Wine Flights - A PDX History

Wine Flights - A PDX History

Uncork. Relax. Unwind

The first time I heard the term flight, besides a flight of stairs, and that France flight that made me as white as a ghost, was in Michigan about 22 years ago. This was craft beer at its infancy. At that time I knew nothing of wine or beer.

In a very small and quaint town, we stopped into a brew pub for lunch and I ordered my first flight of beer. It was presented on an attractive paper mat, which had the name of the beer and a brief description. I was intrigued.

For the first couple years I ordered a flight at every brew pub I could find. This allowed me to figure out which styles I loved the most. It was Pale Ale then. I have evolved. 

To be quite honest, a wine flight is just a fancy term for a tasting of several different wines. The best ones really showcase the wine in a format that is unpretentious and informational. You know, like Paradocx- Shameless plug.





In the early years, we were located at Shoppes at Longwood Village in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, our tastings were a bit different. It was pretty much a quick sample of the taster's choice for a small fee. Paradocx too has evolved.


The old flight books

When we first started offering wine flights, we presented many options in a flight book, like on of those never ending menus you get from The Cheesecake Factory. Customers had many choices. We named the flights White Flight A or Sweet Flight B or Mixed Fight C.

We realized this created some stress and overwhelmed the customers and we really just wanted them to have a fun and relaxing experience. This coincided with our mission. Uncork, Relax, Unwind. 

We finally streamlined the tasting and created a flight board to display our flights:   White, Red, Sweet and Beer. This made choosing significantly less stressful. But don't worry, we also allow patrons to customize their tasting for a small additional fee.

The perks of our flights is to allow customers to sit and relax while enjoying  a sample of their selected Paradocx wine with family and friends. Our patrons enjoy a variety of seating options to best enhance their Paradocx experience.

Instead of standing at a bar and listening to the staff describe the wine, just to forget what they drank in the first place, they now receive attractive tasting cards for each of the four wines.  Never feel you have to follow the cards, which are a suggestion, it is most important that you enjoy the wine and your Paradocx experience.

Have fun with the tastings and come up with your own notes. Now that you're finished you can have a glass of your favorite wine and take a bottle home, or two! 

Creative Wine Flights

I came across these cool and attractive wine flight holders. Take a look below. 

One Final Thought

Glass Clinking

I love rituals. Tailgating, Trick Or Treating, Stocking Stuffing (Yes, we still do this) and Candle Blowing, but as we continue to participate in these long-lived rituals and customs, we seldom ask where they came from. Where do they come from?

Drinking, especially wine drinking has rituals as well. Take the clinking of the glass for toasting,  I love a good clink and love a good toast, especially with cinnamon and sugar, though one day I am sure I will be covered in PDX Barn Red if I continue clinking so hard.

Ok, so why do we clink the glasses? There are a couple of theories. One is a bit dark. Apparently poisoning was a big issue way back when. The folk lore says that the host and guest would clink the glasses together to intentionally spill the wine into the other glass so that if it were poisoned they both would end up on the floor. 

The other claims people would make some noise by clinking glasses to ward off evil spirits. Apparently, as cool as these are, they are not true. 

In the beginning, most groups drank from the same vessel. This brought a sense of trust and camaraderie. To drink from ones own cup would have sent a message of distrust. "Hey what's up with the bloke with and his fancy goblet. You don't trust us?" 

So when glasses and fancy drinking goblets came around, people realized they were using all their senses but one: Hearing. To experience this they would clink their glass and feel a part of the trusting community again. 

My wife killed us all

Ok, so there's always a non drinker at the table. Perhaps they just don't drink or they are the DD. Anyway, what do they do when everyone is toasting and clinking? Raise there water glass and toast as well?

According to Greek mythology, toasting with water means you just wished us dead and insulted the gods. Thanks a lot hun. 

