Happy Holidays from Red Wine Reminiscence!

I wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas or any other celebration in which you partake. Thank you so much for reading my wine blog.

I'm taking the week off, but I will be back next week with more tales about my wine adventures. I have many more to add after the holiday.

I hope your holiday is filled with peace and joy and delicious wines.

Davenport Mandolin

A friend of mine took me on the 2011 Kaw Valley Farm Tour back in October. It was a gorgeous fall day, and I got to spend a lot of it outdoors while we explored farms and local groceries. And, amazingly, Davenport Orchards and Winery.

Believe it or not, there are vineyards and wineries in Kansas. I was a bit surprised by this information, myself. When I discovered that there was one just outside of town, I got pretty excited. I was just starting to get into my wine tastings when I was introduced to this tidbit.

Dozens of people were milling around when we arrived. We made our way inside and pushed through the crowd up to where they were giving out free samples. They let us sample five different wines, from their driest to their sweetest, and my favorite was dead center: the Mandolin.

This wine is made from sweet red grapes, and definitely is more of a dessert wine than one you'd have with a meal. It was even too sweet for me to drink while writing. It has a pretty robust flavor, and might be a good choice for those who don't normally like red wine.

After the tasting, we listened to a talk about how they process the grapes, and then went on a hay rack ride around the vineyard. It was so beautiful and peaceful out there. Our tour guide mentioned that they took volunteers to help pick grapes when they were ready, and that their last batch of the season would be ready the following week.

I was out there the next weekend to pick. It was a perfect morning for it. The weather could not have cooperated better. I tagged along with a couple and we chatted while we snipped plump bunches of shiny purple grapes and plopped them into huge tubs. I stayed long enough to prune two long rows. I was scraped and sticky and sunburned by the end, but it was a fabulous feeling of accomplishment. It's exciting to think that someday the grapes I picked that Saturday will be turned into wine.

Columbia Crest Grand Estates Amitage 2008

Finished up the Cotes Du Rhone last night during a pity party that took place with Luigi and her boyfriend over video chat. Before the pity party commenced, I shared a couple of glasses of Beaujolais Nouveau at a friend's house. It was good wine, but simple, and it made me realize how complex the Cotes Du Rhone was. Heavy. Dry. Not especially appropriate for a pity party, I've decided.

But that's not what this entry is about. This entry is about the lovely Amitage, a red blend from Columbia Valley, Columbia Crest Grand Estates. A bottle of 2008. This lovely red was smooth with a grapey aftertaste. Not too many of the dry wines I've tried have any grape flavor left, and this one was absolutely delicious because of it. I wonder if it was the blend or the age that gave it that flavor. I might have to do some research.

The cute liquor store guy who checked me out (at the register, kids) said it was his favorite wine of the month for November. In hindsight, I'm pretty sure he was flirting with me. I guess I was just too excited about my wine purchase to notice.

It proved to be a perfect wine for November, too. It helped me through my toughest National Novel Writing Month yet. On those nights I didn't think I could write another word, I'd hop in the region's chatroom with my glass of Amitage, and we'd laugh and joke and do word sprints. It was the cause of many typos that we affectionately referred to as the "Nano wine monkeys."

And when November drew to a close and I wrote the last word of my sixth winning Nanowrimo novel, I raised my last glass of Amitage to toast my success.

This is definitely one of my favorites so far.

Chateau Montfaucon Cotes du Rhône 2009

Last week was Thanksgiving: a day dedicated food, family, and fun (and football, grumble). My brother and I made pumpkin cookies with caramel frosting to bring to dinner at my Grandpa's that day, and they turned out amazing.

I also brought a bottle of wine, suggested by Cork & Barrel as a splendid compliment for a turkey dinner: the Chateau Montfaucon Cotes du Rhone 2009. This wine was a gorgeous blood red color, which was a nice surprise after all of the deep purples I've been drinking lately. It has a tart finish, pleasantly heavy on the tongue. And true to their word, it did offset the turkey perfectly. I was worried it might be too dry to stand on its own, but it went down smoothly even after the meal was over.

Unfortunately, I felt a little uncomfortable bringing it. I enjoyed it very much, as did Dad and his girlfriend, Diane, however it made me feel a bit like a lush. Nobody else drank any. I realized after the fact that it might have been in poor taste to bring it. My aunt, my Dad's sister (and Grandpa's daughter), was an alcoholic, and it was her disease that finally took her from us. It was a few years ago, but it's still a sensitive situation. I don't think I will make the same mistake again. It was insensitive of me. Wine will be reserved for gatherings outside of the extended family in the future, maybe when I host my own Thanksgiving dinner someday.

The other unfortunate occurrence was that I revealed my wine ignorance. My uncle asked about what grapes it had been made from, and I couldn't remember. I knew it came from a number of different grapes, so he said it was a blend. Well, yes, of course it is, but in my ignorance I tried to argue the fact. Thankfully I am taking it as a learning experience, and I plan on being better educated about the wine I bring to a gathering next time.

This bottle of wine has certainly been a learning experience, both in matters of wine and family.

Not all stories have a happy ending, and neither do wine stories, apparently.

Still a damn fine bottle of wine, though.