On
a mission to leave my comfort zone and try some new wines, I’ve decided to
explore and choose based on label alone.
I have this new theory that the labels that attract us are indicative of
our spiritual state… a sort of wine clairvoyance, if you will. So, choose, sip, twirl and discuss.
In
testing my theory, yesterday I found ‘Haywire’.
Fun label- caught my eye… and once sipping, caught my attention.
The
name ‘Haywire’ is an interesting choice for such a solid sipper. I was confused. Upon first glance, the term denotes a sense
of chaos, conflict, confusion. The
phrase “when things go haywire” seems to reflect a negative state, but upon
further investigation I found, in the words of winery owners, Christine Coletta
& Steve Lornie –
“ The term is also
an apt description of our transition from city slickers to winery owners!”
Aaaaaah,
transition. I see. Change. I get it.
Perfect.
I’m
in a state of transition, I suppose.
Aren’t we all? Someone I love is
in an even deeper state – probably closer to “haywire” – and so I’ve deduced
that this pinot gris was for him…
I
was told in my wine courses, that Italian pinot grigio was generally fairly
crisp, dry and neutral on the palate, easy to get along with (so to speak,)
while a pinot gris in the French style was still dry but fuller-bodied,
particularly from the Alsace region; Okanagan versions, however, were trickier
to determine- you never know what you’re going to get. Hmmm… such is life.
I
watch my friend as he struggles, and I feel like we`re all on the precipice of…
something… and yet nothing makes sense… yet.
We may always have all kinds of questions and no real answers,
(especially after several glasses of wine…), and like this Okanagan pinot gris,
you just never know what you’re going to get.
And maybe that’s ok, as long as you have someone to share it with. So just stop for a second, breathe, and take
another sip.
In
the spirit of cheesy parables for life, here you go:
As
we walk through the wine-shops of our strange little lives, choosing wines
based solely on label-clairvoyance, perhaps we need to realize that no choice
is a bad choice. We just need to choose
something. Sometimes, what we want will
depend on our mood, sometimes on our chaos, and sometimes it will depend on who
we choose to share it with. Whatever the
case, we will have something to learn from it. Stay cool, don`t get overwhelmed… and if the
choice sucks, you just finish the bottle and move on to the next one. Cheers.
Tasting Notes…
Haywire
– 2011
Switchback
Vineyard
Pinot
Gris
Appearance:
-
Clear; Pale, Balanced, shimmering straw; W/
a light watery rim.
Nose:
-
Clean; Low-Medium intensity of young,
fresh, green fruit.
Palate:
-
Dry, Light Body; Crisp flavours of Green
Apple, with a Balanced Finish
-
Not really clear on determining acidity or
alcohol quite yet… but it tastes multidimensional,
Quality:
-
Good Quality, Drink Now
** Makes me think of smooth, white pebbles,
with a cool, fast stream running over them.
