-Keep it simple (stupid)...
-Make sure it is something you enjoy or that is fun...
-Group participation helps motivation and adds a layer of fun to the task...
So, this year I have decided to try two different wines a month. After living in Ithaca for a year and a half, I have developed a taste for wine, especially good wine. However, living in Maryland (a state not known for good wine...)has cut down on the amount of good wine I drink. That being said, I decided I needed to be more adventurous and try wines, even kinds I am not known to enjoy. The guidelines for this challenge are that the two wines must be either A) a kind of wine I've never tried before (i.e. Riesling, blushes, Cab Sav, etc...) or B) from a winery I've not had a particular wine from (i.e. I can have Riesling from two different places...)and C) I have to review them in the month following. The purpose of this exercise is to not only broaden my wine horizons, but to also truly discover what I like and what I don't. It's the only way to be sure...
The first wine up for review is the 2007 Riesling from the Sun Garden winery in Germany. This wine was a delight, as Tara and I had a bottle on a date once and now it's become a wine of choice (especially when New York Riesling is unavailable to us...). Germany is the right climate for this kind of wine and Sun Garden doesn't disappoint. It has a wonderful floral nose that transfers well into the fruity tones within the mouth. Unlike some wines like this which finish poorly despite a promising start, the Riesling finishes very clean and refreshing. This wine would be paired well with a variety of foods, from fruits and cheese to light luncheon foods. Also, I have enjoyed this wine all on it's own...
The second wine of January has become a personal favorite (though it isn't true for others I know...). The wine in question is the 2008 Moscato from the Beringer winery in California. From the first glass of this wine, I was hooked. It bears many similarities to another favorite wine, the Pasa Tiempo from Six Mile in Ithaca, so it isn't surprising how I enjoy this. Like the Riesling prior, it has a bit of a floral nose, but the taste and texture is very sweet and reminiscent of honey. The Moscato also finishes very refreshing, not cloyingly sweet as some similar sweet wines. The muscat grape is known for producing very grape-y, very sweet wines, but this wine lacks the grape flavor and transforms into a very delightful experience. However, because of its inherent sweetness, this wine is best used as or during desert. Also because of it's sweetness, it is easy to overdo the amount you drink. Not that I've done this...That's all for now. February's wines have already been selected and are pending review. While I won't reveal what they are yet, I will say they are not as enjoyable as January's wines, but that's sort of the point. I actually hope I find as many wines as I don't like as those I do. That way I can actually go to restaurants and pick out a wine I like and can recommend to my friends...
