Not a Box of Chocolates

The deadline was quickly approaching.  I looked at my calendar and hoped I had enough time.  My search probably should have started months ago; however, the limited time period I had given myself had to work.  I started investigating.  I had a vague idea of what I needed to find, but could it be found?  Could this be done in time? 

My fortieth birthday was quickly approaching, and I had still not purchased a birth-year wine to enjoy on my day. 

The mission:  find a 1974 wine of (hopefully) stellar quality to be shipped to my home in Wyoming…in the middle of one of the coldest winters in years.   Yes, I had work to do.

Wine is always a mystery.  From the time a grape begins to grow on the vine, the mystery of the weather, the animals, the harvest, the fermentation, and the aging all create a vast unknown of what a wine will be. Add to this decades in the bottle after the initial production and aging, and it is quite clear what a true gamble getting an excellent bottle of well-aged wine really is. 

Mystery one solved:  I found the wine I was looking for—a 1974 Fontanafredda Riserva Speciale Barolo.  I love the Nebbiolo grape, and I knew that Barolos age with grace…as I like to think I have been doing.  The wine was located. 

Fontanafredda Barolo Riserva Speciale 1974.

The shipping took several days to hash out since the wine was coming from NYC to Wyoming in weather that was not only reaching well below freezing, but even below zero.  My nerves started to twitch the instant I received the shipping notice that my birthday bottle’s journey across the cold U.S. was underway.

Mystery two solved:  the wine arrived unscathed.  The two-day shipping actually ended up being three, but that is another mystery when living in rural America:  when will the package actually arrive?  Upon arrival, the bottle was pristine. 

On the back of the bottle was a special sticker that this wine was purchased from a private collection.  The plot thickened.  Where had my bottle been for forty years?  I could easily trace my own path the past four decades, but what about this vino?  Had it been with just one owner before the specialty wine shop (where I made the purchase) bought the bottle?  Had it been passed from cellar to cellar, only to end up in Wyoming as part of a mile-stone birthday celebration?  Perhaps I will never know.

 

 

Beautiful bottle!

Mystery three solved:  the bottle opened easily.  I left the bottle out at room temperature about half an hour before opening.  I decanted the entire bottle, and the first glass we (hubby and I) had without filtering. 

There was so much beautiful sediment left in the bottle and still some light, tiny sediment particles in that first glass.  I was so nervous about whether the bottle was still alive that I feared filtering it might actually aerate the wine, and I wanted to do anything to make sure the wine still showed well.   After being poured in the glass, the color of beautiful brown, Fig-Newton filling reflected back at me--slightly hazy, but looking good with no visible flaws.  I was on pins and needles to see if my wine gamble had paid off!

Beginning to decant.

Fig Newton filling colored.

 

Slightly hazy, but a wonderful aged, brown tone.

 



Mystery four solved:  the wine was very aromatic (so much so my daughter said she could smell it all the way across our dining room table!). 

The first sniff was of fig and baked plum; then the smoke and campfire aromas came through.  Next was dull earth, then cedar and automotive garage.  The complexity of the wine made me smile.  The mystery was so close to being solved.  Would this wine live up to my expectations?

Aromatic on the nose.

 

Mystery five solved:  the wine drank beautifully!  The first touch of the wine on the tongue was the fig and baked plum from the nose.  This was followed by a punch of acid, making my mouth water.  The earth, green pepper, and herbaceous flavors led into a lengthy finish of baked plum, wood chips, and sawdust. 

 

Drinking wonderfully.

 

We opened the bottle at 8:35 p.m. and finished the first glass after 9:00.  I did filter and funnel the second glass since I was no longer worried about the flavor dissipating.  The second glass was just as good; in fact, my hubby liked it better at true room temperature.  We finished the second glass each (and bottle) two hours after the initial opening.  The wine still had so much life.  The fruit flavors were somewhat muted, but the acid, earth, herbs, and wood were shining through.   