Apparently drinking from the River Lethe while spending eternity in the underworld, the Greeks could forget their past mortal lives. As a result, the Greeks would toast the dead with water filled glasses to symbolize their voyage to the underworld. 

Talk about morbid. And to toast your host with water is an insult as well, and is said to cause harm or even death. And by no means  never toast to the gods with an inferior drink such as water. You may be taking that river to the underworld earlier than you expected. 

Here is the solution, fill your glass with our Spiced Red and pass it to me. I will trust you and our lives will be spared. 

The Season Changes - So Does The Beer

Have you ever notice how our food and drink choices are affected by the seasons and holidays?  Take summer for example; hot, humid, and full of outdoor fun. For my family it means swimming, camping, and cookouts. You have Fourth of July and Labor Day. 

I think of burgers, sausage, hot dogs and BBQ. To drink, we tend to choose lighter beers, white wines, sangria, and tea. Oh, did you know we have a tea flavored wine?

But summer is over and the weather is cooler.  Food and drink choices change. And for my girls so does their fashion, but I digress.   By this time we see an increase in Red wine and the beers that were so popular in the summer, such as Levante's Kolsch and Bianco Wit are now being replaced by autumn style beers such as Drachenstadt Oktoberfest and Clockwise Porter from Levante.

Sadly, as I am writing this, The Oktoberfest beer is no longer available, however.... they have Pumpkin beer! Coming soon to a Paradocx location near you.

I am not typically a creature of old habits and I get bored quickly, so I wanted to bring in something new and challenge our Paradocx beer drinkers.

While hanging out on Levante's web page. (I know, get a life and hang out at the brewery instead), I noticed a new beer, a colonial style beer called Earl Of Newlin. That made me think of British Royalty, but the name is much more clever than that. I have noticed the naming of their beers are almost as much fun as drinking it. Well maybe not quite.

Take their Drachenstadt Oktoberfest. Drachensdadt means Dragon City, and Crusts Cut Off, which is a peanut butter and jelly beer. Does that count as lunch?

Earl of Newlin is a brew from Levante, which Earl Grey Tea was added during the secondary fermentation. Levante partnered with Newlin Grist Mill and Deer Creek Malthouse. 

Deer Creek is the first commercial Malthouse in Pennsylvania since Prohibition. Yippee for the 21st Amendment! And Newlin Grist Mill is a historic working mill located in Glenn Mills, PA. That's keeping it local folks.

So let's embrace the change and try something new at Paradocx Vineyard. The Earl of Newlin is currently offered at The Market at Liberty Place in Kennett Square. 

One Final Thought

Allow me to share another one of my strange travel stories. Before I time travel, let me tell you about the visits to Grandmom's house. I spent many weekends at Grandmom's and it was usually the kitchen where we hung out. Gramdmom was the best. 

She was always making things for me, poached eggs on toast, the best ham sandwiches (she buttered the toast before she mayo-ed it) and a fresh cup of tea. I grew to love tea, especially at Grandmom's. 

But it was a simple thing, a no fuss cup of tea. Grandmom put a kettle on until it whistled, then put a tea bag in a plain coffee cup, poured the hot water and let it steep, added sugar and milk and stirred. It just soothed the soul.

Fast forward 30 years to England, the self proclaimed authority on tea.  I experienced one of the most stressful cups of tea of my life. 

I think It was the second day we were there and our friend and her mother took us to the mall. Why is everybody so proud of their mall?  One of the department stores had a restaurant, so we sat down for my first English afternoon tea. They purchased a pot and we shared our tea with some sweet treats.... simple? Not quite. 

Apparently, the way one serves and drinks their tea is up for judging. As I was about to pour my first cup, they immediately stared at me with curiosity and enthusiasm. Why are they staring and what's the big deal? So I did what Grandmom and I always did, poured the tea, added milk and sugar and stirred. You would have thought I insulted the Queen. 

