The Big Boys: The remarkable lineup of large format red wines at Aspen’s of Grape and Grain, consisting of rosés from Whispering Angel, Domaines Ott and Domaine Tempier together with sweet deals with from Château d’Yquem.
Kelly J. Hayes
First, let me say I believe the very best method to not make a significant change in a behavior is to set a New Year’s resolution to in fact make that modification. New Year’s resolutions practically invariably stop working to work as planned. A minimum of for me.
But, having said that, now that we are a week into 2023 (Can you believe it?), I’m going to head out on the proverbial limb and share a few ideas on things that may well make your new red wine year a bit much better.
The objective is to suggest a couple of actions– not resolutions per se– that are implied to assist you get the most out of the world of wine in the coming year. Some need a little work, however many are simple things that are fun to do and may just offer memories that last.
The first thing that any wine enthusiast should deal with to do is Consume More White wines. That is not an admonition to consume more. But rather, a suggestion to attempt a higher variety of white wines. It is so simple to enter into a white wine rut, where we only consume the white wines we know. We end up denying ourselves of excellent tastes and fantastic stories. You may like California chardonnay, for example, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, however you probably buy all of it the time.
There are so many other white-wine choices to try from around the globe that it seems a pity to not sometimes branch off. How about a lavish Viognier from the Condrieu region of France or maybe a crisp Godello from Galicia in Spain or an Aligoté from Burgundy? Not just are these grapes a little more difficult to pronounce, they can also provide a bit more experience for those who attempt seek them out. And, if you do, so your view of the red wine world might broaden.
If you do decide to be daring, make your mark by putting it in composing. That’s right, doodle a wine note. How many times have you read a tasting note that you believed was just silly? Pretentious evaluations that are relatively composed to intimidate rather than inform.
Well, turn that around, and Compose a Tasting Note. It’s simple: Simply put a glass, take a taste, and put pen to paper, making a note of what you like or don’t like about the wine. Observe the color, and provide it a name, offer the red wine a great smell, and explain what fruits or other fragrances you smell. Take a sip, and describe in a few words what it tastes like. You are your own best critic; you know what you like. Put it on paper. It is a process that will help you pay more attention to the red wines you like and clarify why you like them. Don’t try to be like basic white wine notes. Simply compose what you believe. Sutcliffe
Vineyards stands alone in Southwest Colorado, happily producing red wines from the Four Corners region.Sutcliffe Vineyards|Special to the Daily|OK, so now that you are trying various white wines and focusing enough
to blog about them, it’s time to Visit a Colorado Vineyard. We are fortunate here in Aspen to be simply a couple of hours away from emerging red wine areas in the West Elks and Grand Valley wine appellations. Plan this summertime(The majority of the wineries open towards the last weekend in May)to take a drive over Highway 133 to Paonia and Hotchkiss, where you can go to a number of wineries and tasting spaces including Qutori, Stone Cottage Cellars, and The Storm Cellar. There, you can learn about how the high-altitude vines that are producing a few of the best wines in
the state. Turn your sights toward Palisade and the Grand Junction location, and you’ll find Colorado’s largest red wine area, the Grand Valley AVA. A stop at Colterris Winery is the closest thing you’ll discover in the state to a Napa Valley experience. Learn about hybrid grape ranges at Sauvage Spectrum Estate Vineyard and winery as you drink some bubbles. Or, climb into the front seat at Carboy Winery’s recently-opened center at the Mt. Garfield Estate. In fact, this may be the year to travel beyond the state, also, and Explore a New Wine Area. Numerous of us here in Aspen are road warriors– why not connect a trip to
a new area in with your routine travels? Going to San Diego for some surfing? Strategy an adventure in Baja’s emerging Valle de Guadalupe white wine area , less than 100 miles south of the border. Seattle on your travel plan? Then, rent a cars and truck, and take the drive to Walla and take in the outstanding wines of Eastern Washington. If Europe is on the agenda, carve out a couple of days to immerse yourself in one of the epic red wine regions that are a little additional afield, say the sloping Mosel River area in Germany, France’s Alsace or Friuli, and
Veneto in Italy where the Prosecco wines are made. Satisfying winemakers face to face and strolling the vineyards will offer never-forget-em white wine experiences that will last a lifetime. If you can’t take a real journey, then the next best thing is to travel in a glass. And, it’s easy to do simply that if you Store at the Local Red Wine Stores. Once again, living here in the Roaring Fork Valley, we have a fantastic collection of red wine shops– all with red wines from around the globe
. Drop in Jimbo’s in Basalt, and ask Gonzo for a recommendation from his native Argentina. Snowmass Liquors has a comprehensive choice of Rosé white wines from both hemispheres that you can compare andcontrast. And, 4 Dogs in El Jebel sorts their white wines by their native land. Purchase local this year instead of doing the Costco shuttle bus or shopping online. Another way to fulfill winemakers and sommeliers without hitting the road is to Go to the Food & Red Wine Classic in Aspen. It’s simply another advantage of living here. Each June, white wine professionals from worldwide find their method to our mountain hamlet to put the best of their products. If you have a ticket to the Classic, it’s a real possibility to taste a lot of
the most amazing red wines and satisfy their makers. If you don’t have a ticket, do what many other residents do, and volunteer to work the event. It is a terrific way to get associated with Aspen’s premier summertime gathering. There are individuals, a number of whom love to go shopping in your area, who check out wineries and go to occasions like the Food & White wine Classic yet dislike what they view to be the pretentiousness of the white wine. This year, let’s all make a resolution to Cut the Judgment and Lose the Intimidation when drinking or discussing red wine. Wine should be– and is– an elixir that brings
individuals together and joins. There is no place for those who use their understanding of red wine to lessen others ‘pleasure. Be positive individuals. White wine is for everybody. And lastly, I hope that, in 2023, you take the time to Learn more About Red wine. Be it in this column, the white wine press, or online. It may a little bit of a self-serving demand, but there is worth to reading and learning more about white wine, and it will boost your enjoyment of the topic by getting to know about individuals, locations, and things that make white wine unique. You need not solve to do any of these, but, if you do, it ought to make for
a much better red wine year. Duckhorn Red wine. Kelly J. Hayes