My mission was accomplished:  even though I almost sabotaged my assignment, the mystery of the birth-year wine was solved. 

Like life, wine is such a mystery.  (I would say that life is like a bottle of wine, NOT like a box of chocolates.)  We never know what is coming in our future, just as wine producers do not exactly know what the future of their wines may be.  Even the best and most experienced winemakers must deal with the unknown of the weather, the birds, and the aging process.  Two bottles of wine stored right next to each other over the course of forty years may age differently. 

Twenty years ago I had no clue what I would be doing when I turned forty…except maybe feeling old.  Life will throw us all curve balls and take us down paths we could never have imagined.  We will face life, death, and the unknown.  But at the end of that path, we are like that mysterious bottle of wine--better for our aging, with so much left to show, not quite knowing what tomorrow--or the next day--will bring. So…bring.  It.  On!

Catching Fire--Firehouse Wine Cellars and Brewing

Long before at home-brew kits and microbreweries began to dot the landscape of small and large cities alike, Firehouse Brewing Company, located in the historic fire hall on Main Street Rapid City, opened its doors as the first microbrewery in the state of South Dakota.  In fact, at that time (1991), one had to drive hours and hours and cross several states before finding an establishment of its kind.  No, this isn’t another blog where I “cheat” on wine and talk about beer…although I could.  The Firehouse is doing a little cheating of its own by getting into the wine business and fermenting grapes behind the backs of all the hops it loves!

Starting the fire--Firehouse beer brewing.

 The affair with wine officially started over a year ago when Firehouse owner Bob and brewer Mike decided to continue their experiment of fermenting just about anything and add grapes to the mix.  They contracted with a vineyard outside of Rapid to produce Firehouse wines with South Dakota grapes.  Due to a hail storm this summer, and more ambition than originally planned, the local grapes were supplemented with California juice to produce quite a variety of white and red wines.  Brewer Mike now splits his time between the grapes and the hops as he continues his education through a California winemaker’s program.  Mike also receives on-the-job training from a consultant from California who has frequented South Dakota during the first vintage of Firehouse wines.  The consultant just spent time in Rapid to oversee the bottling of the California Syrah and will be back at the end of February to continue work on the wines.  March is the projected, and hopeful, release date of the inaugural vintage of Firehouse vino.

Wine making facilities; the original plan was only a tank or two! 

Basement barrel room.

The Sweet Sommelier and her sidekick in the barrel room.

Firehouse wines should have something for just about everyone.  Brianna and La Crescent, South Dakota hybrids, will make a lighter-bodied, off-dry wine, while an orange Muscat and a Gewürztraminer will be the sweet and citrusy whites.  Other whites will include the unique grape varieties of Chenin Blanc and Viognier.  Red wine lovers, don’t worry—there will be plenty for you, too!  Marquette and Frontenac, more South Dakota grapes, will start the list of dryer wines.  There will also be the usual and unique suspects of Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sangiovese.  A delicate rose from Grenache will round out the lineup of still wines.  I am also looking forward to the Port-style wine that is being barrel-aged until ready. 

 Tasting room area with tasting bar outlined in blue.

VIP room and additional tasting space.

The production and tasting areas are still works in progress.  The fermentation area sits behind the current Firehouse and upcoming tasting room.  The barrel room is in the actual basement under the historic buildings.  With the stone walls, this will eventually make a beautiful space for customers to see all steps in the wine-making process.  Future plans include staining the beams of this basement ceiling for better ambiance.  Though the tasting bar is currently under construction, the layout of the actual bar space is in place, and the storefronts will make a perfect new addition to downtown Rapid. 

Store front area--the future location of Firehouse Wines.

The Firehouse has been a trailblazer (fire pun intended) in the beer business in this area.  That spark has now started the fire for wine production.  Cheating on his great friend beer may keep Brewer Mike on his toes, but this new venture will fire up Black Hills wine lovers, just as Firehouse beer did for beer lovers two decades ago.  I am counting down to having yet another winery on the fast-growing Black Hills wine trail. 

