Reflection #3 of Mountain Spirit Winery cellar assistant, Edward Lambert

 

Reflection #3 of Mountain Spirit Winery Cellar Assistant, Edward Lambert

'Pairing Wine with Settings'

After tasting our popular ‘Sophie’s Red,’ a Florida customer visiting the winery remarked, “that’s an excellent wine, full bodied, nicely blended, and very tasty. But, it’s like other red wines. They are no good to drink in hot, humid Florida.” (Florida, I am aware, has recently not been all that hot. He was referring, of course, to that state’s normal climate.) His remark provoked my thoughts about an interesting aspect of drinking wine, beyond the pleasure of the wine itself. That is, the setting in which one may enjoy wine. This reflection concerns pairing several fine settings I've experienced with drinking a glass of Mountain Spirit fine wine.

In all due respect to our Florida customer, I believe some settings are truly not right for drinking wine. I could not enjoy any of our wines in a depressingly dark, cigarette/cigar smoke filled bar, also filled with overly boisterous, intoxicated patrons. Obviously, this setting, as well as others, perhaps even Florida, verify that a good wine is not enjoyable just anywhere.

But, by contrast, let me describe what I consider perfect settings that do enhance my enjoyment of any of MSW’s fine wines. Nearly dusk, it’s workday’s end at the winery. Outside, the air is chilly and a slight breeze forces me to put on my down jacket. The sun is setting in a partially cloudy sky that is tinged with a pink blush. The Sawatch Range and the distant hills to the east also blush, if you will, that soft, compelling pink. Comfortable in the snuggly warm of my jacket, I sit at the picnic table outside the winery with a glass of Mountain Spirit wine. In the peaceful quiet of this late afternoon, I realize the pink blush of the wine is very similar to the blush of the western sky and the surrounding mountains. Ah! This setting is indeed a perfect one for my savoring ‘Angel Blush’ with its tasty blend of apples, pears, and raspberries, its delightful sweetness, and its delicate pink color, like that bathed upon the mountains and afternoon sky.

Another example of a setting enhancing the pleasure of wine is in the season of autumn, complete with the crisp air, the hint of on-coming winter, and the vibrant colors of the changing aspen. I hike into one of my favorite spots at the foot of Mt. Shavano and find a comfortable place to sit and relax and enjoy the setting. I am directly below the Angel of Shavano and amid a large, glorious grove of yellow, orange and uncommonly brilliant red fall colored aspen. I pour a glass of MSW ‘Sophie’s Red’ that I have carried here just so I could savor a glass of fine wine in this fine setting. Even before I taste it, I hold it up to see how its red matches that of the aspen leaves. They are not the exact same red. However they are closely alike, such that the colors of wine and leaves nicely blend. Much to my pleasure, the soft red blend of cabranet franc and merlot of 'Sophie's Red' is truly even more enjoyable and flavorful in this delightful setting.

These two settings perfectly pair with Mountain Spirit wines. Of course, I recognize that many other settings, too numerous to describe here, can add to the pleasure of drinking our wines. Having said that, I must concede that our Florida customer was perhaps partially correct with his statement that ‘Sophie’s Red’ would not be good in Florida. Indeed, settings do make a difference in our enjoyment of wine. ‘Sophie’s Red,’ I humbly suggest could be enjoyable almost anywhere but, yes, certainly more so in a Colorado high country aspen grove.

Comments

[Lindy]

Excellent reflection and absolutely true. Wine must be savored to be enjoyed; sipped in a peaceful environment either alone or in good company. Good wine is dignified and graceful and must be treated with respect.

Question: Ed Lambert - are you the same Ed Lambert who taught English at Salida High School in the 90's?

[rick]

I had driven past Mountain Spirit for several years and finally stopped in a week ago. A very nice lady provided various tastings, and I felt obligated to make a purchase so I bought a bottle of Sophie's Red. This eveing we tried it while sitting around our fire pit. I do not claim to be expert, but I was disappointed. When decanted, the wine was not a nice red, but a thin, transparent color you could read a newspaper through. I feel the products at MSW are quite overpriced for the quality and not at all comparable to our reasonably priced favorite, Yellow Tail merlot and/or cab ($7.99), or even to Two Buck Chuck (Charles Shaw, $2.95) we tried on a lark a couple weeks ago in Albq. At roughly half the price, we'll stay with Yellow Tail.

[Mike Barkett]

Ah, well I wish your tasting experience had been more effective at guiding you in your purchase. Sophie's Red has always been a blush and never a true red wine, something I'm sure you would have noticed upon tasting.

Our tastings are always free and never obligate anyone to make a purchase, although we do love it when customers taste our wines and find the one perfectly suited to their tastes.

Thanks for the feedback. We always appreciate hearing from our customers.

[Mike Barkett]

Indeed that is the same Ed Lambert that taught generations of young Salida students at the high school. Stop by the winery some time to visit with him.