For our chocolate we use a European wine called ‘cocoa van,’ and it’s pretty incredible.”
Now that Frosae is being sold in King Kullen and distributed by Sysco, the makers are looking for new sources for their main ingredient. “Because of the tidal waves of sales that are coming, we have to go out and buy more wine,” Amato says. “So we’re looking for 600 gallons of wine.” They are talking with a few different North Fork wineries to become new suppliers.
“The most exciting thing is, we’re the only ones in the country who are doing this,” he says. “We’re the only ones who successfully found the formula to freeze wine with the alcohol.”
Frosae started about a year ago and has been test driven by a number of East End restaurants, including Claudio’s and The Lobster Roll. “Hotel Indigo has just been behind us 100 percent,” Amato adds.
Partner Neil Koenig points out that Frosae can be sold without a liquor license. “We’re classified by the government as a frozen food, not an alcoholic product,” he says.
Koenig says they are beginning to see Frosae via e-commerce and hope to eventually spread to the tristate, the region, then nationwide.
For more information, visit frosae.com.