It’s a Tough Job

Two years ago, my New Year’s wine resolution was to promote wine and wine-centric businesses in the Black Hills, Wyoming, and South Dakota.  In order to do this, I have traveled to different liquor stores, wine shops, restaurants, delis, kitchen-specialty stores, bars, wineries, and breweries.  All of these have been stops made on my own, many times without the business even knowing I was there or that I would eventually blog about my experience.  I have often teased what a “tough job” I have roaming the area to taste wine and eat food.  Many times, others have agreed with me, sometimes with a slight envious grin, sometimes tagging along with me on my journeys. However, as another wine-loving business (that I liked to frequent) closes, I realize I do, in fact, have a tough job!

First, Manchego, on downtown Rapid City’s square, closed and reopened as a Mexican restaurant.  I liked the idea of Manchego’s tapas style food, and I absolutely loved the idea of Machego’s automatic wine machine allowing customers the option to taste many different wines from the Enomatic. Granted, I know that running a restaurant efficiently is difficult, and something I know absolutely nothing about; I also know there were some problems with Manchego’s food, service, and prices that the new restaurant (under new ownership), Que Pasa, has overcome.  I never found the time to blog about Manchego before it closed, and always felt badly that I hadn’t done what I could to promote an establishment that promoted wine in the Black Hills.  (I have yet to blog about Que Pasa, only because now as a Mexican restaurant, it is a tequila bar, and other than my trips to Mexico, I am not a tequila expert…wink, wink!)

Now, Dakota Thyme, the backdoor neighbor to Machego/Que Pasa on Rapid’s square, has closed its doors. I did blog about Dakota Thyme and ranted about its great ambiance and wonderful food for breakfast and lunch.  It had a great revolving wine menu with the opportunity to purchase bottles for home consumption.  I really thought that it was a wonderful addition to downtown Rapid City and a wonderful addition to the wine community as well. 

Again, I realize I know absolutely nothing about what it takes to run a successful food-service business, but I do know I want to do what I can to help these businesses be a success.  I am sitting here wondering what I can do as a wine-lover to help other wine-lovers keep their favorite places alive and well.  I can be a good customer, I can be a good blogger, but what else can I do?  I will keep spreading the word, but I really am looking for suggestions.  If you have any, I would love to hear them.  You can leave them via this blog, my Facebook page (The Sweet Sommelier), or my e-mail (sweetsommelier@hotmail.com).  Promoting wine in a predominately rural area sounds like a fun job…and it is!  However, it is proving to be a tougher job than I thought. 

Let’s Hear It For My Girls!

Truer words were never spoken than when Plautus stated “Let us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words.” Looking for any reason to celebrate with good wine and great food, my gal pals and I convened for our annual Wine Wednesday Women Christmas soiree this weekend.  We love to spoil each other any chance we can, and this weekend it was my turn to celebrate sincere friendship with a wonderful group.
 

 The table was set full of wine glasses with care.

 

Santa's elf napkins and basil marked the seats for us there.

 

 





The Menu—Italian Inspired  

 

Course One:  Asiago, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses with Prosciutto and grapes
Wine Pairing:  Prosecco and Champagne
Taste:  Delizioso!

Course Two:  Green salad with Olive Garden Italian dressing
Wine Pairing:  Pinot Grigio (I assigned wines and guests brought their choice of the varietal)
Taste:  Fantastico!

Course Three:  Alfredo sauce with linguini and baked garlic chicken breasts
Wine Pairing:  Pinot Noir or Chardonnay
Taste:  Bello!

Course Four:  Mocha pots de crème
Wine Pairing:  Reeder Mesa Vineyards Grand Valley Port
Taste:  Perfetto!
 

Bubbles from Italy and France started off...

 

A cheese course with Prosciutto that left nothing to scoff.

