I’m not going to tell you you should exercise and eat well. You know you should. I’m going to tell you to change something to challenge yourself to expand something…. somehow! You can do it through your taste buds. Did you know that some pundits are saying that floral flavors will be coming into vogue? So wine is not just grapes anymore and beer is not just grain based lager. Pumpkin spice is out, and flowers and fruits are in.
Here’s an idea. Try a fruit wine. Yes… a fruit wine. Better yet, try a fruit wine aged in a brandy or a port barrel. Nothing fusty and old fogeyish about that. As a matter of fact, millennials are jumping on the bandwagon and actively seek fruit and flower flavors in their beverages. If you are a wine connoisseur, you’ve been on that kick for some time anyway. You’ve gone to considerable effort to find a pinot with cherry back notes and a hint of plum. What if you could actually drink a fruit wine made of actual cherries and actual plums? Not that much of a change, but a whole new world will open up for you.
I’m getting old; 67…. way older than I thought I could be. My days of traveling to Slovenia to taste the way they craft their wine and cheese are over. Heck I need to go only to flat places because the hills actually hurt my knees and back; even little hills; tiny hills. But my tongue can take me into a new universe. I just discovered a small winery called Botanist and Barrel in North Carolina. Small batches, regular new releases; and the wines are made from locally sourced fruits using the same methods old world crafted wines are made. Some are barrel aged and as beautifully balanced as the best grape based wines.
Maybe you have a fruit wine producer or a cider maker in your neck of the woods. Try their products. What do you have to lose; aside from your right to be a snobby snarky old school aficionado of what you’ve been doing for years? Actually, I didn’t just discover Botanist and Barrel. I’ve been tasting their stuff since they opened. I didn’t want you to know that I’m vested in them. I think of the winemakers as though they were my own kids. In fact, they are my own kids. Take it from their proud papa. These wines will awaken your palate and your lust for life; the closest to actual lust I’m able to get these days. They have a little tasting room where you can try flights before you buy off 86 North in Cedar Grove on the way from Hillsborough to Danville. If you live near the Triangle, they are probably within an hour’s drive.
