Friday, March 25, 2011

30 Days of all things good: Wine

I had though of something else earlier for today's topic, but it slipped my mind before I could jot it down. So for today I'm going to call wine my grateful post. I'm enjoying a nice glass of red wine while I write this, it seams fitting somehow.

I do enjoy a good glass of wine every now and then. My favorite is a chardonnay aged in four different types of oak from a local vineyard. In general I prefer white wines to red, for me a red can get to heavy flavored to fast depending on the grapes used. White tends to be a lighter flavor whether it's sweet or not.

And of course there is always ice wine, which is really sweet and makes for a wonderful dessert wine. It is good served up in a glass or it can be drizzled over some ice cream. To be sold as ice wine in the US, the grapes have to freeze on the vines. That extra time on the vine allows for more sugars to build up in the grapes. Though some vineyards will produce a "delayed harvest" wine, which has grapes on the vine longer than normal but not quite long enough to be called an ice wine. They are pretty good and not quite as expensive as standard ice wine can be.

With writing I like to have a clear head, so I wait to have any wine until I'm done writing for the day. With wine and other drinks sometimes it's fun to think about what my characters may or may not drink. There is a social aspect to it, and in one scene a character of mine is picking out what particular wine he is going to bring to a dinner.

So do you like wine? Any favorites? What do your characters like to drink at the end of a long day or out with friends?

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Ohhh, one of my favorite topics...WINE! I'm with you; I love a good white wine. I'm more partial to a higher sugar content, usually a German Riesling. And I LOVE a Riesling ice wine, and we here in Canada have the world's best ice wines. Gotta go...time for a glass; you twisted my arm.

Claire Goverts said...

I do love Riesling, if I'm trying a different brand of wine that's usually a safer bet than the chardonnay. As much as I like the chardonnay from the local vineyard chardonnay can get a bit to dry sometimes. Riesling ice wine sounds wonderful, I'll have to try it sometime.

Kerry Schafer said...

I like Riesling, as well, but lately I've been drinking reds. My current favorite is Malbec - I'm working through the local grocery store selection trying out all the different labels. Such a lovely way to unwind at the end of a busy day.

Claire Goverts said...

Wine is a nice way to unwind. Trying the different reds sounds like fun. I may be going to a wine tasting this weekend, and I'll have to try some different wines. I usually find something I like that I wouldn't normally have picked out.