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Seems like just yesterday I was struggling to remember to write 2012 on checks. It’s hard to believe another year has flown by. In an effort not to let this one escape so fast, I made a few wine resolutions to help savor 2013:
• Make a pilgrimage to Manteo to see the Mother Vine, believed to be the nation’s oldest cultivated grapevine. Planted about 400 years ago, most likely by Croatan Indians or Sir Walter Raleigh’s settlers, the vine has survived suburbanization, hurricanes and a recent brush with an herbicide. Along the way, I’d like to learn a bit more about North Carolina’s wine history.
• Don’t buy the same wine twice. I tried to do this years ago, but have been a bit of a slacker. Recently, I counted how many years I might have left to try new wines and decided I’d better get serious. So much to explore, and so many fun wines to taste. I’d surely hate to miss any.
• In that vein, I plan to go exploring with my tastebuds, trying wines from regions I’m not familiar with and grapes I haven’t tasted. There are lots of ancient varieties being resurrected and many emerging regions being planted. Tasting new wines will be like a bit of armchair traveling.
• Visit a winery during each of the seasons to get a taste of the cycle of the vine and to learn more about grape growing and winemaking. There are so many fantastic ones an easy hour or so drive from Charlotte.
• Support Charlotte’s excellent local wine shops by not only buying wine, but also going to tastings, events and dinners. The real challenge is how to fit it all in. There is truly something fun to do around the city pretty much every night.
• Drink more bubbles. Sparkling wines feel like celebrations. There is something to celebrate every day, without waiting for the ball to drop in 2014.
