I thought it was pretty cool that Rueben Brews out of Seattle came out with a beer named Bits and Bobs. Of course they are of British origin so it stands to reason. My friend Amy was the first to send me a picture and now I have it at the store. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m sure it’s good. I like just about everything this brewery puts out including their Crikey IPA.
Speaking of Crikey, I had one of the smallest turn-outs ever for a wine tasting event. I have to say that it was one of the first beautiful days in the Juans in a while and I’m sure that a lot of folks were just taking it in and forgot about the wine tasting. I love putting these events on, I just hope they are not losing their thunder. The small group that did go were not disappointed. We had one of the best line-ups for the “Fifteen Wines Under Fifteen Bucks” I have seen. I am very proud of my group for showing the most interest in some of the old world wines that were there. A Furmint from Hungary, a Tempranillo/Cab blend from Spain and a Carignan/Grenache/Syrah blend from Corbieres in France. We had some pretty good new world wines there, but most of the interest was in the old world. My wine group has come a long way over the years and it is interesting to watch their palates change.
Wine palates are a funny thing. They fluctuate over the years, mine included. For months one can drink the same style of wine and then magically for some reason that same type of wine doesn’t tickle their fancy anymore. Why is that? It is true that there are people out there that can drink the same wine everyday of the week and never tire of it. This is something I can’t even begin to wrap my mind around, nor do I want to. If variety is the spice of life, I think they are in need of a spice rack. For a lot of us, we seek variety in our wine drinking experience. I think one of the reasons our palate changes is diet. I know that throughout my life, my culinary experiences have changed dramatically, and with that came a change in my wine drinking preferences. Another possible reason for palate change is our mood and physical activities (which are closely related by the way). Also the crowd we hang with may affect what we choose to drink. Maybe you start hanging with a group that really enjoys old world wine. At first you may resist, but after a while you start wondering why they like the wines so much, so you start experimenting. Whatever the reasons may be, our palates do change, and thankfully there is an abundance of wines to choose from. Whatever you do, please do not get in the rut of drinking the same wine all the time. There’s just too much out there to try, so get after it!
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
