German Wine Tasting

I never thought I'd enjoy a Riesling tasting as much as I did this weekend. The weather was perfect for Riesling - a hot summer day. The distributor, Toni of Purple Feet was mah-vuh-lus, and I was very lucky to be the only one in the room and had her all to myself for the better part of an hour. She shared a numbe of German terms that will really help me better understand wine labels from now on. Here's what she was pouring (in order of preference on a scale of 1-4, the latter being the best):

1. Peters Willinger Klosterberg Riesling Qba Trocken - Rating = 3.5; This Mosel wine was very refreshing with floral notes in the nose and on the palette; $18

2. Weller Lehnert Piesporter Treppthen Riesling Qba - 3.0; This is a more traditional style with some residual sugar (the Peters was dry), but still very clean and refreshing; a great value at $14

3. Geschwister Schuch Niersteiner Pettenthal Riesling Kabinett QmP - 3.0; A sweeter wine with a little more body, but still has just enough acidity to create a perfectly balanced wine. This wine is from the Rheinhessen region; $18

4. Unckrich Kallstadter Saumager Riesling Spatlese QmP - 2.5; Of course, as a late harvest wine, this was the sweetest of the six. It's from the Pfelz region; a very good value at $13

5. Johann Peter Mertes Kanzemer Sonnenberg Riesling Spatlese Halbtrocken QmP - 2.0; Another Mosel wine, this off-dry Spatlese (interesting in and of itself) actually presented the aroma of hops, a familiar experience to the olfactory for this Brewtown girl. After I mentioned this, Toni tried it and totally agreed with me on the hops. This wine was interesting, but not enough for me to want to pay $15

6. Hirt Gebhardt Martinshaler Wildsau Riesling Trocken Qba - 1.5; This Rheingau region wine reminded me a lot of Sauvignon Blanc, but not as good--it was a bit on the sour side; $11

That was my first German wine tasting and hopefully will be the first of many more to come. I learned that there are many delicious Rieslings out there at great prices. When I buy whites, I habitually reach for Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or any of the Rhone whites--now I will think seriously about going for a Riesling instead. I made a good start yestserday with a mixed half case of the first three wines on the list above, and I'm looking forward to sharing them this summer with visitors and friends, including my new friend Toni.

Cheers!!

Firefly Symphony

Sunday night found me on the front porch enjoying my glider, a light dinner and a glass of Shiraz from South Africa (not to be purchased again). The day has been sweltering with heat and high humidity, but the good thing about that is it brings out the fireflies in swarms, and man is it cool to be a spectator of this showy love fest as the flies flirtatiously flash each other in the dark. I grew up with fireflies around and really missed them for the twenty years I was living in the NW. I've enjoyed seeing a few here and there throughout the summer, but I've never quite seen this many at once. It was visually symphonic to see the flashes happen somewhat rhythmically as a bunch near each other would all light up simultaneously, and then across the street a straight row of flies would flash sequentially in order, and then back to the more random series of flashes all throughout my view of the immediate neighborhood. Occasionally, one hovering very nearby would flash and startle me, since you can't see them well until they light up. It's nice to see them close up and be thoroughly wowed by these marvelous little creatures. The closest we humans come to this phenomenon is by flashing our most dazzling smile along with an irresistible twinkling of the eyes--this happens most readily when we are hopelessly smitten ;)
Cheers

Storming the Bastille...

…in downtown Milwaukee as a few thousand other people and I kick-off the 4 day festival with a 5K run through three adjoining neighborhoods near the city's beautiful lake front. It’s historically a night-time run, beginning at 9:00 p.m. In previous years, it didn’t begin until midnight. The earlier start time has yielded much greater participation (that is, more people are still sober at 9). After a few thunderstorms blew through between 7 and 8 o’clock, the weather cooled and cleared up nicely just in time for runners to mingle prior to start time, and for me to meet my co-workers Tressa, Jason, and Robert, who agreed to join me on the run.

For all of us, this was our first 5K group run. We were all a little anxious, mainly due to the unknowns associated with never having done such a thing. We knew we’d be starting together, but had no certainty as to how far apart we’d stray throughout the run. I wasn’t even certain I’d be able to finish. As it turned out, we clocked within 8 minutes of each other. Robert finished first, completing in about 27 minutes (he didn’t track his time). Tressa and Jason kept pace with each other and finished together in just under 30 minutes. I came in last, completing in just over 36 minutes (I do have a few years on them). Nevertheless, we were all extremely exhilarated at the finish line and felt a strong sense of accomplishment and pride. My goal for next year is to run an average of 10 minutes per mile instead of 12.

A little more background on the festival, Bastille Days has been celebrated here with this charming festival for 33 years and is known for its impromptu street performers, roaming minstrels, a variety of musical entertainment, fabulous French-influenced food and wine, and the signature 43-foot Eiffel Tower replica. It draws a wonderfully diverse crowd of all ages and is my favorite of over 30 festivals that take place each summer in Milwaukee. We had beautiful, sunny, warm weather again this year, so I spent most of my waking hours on the festival grounds for the 2nd year in a row. If you think you might be able to visit me next summer, I recommend the second week in July for a grand old time.