 



Port and pots de crème was a pairing so dear...

 

If you have never made homemade Alfredo, try it soon.  It is not difficult, just time consuming to stir the sauce until the Parmesan cheese is melted smoothly.  It is the food of the Gods, mostly because it is cream, butter, and cheese.  Fabulously artery clogging! 

The dessert is my favorite part though.  Chocolate pots de crème tastes as if one has slaved over the delight for hours, when really it takes all of twenty minutes to complete.   

The Recipe

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. sugar
Dash of salt
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. instant coffee
 1 tsp. rum liquor (I think you can use cognac or brandy too.)
¾ cup hot milk
Raspberries
Whipped cream

Add all ingredients except for the hot milk in the blender; slowly add the
hot milk. Cover the blender to prevent splattering and mix well. Pour into demitasse cups or small ramekins. Refrigerate until set.  Garnish with real whipped cream and fresh raspberries.

I made a mocha version, using one half cup milk chocolate chips and one half cup dark chocolate chips and two teaspoons Kahlua instead of the rum and vanilla.  The dark chocolate and coffee flavors were an easy twist on an already super-simple final course. 

So whether your occasion to celebrate is Christmas or friendship (or because it is Tuesday), I hope you make wine and sweet words part of the fun.   Treat yourself and your loved ones to great food, good beverages, and wonderful laughter.  Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good wine!
 

It left us all smiling, filled with great Christmas cheer. 

Wine on a Whole New Level--Level Design Lounge

In a beautiful, historic stone building nestled on the corner of picturesque Main Street Spearfish, appreciation of wine and design is being taking to a whole new level in the northern Black Hills of South Dakota…pun intended.  Level Design Lounge acts as the anchor to a bustling downtown block, offering much for wine lovers and wine newbies to enjoy. 

Beautiful, historic stone buildings.

Inviting from the outside in.

Level’s wonderful ambiance starts before ever entering the door to the lounge.  The entire building (and those surrounding it) is constructed of large sandstone blocks, speaking of a simpler time.  The instant one enters, the décor is modern yet inviting at the same time.  A seating area of mosaic mirror-topped tables is near the bar, and other smaller seating areas are dotted throughout the lower level.  Home décor, jewelry, art, and wine supplies for purchase are found throughout.  The upper level is a true lounge area, sporting such comfy looking couches one can barely wait to grab a glass of wine downstairs before relaxing with a friend, chatting on the couches above. 

 Reusing wine bottles as interior art.

 Lounge area, ready for wine and relaxing. 

 What a beautiful interior!

Once settled in the comfort of the coolest space ever, now is the time for wine.  Level has a nice list of by-the-glass options, from white blends to Chardonnays to Pinot Noirs to Zinfandels, with many in between.  The by-the-bottle list is even more impressive for an establishment of its size.  Whether one is in the market for a reasonably priced Moscato or is going all out for a budget-breaking Opus One, the bottle choices have every aspect covered.  I particularly appreciated some very unique varietals not found just anywhere:  a Picpoul Blanc, a Gruner Veltliner, and a Cabernet Franc.  We all know that these wine choices deserve at least some finger foods for pairing.  Cheeses, meats, breads, olives, hummus, and chocolates make up combination plates to please any palate. 

 My wine and cheese.

Loved the glass top tables!

If a great atmosphere with excellent wine and light food options is not enough, Level is still the stop to make.  Its events are first class and are worth the drive from any spot in the Black Hills.  Level has fun holiday events, such as a masquerade for Halloween, but the establishment also hosts monthly wine tastings with musical entertainment; the event is open to the public, but free for members of Level’s wine club.  Level also holds some very, very special wine events.  Three winemakers have hosted tastings at level in the past six months—Gary Wooten of Croze-Wooten Wines, Sean Minor of Four Bears Wines, and Erik Miller of Kokomo Wines.  These one-of-a-kind events are so important in our somewhat remote area, offering attendees the ability to learn more about wine in order to appreciate wine on a whole new level…again, pun intended.  The upcoming Riedel and Reds event in December is yet another opportunity for Level to increase wine knowledge and enjoyment in our little area of the American west. 