Their jaws dropped and they looked shocked. I said "what?" Caroline's mum said. "you poured your milk on top of your tea? "Oops." "Patrick, you always pour your tea on top of the milk"  "Say what?"  Damn, what a first impression I gave. How can they ever trust a man who can't make a proper cup of tea.

They scared me off of tea for life, but to add salt to the wound, they ask you every freakin 10 minutes if you would like a cup of tea. (Insert British language "Hell to the No!" 

What's New at Paradocx Vineyard?

With the change of the seasons and the new projects Paradocx has going on, I think I should keep you in the know.

The New Stage


Just in time for our last official and highly anticipated Love Seed Mama Jump concert, we pulled down the old pavilion and built a new stage.  If you missed the concert but want to to see our killer new stage, don't worry, we will be having other live music as well in October. 

I wouldn't be surprised if we don't use the stage in some creative way for our annual tree lighting party. Just keep the bonfire away. Wood is flammable you know. 

If you think our wine magically appears in each bottle and leaps into your mouth, then you may not be aware that we are knee deep in harvest time. This is when the 2017 grapes are picked, sorted through, and crushed, all part of the wine making process, though when it is finally bottled, it does seem like magic. Like a Genie in a bottle.

You may or may not be aware but Paradocx actually has four locations

• The Vineyard in Landenberg, PA
• The bar and retail store at The Market at Liberty Place in Kennett Square, PA
• Our shop at Booths Corner Farmers Market in Garnet Valley, PA
• Our shop at Westtown Amish Market in West Chester, PA

Each of our locations has it's own personality and charm. 

Westtown Amish Market

Located on the corner of 202 and 926 in West Chester, PA Westtown Amish Market is heading on its second year. The 17 friendly merchants fill the spacious market and boy is the food fresh. 

You can pretty much achieve all your shopping needs in one trip, but first you must follow the scent of Beilers Bakery. The donuts and sticky buns are made fresh all day. I am known for the Cookies and Cream donuts. 

What's an Amish market without fresh baked pretzels?! My favorite are the pretzel rolls filled with ingredients such as sausage and eggs. 

For the fresh meats, seafood, and cheeses, there is no short supply, and the sizes are massive. Look out for the cheese they call Rattlesnake, it has a big bite. Don't forget, mom always said eat your vegetables. The produce at Kings Garden is beautiful, fresh and local. 

Other vendors include smoked seafood, candy apples and of course Paradocx Vineyard wine shop, plus everything your pet could need, fresh flowers, and all your usual Amish fixings. 

Booths Corner Farmers Market

Booths Corners Market in Garnett Valley, PA started off on a 13 acre open farm used by local Amish and other local Merchants as a friendly place to sell their goods. 

Booths Corner Farmers Market would grow and expand through the years, but in 1973, the original barn and outbuildings were destroyed in a fire. 

Under the direction of the current owner, the market was rebuilt and still thrives today. Booths Corner consists of a whopping 100 merchants, so needless to say customers can find everything their heart desires plus more. 

Forget the mall, this market has over 100 merchants and the often returning faces are friendly and laid back. 

Of course you can find all the Amish specialties such as fresh produce, meat, pretzels, and sausage, but this market has much more. We are located by Gate 7 next to Tilly's kitchen and the barber shop. 

I can't list them all but some of the many cool and unusual merchandise includes fireworks, a barber shop, samurai swords, and of course cute puppies. You can get your shoes fixed, eat Kettle corn or buy that old Mike Schmidt baseball card. 

Booths Corner Farmers Market is open Fri, 9pm to 9pm and Sat, 9pm to 8pm. 

The Market at Liberty Place

This location is quite different from the farmers markets and is located in the charming town of Kennett Square, PA. The market itself is much smaller, but just as diverse, like taking a culinary trip around the world. 

You have Yo'r So Sweet, making fresh French style crepes, Squeeze Juice Bar offering fresh juice and smoothies. Kaboburritos fusing Southwest and Middle Eastern cuisine and Mezze by Del Fresco cooking up tapas inspired fresh bites. 

