Crush is in the air, and an interesting growing season is coming to a close.  It’s was very hot early in the summer, then unusually wet in the six weeks or so prior to full veraison.  For those growers who are on top of their game, powdery mildew is easy to control.  If you get caught off guard, though, it can prove fairly difficult and damaging; especially with those midnight thunderstorms we were getting in late August and early September.  No doubt we’ll have some great wines from this challenging season, but we’ll just see how hard they are to find.  Rest assured we’ll be doing our best to find the best there is in Colorado.

Enclosed are your Wine Club bottles.  This month’s wines for the Dry Colorado Wine Club are:

2006 Pinot Gris ~ Sutcliffe Vineyards 

This wine is very unusual in a fun and tasty way.  Pinot Gris is the French name for Pinot Grigio, and is usually made into a white wine.  In this case, Ben Parsons from Sutcliffe Vineyards gave the wine a little extra hang time on the vines, a little extra time on the skins, and followed up with a goodly dose of barrel aging in new oak.  The result is a lightly pink, eye opening experience of unique deliciousness.  When I tasted the wine, something entirely unexpected hit my palate.  I asked Ben what it was, and when he told me, the light went on instantly . . . watermelon.  It’s the word you use when singing in a group and you don’t know the words to the song, and it’s what you taste when Ben gets creative with Pinot Gris.  Enjoy!

2005 Syrah ~ Alfred Eames Cellars

One of our favorite “artsy” labels of the year, this wine is another example of Eames Peterson’s fine winemaking skills.  It’s got a beautiful, dark ruby color and a fragrant aroma.  In the mouth it’s got great balance, with a hint of almond & vanilla, and moderate tannic structure.  This wine will pair well with a wide variety of dishes.  Lamb with rosemary comes to mind, or filet mignon.  We’ve been stricken with an apparently chronic desire for baked asparagus.  You prep the asparagus just like usual, then you spread the spears on a baking sheet and drizzle generously with olive oil and salt lightly.  Preheat oven to 400 and bake for 10 minutes or until the spears are wilted and tender.  Shake the pan and serve hot.

As always, enjoy the wines in good health!

Sincerely,

Glenn & Natalie Foster