 Your Sweet Sommelier with winemaker Gary Wooten.

Enjoying one of the wonderful seating areas at a winemaker tasting event.

Yes, Spearfish is one of the most beautiful and charming communities in the Black Hills.  Its quaint downtown made of gorgeous historic sandstone buildings is a site to see.  Though Spearfish boasts many businesses worth a stop, Level Design Lounge is also a must.  The inviting atmosphere from the moment one sees the building is only increased by the wine, small plates, and events.  This business is a Black Hills beauty and wins the award for helping wineauxs appreciate wine on a whole new level!

I am Thankful For…Local Wines

Thanksgiving is a meal filled with foods that have very diverse flavor profiles.  From the salty of ham to the savory of stuffing to the sweet of sweet potato casserole, this large meal can often be difficult to find the exact right wine for serving.  However, never fear!  There are many wines that pair well with all these flavors.  And since I am more of a Small Business Saturday than a Black Friday type of shopper, I have created a list of wines from our local winemakers to serve with all these foods!  Enjoy this wonderful holiday and promote local wines all at the same time!

Naked Winery tasting rooms—Custer and Hill City, SD

Naked’s Riesling and Gewürztraminer are aromatic, off-dry white wines that will pair well with both the turkey and the ham on the Thanksgiving table.  The savory stuffing and flavored mashed potatoes would also present a nice contrast pairing with these white wines.  Though white wines tend to be more prominent during this feast, it is always nice to have a red wine option for red wine lovers, so Naked Pinot Noir or Dominatrix Pinot Noir would be an option.  The lighter-bodied red wines would go with the turkey, stuffing, and green bean casserole due to the more robust flavors of these types of foods.

Naked wines are beautiful in the bottle and the glass.



Stone Faces Winery—Hill City, SD

Pasque, made from Frontenac and Niagara grapes, is a semi-sweet wine with a pink color that will look beautiful on a table filled with abundant fall colors.  Beyond a color match, the slight sweetness will be a nice contrast pairing with the ham, stuffing, potatoes, and gravy. Red wine lovers have an option from Stone Faces as well, the 2013 Sturgis Merlot.  This is a lighter-bodied Merlot, produced more in the style of Pinot Noir.  Because of the lighter style, it would match with the flavorful dishes served. 

Though the bottle is the 2011, the glass on the right is the 2013 Merlot, a lighter-bodied red for Thanksgiving.

Prairie Berry Winery—Hill City, SD

Prairie Berry fruit wines are great options for Thanksgiving dinner.  The Pumpkin Bog is a match made in heaven for the fall festival of food.  Slightly sweet, this wine goes with the salty ham, savory dressing, and creamy potatoes with gravy.  Cranberry and Lawrence Elk (black currant) wines will pair well with this meal for the same reasons. Also of note is the ability to mull wines to enjoy during the Thanksgiving holiday.  All three of the above mentioned wines are great mulled with cinnamon, all spice, and orange slices. 



Cranberry, perfect color and flavor for Thanksgiving food. 

 



Belle Joli Winery—Belle Fourche and Deadwood, SD

Belle Joli’s LaLure wine (La Crescent blend) is a wonderful off-dry wine that would contrast pair with the salty and savory choices of ham, turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and green bean casserole.  It would also go well with the cranberry sauces and chutneys served.  With all of this talk of the main meal, dessert wines to pair with Thanksgiving sweets are also very important.  Belle Joli’s Pear and Peach dessert wines are made to have the same sugar content of traditional ice wines; they will pair well with pumpkin, apple, and berry pies.  A wonderful treat before the tryptophan induced nap.



La Lure, a great pairing for many foods!

 



I must not forget my Wyoming wine friends!