You can also find fresh burgers, pizza, ice cream and wings. And let's not forget about us, where you can relax at the bar with a glass of Paradocx wine or a pint of local beer. Plus you can take your favorite bottle, pouch, or can to several of the BYOB restaurants nearby. 

The hours are 
Tues through Thurs, 12pm to 8pm
Fri 12pm-10pm &
Sun 12pm to 8pm

Paradocx Vineyard

You may be familiar with the winery located in Landenberg, or perhaps you have yet to visit our 100 acre property of which 30 acres are designated to 14 varieties of grapes. 

Much like the shop at The Market at Liberty Place, you can purchase any of our 20 plus varieties of wine, share a bottle, pouch or paint can, or enjoy a glass of your favorite Paradocx wine or a pint of local craft beer. 

Unlike the Market at Liberty Place, Paradocx lovers can share a bottle on the property while sitting out in the meadow near the vines. 

The winery is open year round and we have two fireplaces and two fire pits outside. You can order a tasting flight and share a block of Ayr Back Farm cheese with Rip Rap crackers. 

The vineyard plays host to a large variety of events from summer concerts, yoga in the vineyard. and paint and sip workshops. 

One Fine Thought

Sometimes I have no idea where I will end up on the web. This is the case for my current thought. I knew grape stomping once was a necessary way to extract juice and some fairs and wineries allow guest to stomp on grapes just for fun. 

During the Harvest Fest in Sonoma County, CA, they take grape stomping to a new level. Every year, teams of two compete in a grape stomping race for the world champion grape stomper. That's a thing?

Team costumes and team 
t-shirts are encouraged and the winners receive 1,500 grape stained bucks. As a disclaimer, they insist no actual grapes go into the wine. 

This is strictly for fun and of course bragging rights as the worlds best grape stomper. 

Here is how it works. One teammate stomps on the grapes inside a metal bucket and the other teammate called a swabby collects as much juice into a jug as possible. The team who collects the most juice wins. 

Hmmm....... How's that for an excuse to wear a toga? 1,500 dollars? I am so doing this, whenever I happened to be in Sonoma County during Harvest Fest. 

Forget your pedicure ladies, try this out. Your feet will never be the same, or will never look the same. Does grape juice stain feet? 

October Celebrates Harvest Month

I typically do not mix my posts with upcoming events. You should follow facebook for that info. But October is such a crazy, fun month, full of festivities. I can't help but share them with you. But don't worry, I will still include my usual quirky thoughts.

Let's take it week by week.

First Week - 2 events, 1 day

Harvestfest - October 2, 2017  11pm to 6pm

For the past several years we have hosted an annual 5k Run through the vineyard. And a couple weeks later, we put on our annual Harvestfest. Last year we decided to put these two events together. What better way to end the race but with some music and a hayride.

Earlier this summer, due to rain we had to postpone our Panama Rex concert. They're a Jimmy Buffett style band so we are going to start our Havest month the Island way. Following the 5k we plan to have lime cocktails, live music, and food by Kaboburritos. 

Week Two - Bring The Kiddies

Family Fun Day - October 14, 2017  12pm tp 6pm

And you thought our winery was just for adults. The winery is quite kid friendly, but this Saturday, it's about the entire family. We call it Family Fun Day. We worked hard on that title. There will be plenty of things for the family to do. Paint your own pumpkin and paint a pumpkin on a canvas.

You can also take a hayride through the vineyard, get your bounce on in the bouncy house, get your face painted (wow that's alot of painting) and participate in the yard games we have planned. That will be a surprise. Maybe pumpkin bowling? Strike!

We will have food available for purchase.  And to celebrate the season we will have warm spiced wine and seasonal beer for the 21 and older kiddies.

Week Three - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Ladies Day - Saturday, October 21, 2017   12pm to 6pm

Do you remember that video? Cindy Lauper singing to her heart-broken father that she wants to cut loose and have fun. What did that mean anyway? What a great video that was. I guess I am dating myself. 

