For two months I traveled the plains, driving sometimes 12 hours a day trying to stay ahead of the severe weather. From Texas to Wyoming and everywhere in between, I took in weather and landscapes I've never seen the likes of. The abundant free time I've grown accustomed to was no where to be found. Browsing wine blogs and reading up on all the latest headlines took a back back seat to work and sleep.
After a grueling day with the crew we'd stop at the local liquor stores to help ease the road rage we had and to keep some sort of social interaction that we were used to in NYC. I immediately noticed even before I left Colorado that most states had their own wineries. It was in Colorado that I picked up a few bottles of local Cabernet Franc which made me feel right at home. I've since drank one of them. It was from the Grand Valley region and it was pretty good. I poured it for a couple non wine geek coworkers and they enjoyed it as well. Along the way I picked up bottles from Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and South Dakota. It was also in a few of these states that I learned what 3-2 beer is. In some states the beer sold at grocery stores and gas stations can only have as much as 3.2% alcohol. That's when I would go straight to whiskey. I can only assume that before this 3-2 law went into affect that these states must have been like the wild wild west with intoxicated people causing constant havoc and unrest.
Since I've been back I've drank my share of wine. I went tasting in Northern Michigan, Western New York, the Finger Lakes, and Long Island. My appreciation for white wine has grown this summer, and I can't help but think the Finger Lakes and Ontario wines influenced that. I'm hoping to review some wines and wineries I stopped at in Michigan and New York soon. My Cab Franc collection has tripled and I intend on reporting on my day to day fickleness in my taste for my favorite grape. Although my wine fridge hit 100 degrees during the 10 day blackout in Queens, I'm banking on the fact that it's the severe temperature change that ruins wine and not just a week of hot temps. My daily wine blog reading is close to pre tornado season levels and my storm prediction center trolling has eased up.
You were here on the East End tasting and you didn't tell me! How dare you ;)
Seriously though...let me know next time.
Posted by: Lenn | August 24, 2006 at 10:43 AM