Table Mountain Vineyards—Huntley, WY

Table Mountain’s Cowgirl Blush, with its super cute cowgirl label, would accompany the traditional savory flavors and smells of Thanksgiving.  Its slightly pink color will also look wonderful in a pretty glass as part of the formal table setting.  If looking for a unique twist to the serving of traditional wine, Table Mountain has its Wyoming Nectar, mead (honey wine) spiced with cinnamon.  What a great option for the traditional meal.



Table Mountain Vineyard's Wyoming wines.

 

Buffalo Jump Winery—Cody, WY

Buffalo Jump’s slightly crisp Chardonnay would be a wonderful pairing for all the creaminess of the Thanksgiving meal found in the butters and gravies scattered around the table.  Buffalo Jump also has a new Riesling that would pair well.  Rieslings follow the contrast pairing and are a traditional standby for Thanksgiving dinners. I wish I could get my hands on a bottle of Buffalo Jump Riesling to pair with my meal; however, I have to wait yet one more week to try it!



Chardonnay as part of a great line of Buffalo Jump wines.

 



Though pairing wines with the traditional Thanksgiving fare can be slightly tricky, one doesn’t have to look any further than the local wineries of the Black Hills and Wyoming to find great options for the meal.  Whether you enjoy Black Friday or not, do a little early Small Business Saturday shopping at one of these great wineries.  All have wonderful options for every aspect of the bountiful feast you will be serving or attending on Thursday.  Cheers to a wonderful holiday with family and friends. And please be thankful for local wines!

The Most Important Part--Belle Joli Winery

Art.  Craft.  Career.  Way of life.  Winemaking is many things to many people.  To the people who love and drink wine, sometimes winemaking seems like this supernatural voodoo where grapes are turned into a magical potion that tingles our taste buds and lifts our spirits.  However, the people that make wine know what is really behind the magic of wine.  Over the summer, I have learned some of what it takes to make wine:  passion, curiosity, patience.  But all of these are not enough.  The most important element is still missing.  That element is good, old-fashioned, hard work!

At the beginning of October, I had the honor of helping with my very first harvest for Belle Joli Winery of Belle Fourche, South Dakota.  Husband-wife team Matthew and Choi Jackson, Belle Joli vintner and CFO, are a wonderful wine story.  Matthew was raised in and graduated from high school in Belle Fourche.  His wine-loving dad and brother are both dentists.  When Matthew graduated with an undergrad degree in chemistry, his family fully expected him to go on to dental school and join the family business.  But Matthew had been listening to his parents throughout his childhood.  He heard his dad, John, and his mom, Patty, always reminisce about their early married years when they joked they considered making wine in California in the 1970s, before California was the wine Mecca it is now.  He listened to their love and appreciation of wine. And he took it to heart.  Instead of dental school, Matthew announced he was going to enology school at California State Fresno.  There he met Choi and eventually convinced her to come back to South Dakota with him to make wine.  The rest is wine history.    

The first vines were planted in 2000, right in the middle of Belle Fourche, just a few blocks away from Matthew's parents’ home.  This small plot made the first vintages of Belle Joli wines.  As the wine business expanded, more vines were planted outside of town in 2004 and 2007.  Just last year, additional vines were planted outside of Sturgis, South Dakota, at the future location of a new, modern tasting room that will be built. 

Belle Joli's Marquette vines in the early morning, with bird nets and natural pest control (geese). 

The grapes I was helping to pick were from the vines outside of Belle Fourche planted in 2004.  When I showed up at 8:00 a.m. to begin picking, Matthew and a crew of two had already been at work for some time removing the bird netting from the LaCrescent and Frontenac Gris vines.  They were first using a tractor to help with the hundreds and hundreds of feet of netting, but when there was a glitch, they removed the rest by hand.  Belle Joli is truly a family business; the crew helping pick was made up of Matthew’s mom, dad, sister-in-law, family friends (some have been helping pick for ten years), neighbors, and even a local university dance team! Matthew and Choi’s nieces and nephews were also running through the vineyard, exchanging our filled tubs of grapes with empty tubs.  After homemade caramel rolls for breakfast, served by Choi and Patty, we picked for eight hours, with a break for sandwiches and homemade brownies for lunch. 