We at Paradocx actually do know what that means and we have a Ladies Day planned for you. Let's check off the list. Meet the Winemaker Gabriel Rubilar - Check, Drink some locally sourced cosmos - check, shake your booty to local musician John Rodden - check again, paint your own pumpkin themed wine glasses - check once more, and shop till you drop with Lu La Rue and other local vendors - final check.  

Is that enough fun for you? 

Final Week - Costume Contest

Hallo-Wine Party - October 28, 2017  5pm to 9pm

How do you like your Halloween? Spooky or fun? cute or sexy? No matter your preference, we are giving out drink specials for costumed guests and the top three costumes get prizes. 

Like we typically do, we will have live music from Shot in the Dark. And don't worry if the night gets chilly, you can enjoy your wine or beer by the fire. 

One Final Thought

I'll Have What She's Having

A survey from Australia once stated that women that drink 2 glasses of wine a day tend to enjoy sex more than women who don’t drink at all. I was curious about this statement so I did a little research myself . Also The Italians did a study too that found certain compounds found in red wine stimulate certain parts of the female body. 

That same test recorded that older women who's sex drive may have decreased had no problem between the sheets after two glasses of red wine. 

This is tricky because with more than one or two glasses of red wine, the other effects of alcohol kick in and may lead to that "what did I just do" and "who the hell is this?" affect. 

To make the evening that much hotter, it seams the love juice having certain characteristics also gets you to the finish line much faster. Red wines with obvious notes of musky, earthy, woodsy, licorice, and cherry aromas draw women into the erogenous zone in no time.  If this is true ladies, try our Barn Red and Leverage. 

They say blonds have more fun. Maybe you should check out what they are drinking.  

Maybe this is why our red wines are flying off the shelf. 

Thinking Ahead - Harvest Time at Paradocx

It's Harvest Time

We often ask the question: "What is your favorite time of year?" My kids give me different answers. My oldest loves Thanksgiving time. The twins love summer and Fourth of July. For me it's Autumn or as we like to call it here at the vineyard, "Harvest" time. 

I am a sucker for obvious reasons. The smells, the leaves, the cool air, the action at the vineyard, and Oktoberfest.

Why am I writing about this early September?   We have to plan ahead. The winemaker, getting ready for the harvest, the event planner, planning some of our biggest events of the year, and me, the cicerone, (fancy word for beer guy), needs to tap the fall harvest beers on time. 

Don't just blame us, look at the stores, you will probably see Halloween costumes already. I think I will be The Doctor, though I hear The Doctor will be a woman, oh well, we'll work it out somehow.

So what does that mean "Fall Harvest" beers? It can mean many things, specialty beers found mainly during the Autumn season. This could be a marzen style, which is sometimes referred to as Oktoberfest beer. It could be a pumpkin beer. It could also be just an excuse for a new seasonal offering. 

I start to see more Bocks and Dunkles this time of year too. Expect less bitterness and a bit more malt. Expect light caramel and biscuit like flavors. You may find wet hopped beers; this is a beer with more hop flavor but less bitterness. You may see beers laced with maple and spices, some with pecans, others with yams. Sounds like Thanksgiving huh? Can I get some stuffing with my beer?

If you are going to switch from burgers to German sausage or from macaroni salad to sauerkraut, then you might as well switch from lighter summer offerings to sweeter ales and toastier lagers.

I'm putting my feelers out and seeking a Pumpkin Ale and, or an Oktoberfest style beer to represent the harvest season here at the Vineyard and The Market at Liberty Place. So stay tuned.
  
Prost!

But what is an Oktoberfest beer and how did it originate? First, let me tell you where I have yet to visit and where the term Oktoberfest originated.

On October 12th, 1810, Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildurghausen. This was kind of a big deal because the entire town of Munich attended the festivities. It concluded with a feast and horse racing. Only 100 people attended my wedding and no horses..... The fields have been named Theresienwiese ("Theresa's fields") in honor of the Crown Princess ever since.

