A Road More Traveled
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Every year when we hit the road late winter, early spring to market our wines, not only does it give us an accurate and first hand perspective of the market, but also quirky and entertaining moments with our brethren on the sales end of the wine industry.
On her first trip out this season Lynn felt her winemaking expertise qualified her as roving matchmaker extraordinaire. She spontaneously initiated a dinner date with a young, dynamic sales rep with one of our single friends who also lives in the same city. On the surface, this set up seems to be a perfect match. But then again, as with a complex Pinot noir paired with a Peruvian inspired rocoto chile pepper Escolar... you just never know! In another part of the country at an undisclosed fine wine establishment I gawked at a Hungarian-made military issue machine gun a wild-eyed bottle shop owner had just minutes earlier purchased in a rush before new gun laws went into effect. I apparently convinced him I was more curious than amused with his new toy... but he still placed a healthy order for our wine! Blame this crazy economy for my complacency, or the fact I had just watched the Hunter S. Thompson documentary Gonzo the week before. Our annual travels have just begun, therefore I'm positive we'll experience more moments of unprompted joy, surprise and oddities. We couldn't be more excited about the release of our 2007 Pinot noirs. The wines are showing a vibrant and focused purity of red fruits. Nuanced and layered, these wines are demonstrating classic Pinot noir characteristics - the same flavor and texture profile that most likely attracted all of us to the varietal in the beginning. Our recent travel into the national markets has reconfirmed our excitement about our 2007 Pinot noirs - the compliments were plenty with an appreciation for focusing on varietal characteristics and finesse. Salud! Ron and Lynn Penner-Ash |