Early morning vines with netting.

Hardworking winemaker Matthew removing the nets so harvest can begin. 

John Jackson towing the grape harvest.

The weather was beautifully warm for a fall day, and I thoroughly enjoyed my day picking.  However, when I was done picking, I was done for the day.  Winemaker Matthew’s work for the day was just beginning. He delivered the grapes to the winery and began the process of destemming and crushing the harvest.  Choi said he would work well into the night and have a crazy week or so processing and fermenting the grapes.  The second harvest was planned for two weeks later, and I was in line to harvest the still-growing Marquette grapes.  But in typical destructive Mother Nature fashion, a huge October snow storm unleashed itself on the Black Hills.  The day before harvest, over 40 inches of snow fell in Belle Fourche, moving harvest back…one whole day.  Those in the industry realize that even though I was snowed in at my home, safe and warm away from the incredible blizzard, hard-working winemakers like Matthew have no such luxury.  As soon as the roads opened, those Marquette grapes had to come off the vines. I am sure this harvest wasn’t nearly as beautiful or fun as when I picked two weeks before, but it was a must for Matthew and family.  Luckily, the grapes were not damaged from the storm and harvest was completed without any more disasters.  Matthew and Choi continued the hard work that is their passion, curiosity, career, craft, and love.     

Your Sweet Sommelier harvesting the LaCrescent grapes. 

Bountiful LaCrescent vines.

Though wine seems like such a romantic beverage (and believe me, it truly is), there is nothing but hard work behind that beverage.  Wine drinkers need to let go of the idea that winemakers sip wine in beautiful vineyards at sunset and in front of glistening fireplaces in the dark.  The true vision of a winemaker is of someone who gets up well before dawn and works well after midnight.  Winemakers are apt to have purple-stained fingers, calloused hands, and tired backs.  They also have a hard-working family or crew behind them, both figuratively and literally, making the dream a reality.  I have seen the passion, curiosity, and patience winemakers possess, but ultimately, all of these aspects of the business are nothing unless hard work comes into play!  Thank you, winemakers, for all your work.  I toast to every one of you!

My after-harvest meal--thank you Matthew, Choi, John, Patty, and crew!

Wine and the Outdoors

I’m one of those people who hates camping.  I mean I loathe it!  Yes, I’ve tried it…no, a nice camper doesn’t make it better.  In fact, it makes it worse.  (Being lined up next to a hundred of my closest strangers in a campground makes me cringe.)  The idea of no flushing toilets and no hot shower frightens me a bit.  (And no, I’m no city slicker; I’m a ranch kid from Wyoming.)  I just don’t like experiencing the outdoors in this fashion.  However, I do LOVE the outdoors.  Yes, I know this seems a little counterintuitive, but I could spend all day outside on a lake, on a trail, or on a mountain, but I want to come inside to shower and go to bed!   When I do spend this time with Mother Nature, I prefer to have wine be a part of it. 

Mother Nature and wine...the perfect pairing! 

Wine and the outdoors tip one:  invest in a wine carrier.  There are multiple ways to carry wine outside.  The industry has expanded beyond the regular glass bottle as a wine receptacle.  Some wineries are using lighter wine containers for environmental and weight purposes.  Plastic wine bottles, wine bags, single-serving portions, and wine boxes all weigh less and take up less space for hiking, biking, swimming, camping, or boating getaways.  However, if outdoors people go with one of these options, like Copa Divino or Bota Box wines, they are at the mercy of the varietal, type, and style of wines those producers make.  However, I like more flexibility in my wine choices than just having to drink the wines a few producers make and put in lighter weight containers.  The answer to this problem is the Platypus brand PlatyPreserve.  This is my favorite weapon in my wine and hiking arsenal.  I pull the wine of my choice, pour it into my PlatyPreseve, put it in my backpack, and head to the hills!  It holds exactly one 750 ml (milliliter) bottle of wine, is light weight, and is easy to carry.   