 Leave it to us lazy people to abbreviate it to "Wies'n". The following year they added an Agricultural fair and continued the horse racing. This was the birth of what we know as Oktoberfest. Now over 6 million sausage hungry and beer thirsty visitors flock to Munich for a 16 day fest. Food, singers, dancers, and all the rides a kiddie needs.

Ok Already, What is an Oktoberfest Beer?

The origin of Marzen style beers dates pre-16th century. Germany has always been very strict with brewing practices and beer ingredients. One such rule is that beer may only be brewed between the months of September and April. The Marzen is brewed in March hence the name Marz meaning March.

The beer was meant to last during the warmer months and the remainder drunk during Oktoberfest. Marzen was orginally a dark, full bodied, bitter beer, but now ranges from pale (Helles Märzen) to dark brown Dunkles Märzen. Expect medium to full bodied with a malty profile, and a clean dry finish.

One Final Thought

 Did you know lost & found collects around 5,000 items each year during Oktoberfest?

“Honey, I Lost my kid” This apparently occurs often because they have a lost and found children's station.

At the winery we occasionally find the missing phone or coat, but at the Oktoberfest in Munich, crazy visitors lose the strangest things, such as wheelchairs, baby carriages, crutches, dentals, at least one a year, a segway, a Weiner dog, a wedding ring, a garden gnome, a fishing rod,  a court order, a pet grasshopper, and a signed playboy magazine, and I hear they are still holding onto a guitar, a drum, and $50,000 in cash. Did I just say a court order? Probably the same thief that stole the garden gnome and my dog. Finders keepers I guess.

A Few Misconceptions Of Beer

I get it people, beer can be confusing. It was much easier when we just asked for a beer and they brought it, you know, the people that bring things. Now, we need to know what style it is, how much alcohol it has, and what glass to serve it in. I have compiled a few beer myths that keep haunting us. I hope to clear things up a bit. 

Dark Beer Is Stronger Than Light Beer

"Luke come to the dark side" Sorry, couldn't help myself.

I think most people believed this at one time. It reminds you of coffee. It just looks stronger, but what does stronger really mean? Does it mean more alcohol? Does it mean stronger more intense flavors? Not always. So what makes it dark in the first place?

Color and flavor come from malts and can range from pale to almost black. This doesn't mean it will have more alcohol. It means flavors, which can range between toasty to dark chocolate. Alcohol depends on the process of yeast feeding on sugar. A while back we served a Belgium style IPA called Stumbling Monk and it clocked in at almost 9% abv. Now that's a strong ale and what did the color look like? Blond. How about that?  And their Vanilla Porter takes us to 5.4% and the color? black. 

Beer Myth: "I Just Don't Like Beer"

I here this often and I usually shake my head. What this typically means is that you haven't had the right beer for you. So a beer is just a beer right? Wrong. There are over 40 styles of beer. Colors start from pale straw to jet black. Some of the many flavors of beer are light toasted bread, burnt toast, coffee, chocolate, caramel, banana, vanilla, Bourbon, grapefruit, spruce, licorice, raspberry, molasses, and peach. And like I said, this is just a smidgen of the flavors you can experience from different beers. Some are sticky sweet, others are bone dry. Some are light in body, others are as thick as cream. To sum it up, not all beers are created equal. Keep trying and you will find your 'aha' moment.

