New Wine

One of my favorite seasons is the crush. Living in the near direction of Napa Valley, the crush is only a few days of the year when the grapes are plucked from the vines and the process of creating the wine begins.  It involves the entire senses. The aroma is amazing! It fills the valley. Every inch of the air is saturated with the fragrance of freshly crushed grapes.

Then the new wine begins to take form. Having spent months preparing the grapes on the vine, the art of wine making begins. Science and Art come together to create a plethora of taste, aroma and color that the wine maker desires.

After a short period, the wine begins to ferment and during this brief period, especially in Europe, they celebrate Neue Wein. The New Wine. It's fall, the weather is wonderful, the wine is...well, new. It's almost fizzy and strong. Crystal and I have been blessed to travel in Germany during the neue wein season. We generally are in the Phalz area of Germany during this season and will head into the hills to visit a small village or castle serving Flammkucken and neue wein.

Sounds rough doesn't it?  (read November 16 - What a Hoot!)

As I look into the new season I'm preparing to advance to the next place on this journey. I'm learning to combine the art and science of this game. It's a good season and one that will end quickly just like the new wine but lead into a bigger and bolder place.

Hit'em hard and look up!
Byron