The Platypus brand PlatyPreserve.

Wine and the outdoors tip two:  invest in portable wine glasses.  Just like there are differing ways to carry wine outside, there are several options for drinking wine outside.  Again, some producers like Copa and Bota Box create individual serving sizes of wine making it so no actual glass is needed.  However, the same negative issue happens again—the wines to choose from are then quite limited to what a few producers make.  Thankfully, light weight and unbreakable “glasses” have come a long way.  GSI Outdoors produces nesting glasses where the stem unscrews from the bowl of the glass and then snaps inside the bowl for easy traveling.  GSI also makes stemless glasses out of strong plastic and both stemmed and stemless glasses out of stainless steel.  The GoVino stemless glasses come in white, red, and sparkling styles and are made with appropriate bowl sizes and shapes for each style of wine.  The plastic is thin yet durable, mimicking the thinness of crystal stemware.  The newest outdoor drinkware option is the wine tumbler (made by numerous companies).  This drinkware has a wine glass shape inside the outside tumbler with the sippy, travel coffee mug style lid.  I have all of these kinds of glasses.  My favorite is the GoVino because out of these glasses, wines taste and smell closer to how they would in actual glass stemware.  Outdoor glassware is essential to enjoying wine in nature!



The GoVino red (top) and the GSI Outdoors nesting glass (bottom).

 

Wine and the outdoors tip three:  keep food simple.  Let nature and the wine do most of the work to create an elaborate experience for your hike or picnic.  The food needs to be simple and easy to carry.  Fresh cut fruit, aged cheeses, and flavored crackers are enough to nibble on while sitting in a picturesque setting.  If a more elaborate meal is the goal, make sandwiches on focaccia bread with garlic-basil aioli, lunch meat, tomato, and fresh mozzarella.  Dessert can be as simple as homemade cookies, ‘smores bars, or chocolate chunks.  These simple yet flavorful items are not only easy to prepare, but, more importantly, are also easy and lightweight to pack, making them the perfect outdoor cuisine. 

 

Simple and flavorful foods.

 

Wine and the outdoors final tips:  Don’t forget to think about the temperature of the wine at the time it will be consumed.  If I’m hiking on a warm day, I usually chill red wines until they are quite cold, pour in my Platypus, and put in my pack.  That way, the wine warms while hiking and is proper temperature when ready to sip.  For white wines, I chill until extremely cold, sometimes putting the wine in the freezer for a period of time before pouring in the Platypus, and then I even put a freezer pack around the outside of the PlatyPreserve during the hike so the wine stays cold the entire time.  Yes, this is some extra weight to carry, but it is very worth it for a chilled white wine.  These steps would not necessarily be needed if the weather was chilly.  Finally, I like to keep all of my hiking and outdoor wine supplies together so I don’t forget anything during an outdoor excursion.  It really is a bummer to pack wine four miles only to find there are no glasses for drinking!  (Yes, this has happened to me before; yes, I found a way to overcome that obstacle…haha!)

Don't forget your outdoor glasses!  (It causes desperate measures.)

 

The number of summer days is waning, and winter is just around the corner.   Though you won’t find me scurrying to get in my last days of camping as I feel fall’s nip in the air, you will find me trying to get into nature as many times as possible before Old Man Winter steals Mother Nature’s welcoming weather.  Whether you prefer to hike a beautiful trail, bike through the hills, or camp on a lake, now is the time to enjoy the outdoors!  Make wine a part of your nature experience—it makes all aspects of the outdoors that much more pleasant. 



Cheers to Mother Nature!