Canned Beer is Inferior To Bottled Beer 

Ok I confess, I was guilty for this for quite some time. First of all, when I first encountered good tasting beer, it was only available in bottles. This was in the early 90's. The only beers available in cans at the time were the mass produced light tasting, cheap less expensive beers. So I mistakenly assumed only craft beers deserved to be in bottles.  Talk about a "beer snob". The truth is that cans sometime keep beer fresher than bottles. Two enemies of beer are light and air.   Bottles allow light to enter, especially the green bottles. Cans deprive light from entering. Plus canned beers are less expensive. That is good for my tight pockets, not to mention more sustainable than bottles.  Another reason is that cans can go where bottles cannot. Sporting events, beaches, parks, and hot tubs, just to name a few. If you so chose, you can pour the canned beer into a fancy glass. It was 15 years ago when Oskar Blues first canned it's Dales Pale Ale and now there are over 550 breweries who can beers.  No bottle opener needed.

One Final Thought

In  2001, The schools in Belgium waged a war against child obesity claiming sugary drinks and fizzy sodas were causing diabetes and breast cancer. A beer society called the Limburg Beer Friends came up with what they thought was a healthy alternative - Beer. That's right, low alcohol beer called tafelbier. This was to be served during lunch to kids from 3 to 15 years old. 

I can hear it now, my daughters come home from school and I ask the same question I always do "Hi sweethearts, how was school?"  They reply -  I have no idea daddy,  I've been wasted since lunch. Do you think I can just have a soda tomorrow? 

Common Misconceptions of Wine

I have been working for Paradocx for 3 years now and I have a pretty good idea what our customers like and expect. Some are novices and some are seasoned Oenophiles (that's a fancy word for wine nerds). What they all have in common is that they know what they like. It's no secret our sweet wines sell like crazy and our cans are our "claim to fame" but let's not forget about our award winning premium wines. Mostly dry whites and reds, some single varietal and some unique blends.

As I am editing this, I found out we won a silver medal for out 2016 Pinot Grigio. Go Team! Shameless plug. 

For now I would like to help clear up some misconceptions I have encountered over the years. It's ok, It's not your fault.


Fruity Equals Sweet

This is one of my favorites.This misconception happens mostly with our dry whites. Of our bottled whites, the only true non-dry variety is our Whitewash. This is our semi-sweet white blend.

Our dry whites include Haywagon Chardonnay, an unoaked chardonnay, PDX Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Vidal Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Yield, a five white grape blend. If these are dry, meaning they have no residual sugar, (there may be a trace but it is usually undetectable), why are customers confusing them with sweet wines?

Well, the biggest culprit are those with fruity qualities. The typical reason is that wine lovers are confusing fruity notes with sweetness. We tend to think of fruit as sweet, and aren't fruits typically sweet? White wines tend to have fruity characteristics but still no residual sugar. So it may be that you just don't want an overly fruity or floral wine. 


On the other hand, we hear customers asking for a sweeter Chardonnay. What they probably seek is a fruitier unoaked chardonnay like our Haywagon. 

"Earthier" wines tend to appear drier than fruitier reds. So when anyone asks for a “dry” Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir to go with their meal, which both are already dry, they are most likely asking for a red wine that is less fruity in flavor and a bit "earther" such as our Leverage, 

Some people do like a fruity red such as California Pinot Noir which is why even though our Barn Red is sweeter than our Merlot and Cabernet Savignon, it has similar characteristics, so many customers surprise themselves and buy a bottle.


"Sulfites in wine make my head hurt." 

If I only had a glass of wine every time I hear this. Here are a couple facts I would like to share.

Sulfites occur naturally in all wines, including wines with labels that read, “No Sulfites,” They are a natural byproduct of the fermentation process. Sulfites also may be added to combat certain microorganisms, as well as protect the color and delicate flavors of wine.  What sulfites rarely do is trigger allergic reactions, typically asthmatic symptoms;  this again is very rare. The most likely sources of your wine headache may be one of three things or the fact that you over indulged. We don't judge. Let's list those three natural triggers and touch the why and how they may cause a wine headache.

Tannins

Tannins are found on the inside of grape skins, seeds, and stems. In red wines, the skins are left in the juice and releases polyphenols. This is what causes the drying and slightly bitter sensation you get from red wines. Tannins may contribute, though not scientifically proven, to the headaches few drinkers get. You may not realize it but you may also get headaches from strong teas which are also tannic. If you find this to be the case but still love your red wines, ask for a wine with low tannins, our Barn Red is a great choice. Also white wines are typically free of tannins. 

