Hi all, When I go shopping for wine, I'm fairly focussed. I know what I want, I purchase it, and get out of there (I'm not a good shopper). Today, my wife went with me, and while I was doing my "focussed" stuff, she was cruising the beer aisle. Eventually, with a shopping cart that could rival Mt. Everest, we went to the checkout. I think my checkbook actually shed tears (but they could have been mine). I would never have thought to pick up a six-pack of Moose Drool Brown Ale (Missoula, Montana), or a sampler pack of beer from Tommy knockers in Idaho Springs, Colorado. I haven't tried the beers yet, but small breweries usually make a good beer.
Should you bring your wife to the liquor store? Definitely Yes!
BTW, if Ed is listening, have you tried Tommy knockers restaurant and pub?
I can vouch for the Moose Drool. Good stuff. And just down the valley from Missoula is a brewery called Bitterroot Brewing Company which also makes great beer. Enjoy! e.
Hi ... e? Thanks for the reply. I love "local" brews, and haven't found a bad one yet. When we're in Hayward, Wisconsin, I'll opt for a "Floppin' Crappie" on tap. No thanks for the Bud light, I'll have a Coke instead! :-) Looking foreward to tasting the Moose Drool.
I guess that I'm in the middle of the bunch, as my wife does the "artsy labels" thing, but doesn't mind my purchases. She does have a habit of reading the "shelf-talkers" aloud, and that can be distracting, when one is trying to remember if it's the Dogtown Flats, the Dogdrool Flats, or some other single vineyard Zin, that they are seeking.
As for Tommyknocker, all that I have sampled have been very good. Which brews came in the mixed pack? For Ed, Tommyknockers were actually protruding rock formations in mine shafts that would hit the miners in the head. A mythical character, rather like a Leprechaun , arose from the miners not wanting to admit that they had knocked themselves unconcious on a rock in the roof of the mine shaft, kinda' like a Colorado Minihune with a mallet, if you catch my drift.
Hi Hunt, A couple botles each of Ornery Amber lager, Butthead lager, Jack Whacker wheat ale, Pick Axe pale ale, Alpine Glacier lager and Maple brown ale. They all sound good to me.
Dick, of the lot, I've tasted the Butthead, Pick Axe, Alpine Glacier, and the Maple Brown. All were quite good. While we do see a lot of the New Belgium Brewing Co products in AZ, most of the other small-brew (micro doesn't seem to fit NBBC any longer), the Tommyknockers, and so very many others just don't get down here. Most of the micro-brews in the desert seem a bit lacking in character, compared to the Pacific NW, the Upper East Coast, and all of CO.
Have you tried any CO wines? In years past, there were a few surprisingly good producers.
I just got back from Colorado, where I sampled some of the local wines. I had wine from "Two Rivers", "Bookcliff", and "Canyon Wind" wineries. I went to the "Canyon Wind" tasting room and the owner/winemaker for "Bookcliff" was hawking his wares at the farmer's market in Vail. I had "Two Rivers" at a restaurant. I would agree that the wine is "surprisingly good" in that it is quite drinkable. The varietals that tend to do best there are cab franc and cab sauvignon, although some of the Rhone varietals like viognier and syrah do okay, too. In the colder AVA (there are only two in Colorado) they claim to make nice riesling, but I never got to sample any.
Some things I learned:
A lot of vines die. In the spring it is not a given that all the vines will leaf out. It can get very, very cold!
Colorado does not have phylloxera. In fact, it does not have a lot of problems with pests and disease, because the cold winters are unforgiving. They grow vines own-root. In fact, one winemaker was telling me that grafted plants are not really an option, because they always die back in the cold. This would worry me as a Colorado winemaker. I hope they can stay phylloxera-free!
Most Colorado wine doesn't make it out of Colorado.
You must purchase wine in Colorado at a liquor store or wine shop, unless it is being served at a restaurant or bar. All alcohol in Colorado (even beer) is subject to this. You will not find liquor at the grocery store, for instance. Further, these wine shops and liquor stores are not allowed to be open on Sundays. What a drag! However, there is an exception for wineries! Wineries and tasting rooms are allowed to be open and pouring on Sunday. This is because the State is trying to promote its wine industry.
Hi Dimitri, We have a similar situation in Minnesota. However, we can purchase alcoholic beverages at the grocery store, 7 days a week, but these beverages can't contain more than 3.2% alcohol. Recently, there was an attempt in the Legislature to allow grocery stores to sell wine ... didn't pass. Minnesota might make progress on the "Sunday" and grocery store issues in the next hundred years or so, but in the mean time we can take a scenic trip to Wisconsin on Sundays to purchase beverages. :-) BTW: There are a few Minnesota wineries, but I haven't visited them and I don't know if they pour on Sundays.
OK - how is this for some lateral thinking - a suggestion and business opportunity which "could" apply in any state which allows Sunday trade at wineries.
(1) Purchase a small block of land (say 2 acres), chosen solely on its location for a hospitality/catering/tourist/visitor appeal. (2) Plant half in grapes - nope - not for harvest or winemaking; but visual appeal (colour in fall etc) (3) Choose a very marketable name and design an eye catching design.(For this example I will use AFW Rocky Mountain Wine Estate) (4) In the industrial part of town, rent suitable premises to set up a wine making operation (no need for ultra high capital input - just real basic fermentation and bottling plant) (5) Set up AFW Rocky Mountain Fruit Juice Company in Mexico or other country with whom the US has a free trade agreement (6) Through this subsidiary - Import 45,000 litres of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc **unfermented grape juice** from New Zealand Import 45,000 litres of Riverina Shiraz **unfermented grape juice** from Australia. Import 45,000 litres of Cabernet Sauvignon **unfermented grape juice** from Chile Import 45,000 litres of Chardonnay **unfermented juice** from Australia Import 45,000 litres of Pinot Noir **unfermented grape juice** from Central Otago, New Zealand.
Make wine within State; market wine within State Clearly label wine as being "Made in *Colorado" (or wherever!) from grapes sourced from AFW's Rocky Mountain Wine's subsidiary, including country of origin (to comply with any labelling requirements - if they exist?)
100% compliant operation without the need to grow grapes in unsuitable or marginal environment, with instant local appeal.
I don't know whether this plan could succeed legally or not, but it presents some practical questions. How to ship 45,000 liters of juice from the country of origin without fermentation taking place spontaneously. I suppose it could be frozen or dosed with SO2, but would it then be possible to make decent wine? (Of course, you didn't mention anything about "decent", "drinkable" or similar. ;-) ) Also, in the case of reds, it would have to be imported as must. Would any winemaker be willing to let the decision about cold-soaking be dictated by a shipping schedule? I am not an experienced winemaker -- perhaps there are reasonable answers to these concerns.
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