Missing Children on Wine Bottles?

I was looking at my Wine Spectator magazine a few days ago, and while perusing the advertisements had a thought—scary, huh? I actually thought it pretty good. Instead of using milk cartons to post pictures of missing kids, why not use wine bottles?

I mean after all, not many of my friends drink a lot of milk except with a hunk of chocolate cake or a bowl of cereal. (Barb, if you are reading this, I know you drink a lot of milk, but you do your share of wine as well).

Many of my friends do drink a lot of wine, which means there are different bottles coming in on a regular basis which creates the opportunity for a lot more photos. Additionally, I have often seen some stare at the bottle for long periods of time when it was empty so that is another good sign that this would generate interest.

Now, admittedly, there is a downside to this because after a few glasses of wine, one may think she has seen a certain kid when really she hasn’t or suddenly thinks she recognized the kid on the Pinot Noir bottle from the night before, and goes rummaging through the trash—outside, in the dark, at midnight!

But I think the possibilities are endless, and this could even open the door to other projects like, “GOT WINE?” where celebrities could have their photos made with a red wine mustache and donate the money to the Missing Children Foundation.

And since we are all so into being politically correct these days, it might appease PETA by our milking fewer cows, thus causing less “cow stress.” After all, we haven’t started feeling sorry for the lowly grape yet, or at least I don’t think so, but that might not be too far down the road.

Yes, I am beginning to ramble and sound utterly, or is it udderly, silly. But no, I have not been drinking wine. Not yet, anyway!!

Friend Helen & Keeping Faith

I am blessed to have met people from all over the world, and many I continue to correspond with on a regular basis. I love hearing from them in emails or on Facebook. Somehow, just hearing from them brings back the memories of the trip where we met, and I am able to re-live that experience and the mutual fun times. Of course, it is also nice when they send me a photo, holding a copy of my book. Not only is it great to know the book is in a faraway place, but that my friend has read it and shared that experience as well.

I met Helen (in the photo) and her husband Paul on a sixteen day trip to England, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland three or four years ago—I lose count of the time these days. Together with their friends, Ann and Dewayne, who all hail from Prince Edward Island, Canada, we saw places like Stratford on Avon, the Ring of Kerry, Oxford, the great cities of London, Edinburgh and Dublin, and the list goes on. That’s the trip where I kissed the Blarney Stone (and just knew I was going to fall backwards 200 feet—hey, it’s not easy kissing that stone!) and tasted Haggis, the nastiest stuff I have ever set my teeth into. But since it is supposedly the national dish of Scotland, I forced a bite of the dish made from “sheep pluck,” which is, in essence, heart, liver and lungs minced with onions, spices, and oatmeal. It took a lot of wine to wash that down.

Actually, the wine is how we all became friends, along with Rachel and Duke who are from Illinois, but winter at South Padre Island. We raised our glasses many times on that Great Britain and Ireland excursion, and I am so glad we had that opportunity. Thanks for the memories, Helen, and for reading the book!!

New Vineyards in Mesilla Valley

In the last blog, A Play Day of Wine Tasting, I began my wine tasting journey along Highway 28, just northwest of El Paso. Yes, El Paso! I know it seems an unlikely place for vineyards, but they are popping up in the Mesilla Valley, and people are flocking to the wineries to enjoy the cozy ambiance, to engage in friendly conversations over a good glass of locally-made wine, and to raise their glasses to a relatively new activity in this part of the southwest.  Although wine was first introduced and planted at Catholic missions along the Camino Real almost four hundred years ago, most of the wineries are relatively new.

After the second winery and visit to the “pecan shop,” we ventured down the road to Rio Grande Vineyards, and the newest tasting room in the area. This was my favorite of the three wineries we visited, partly because it was the busiest and the wine was extremely good (especially for New Mexico wine) and mainly because the owner/wine maker was so sincerely friendly and informative.

He obviously enjoys what he does, and since he comes from a long line of New Mexico farmers and wine makers, he knows the history of the area, and he shares it with unfettered enthusiasm. He appeared excited to pour something of every wine he had, and explain how it was made and how he gave it the special taste that it yielded.

The tasting room is quite nice, with a beautiful view of the Organ Mountains. The tall wooden stools make the experience more enjoyable since one can prop up on them and comfortably sip the wine and enjoy the stories of the recently retired Air Force proprietor who makes you feel welcomed and appreciated for sharing part of your day.

After a considerably lengthy stay, we decided that if we were going to see the little historic village of Old Mesilla as had been recommended by numerous locals, we had better pull our derrieres off the tall stools and be on our merry way. With two bottles of white and one red wine in tow, we did just that.

Only five miles down the road from the winery, the plaza of the colonial capital of the Doña Ana Land Grant, was an easy find. It is a sleepy little tourist spot, but a fun and interesting one as well. The Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoaches stopped here, and many famous and infamous characters, including Billy the Kid, once occupied this village for short periods of time.

The old adobe and brick buildings give a hint to their storied past, but today these old structures are filled with curios and other souvenirs. Jewelry stores, a very old book store, a chocolate shop, three saloons and numerous gift stores crowd the plaza area, which we learned on warmer days also has mariachis performing and vendors selling their goods from temporary booths and/or carts.