Hystamines

You may already be familiar with histamines, the chemicals that are associated with allergic reactions, the ones that can cause runny nose, dried eyes, and headaches. I will be honest with you. Until recently I was unaware histamines could be caused by wine. Actually, it has been linked to dry aged beef and aged red wine. Once again this is not a scientific fact and it is still rare.

Sugar

This one makes sense and happens to be the main reason we are told to drink plenty of water while drinking alcoholic beverages. This is not exclusive to wine but anywhere you will find sugar and alcohol. When your body consumes alcohol and sugar, you need plenty of water to help process the substance. If you deprive yourself from water, your body pulls needed water from other parts of your body including your head and therefore causes a headache. Sweet and dessert wines can sometimes contribute to your wine headache. If you like Rieslings and other semi sweet wines, try a drier version of the same variety. 

Boxed Wines or (Paint Cans) are Inferior to Bottles

Before you pass judgement on any wine format other than traditional wine bottles, you need to ask a simple question. Why is it boxed in the first place?  Is it to sell you inferior wine at a cheap price? Is it to help the environment? Is it to keep wine fresher? Is it just to offer a larger quantity of wine?  

Before I answer those questions, I recall another myth, this one happens to refer to beer in a can vs beer in a bottle. The truth is that this stigma once existed for a reason, but that's a problem of the past. Brewers are looking at the practical usage of beer cans rather than the quality, therefore, they are targeting the same drinkers that typically bought craft beer in bottles. The only difference now are the benefits such as cheaper packaging, fresher quality, environmental friendly, and totally portable. 

Some of the top rated beers in the country come in cans. Some come only in cans. Can you say 21st Amendment?

So why am I talking about beer? That stigma associated with canned beers is not that different from the stigma associated with boxed wines. The fact is many wineries produce good quality boxed wines just like many wineries produce poor quality bottled wines. Our Paint Cans wines are no different.  The Paradocx wine offered in cans is also available in bottles. Come in and see/taste for yourself. 

One Final Thought

A few posts ago, I learned that there is a phobia for just about everything, including the fear of an empty glass which is called Cenosillicaphobia. And I also found out about another one called melissophobia - the fear of bees. Now I wouldn't say I have a fear of bees but rather a love-hate relationship. Unlike the kiddies of today, I spent most of my free time outdoors so I am no stranger to bee stings. That is not the issue here. The chip or shall I say bee on my shoulder comes from the strangest way I got stung. 

My dad played softball for his company and I always hung out at the games. One game in particular took place on one hell of a hot, summer day. Not sure what heat and bees have in common but boy were they out that day. Surprisingly, they left me alone. Well mostly. You see, what goes better with a ball game than a fresh grilled hot dog. But this time the dog came with an unexpected topping. Yes, you guessed it, a bee. Of course I was totally unaware of this until I felt the most horrible pain.....yes, I swallowed it. 

Now I know bees rock the environment and pollinate our world. But what I just found out was that as disgusting as it sounds, wasps play an important roll in the formation of grape fermentation. Apparently they love Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the fungeus found on vineyard grapes. When the grapes ripen in the summer, the buzzers chow down and fly back to their nests, where they give the chewed up mush to their babies. When the little tykes eat the fruit, they ingest the yeast, and their stomachs provide the perfect environment for it to survive the dormant months.When the babies reach flying age they then reintroduce S. cerevisiae to the vineyards and start the process all over again. The circle of life I guess. 

So Mr Wasp, although it may have been a honey bee that took that suicidal leap on to my frankfurter that hot summer day, or maybe it was your hungry ancestor, either way I have not forgotten the pain you have caused, but now, as I drink my glass of Barn Red, I will let this one go. Thanks for your contribution but stay off my food. 

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