After hurriedly perusing the area and deciding we were more hungry than interested in shopping in the blustery cold, we opted for a meal of great New Mexico style Mexican food at La Posta Restaurante y Cantina. Sitting in front of a huge kiva fireplace, we finally warmed up, rehashing the day’s events and saying a hearty “salúd” to a nice, relaxing, fun day in the area where Texas and New Mexico cultures meet, blend and offer a memorable time.

Courtesy of Zin Valle Vineyards

Last Saturday was a great day, because I called a truce with work and played. After four straight days of evaluating high schools, it was a much needed break in a daunting schedule. The day was made even more fun because I “played” at something I enjoy so much—wine tasting. Now, that won’t be a surprise to those of you who follow my blogs consistently.

I didn’t realize until this last trip to El Paso, that vineyards and wineries were enjoying such amazing growth and interest, but after several conversations and a quick review of the promotional magazines of the area, I learned that numerous wineries are popping up along Highway 28, just northwest of El Paso between Canutillo, Texas, and Mesilla, New Mexico.

The first winery that my friends and I visited was Zin Valle, along the first mile or so of Highway 28. The husband and wife owners produce a portfolio of wines, some of which are made from grapes grown in the area while others come from grapes or juice brought in from other well-known grape-producing areas. Tasting here was free, and the room is beautifully appointed with a granite tasting bar and a huge window providing a panoramic view of the Franklin Mountains, which on that day had a substantial topping of fresh snow. A barrel room and cozy porch added to the ambiance, although it was certainly too cold and windy to enjoy a tasting outside.

For those of you who think it is warm in El Paso all winter—think again. The high was 42 on Saturday, and the wind showed no mercy, but the sun did shine, giving some reprieve to an otherwise brutal day of bone chilling weather to this South Texas gal.

After tasting three whites and three reds, and buying a bottle of Pinot Noir, made on-site using grapes from California, we were off to La Viña, about five miles down the highway. The Tuscany designed facility was watched over by Princess the cat who also graces the label on one of the wines.

Tastings here were five dollars, but that was worth it, especially since they throw in a souvenir glass. Although all the wines are made from locally-grown grapes and were good, most were sweeter than I like and slightly expensive, so I opted not to purchase any at this stop.

The road to the next winery took us through amazing orchards of pecan trees. I can just imagine how pretty the drive might be in any other season besides winter, because there are thousands of huge trees, some even creating a canopy over the highway for a couple of miles. A quick stop at the Stahmann Family Store gave us an opportunity to taste all things “pecan,” and to buy several pounds of freshly shelled and chopped pecans to take home for baking. (To be continued)

Nothing Like Glass of Great Wine

By now, most of you know, I like wine. I like the taste, the smell, the aura, the mystic. Wine is interesting and no matter how much I study it, I never know enough. Wine has such a unique history, and it is so different from country to country and even from region to region. I have had the good fortune to taste Italian wine in Italy, French wine in France, German wine in Germany, Argentinean wine in Argentina, Chilean wine in Chile, and so on. I don’t say that to brag (well maybe a little); I am truly proud because I think that is a significant feat.

It is also an expensive one. I certainly can’t pretend to be a collector or even a taster of truly expensive vintages because the cost is prohibitive to a retired educator. But that doesn’t stop me from shopping for hours and trying to find the wines with the highest ratings for the lowest prices. I have literally spent eight straight hours at Spec’s, in downtown Houston, wandering down each aisle, reading labels and recommendations, and then narrowing down my selections to my budget. Many a vacation I have bought wine along the way and toted a case or two into the hotel so the bottles wouldn’t get too hot and then toted them back to the car the next day, for days at a time. Crazy, huh?

I have taken lessons, visited vineyards in the States and abroad, and read countless magazine articles. I’m still intrigued by the process of taking a simple grape and turning it into something so delightfully complex and alluring. Of course, it takes a lot of grapes, between 600-800, depending on the size and juiciness, to make a single bottle. And the process is such a lengthy and complicated one, I sometimes feel guilty drinking it so quickly. But the guilt doesn’t last too long.

I am also a believer in having just the right glasses to make the wine taste the best. After all, some of the wine I buy needs all the help it can get, but I have been lucky enough on several occasions to try some pretty darn good stuff, which I could get used to if only I could sell a few million books.

Well, back to the glasses. I have a nice collection of Riedel crystal glasses which are designed in certain shapes to complement the bouquet and finish of different wines. Three I even bought in Austria and brought back (two actually made the trip successfully). I could have purchased them here, probably cheaper, but they are special because I bought them where they were made.

For several years I collected and saved corks. Friends even brought me theirs, and I made cork wreaths for the few people who requested. They were not exactly hot items, but they were sorta cool.  Finally, I had more corks than I had room, so now I keep only a special few, which I drag out occasionally only to wonder where in the world that so called special one came from and why was it in the batch?

During the holidays, especially for New Years,  I don’t feel as guilty paying a little more for a good quality wine that pairs well with a great dish—maybe a nice Malbec from Argentina or a rich, powerful Cabernet from Napa Valley or to start with bread and cheese, a light and delicately floral Pinot Grigio. Ah, with a lot of money and a little practice, I think I would make a very pleasantly, obnoxious wine snob!!