Exploring Uncharted Territory

    As a creature of habit, I find myself stuck in the routines I create for myself. I seem to be one of those people who needs that organization and consistency in my life. If I am being completely honest with myself, I almost can’t handle it when my routine gets messed up. As I am slowly but surely learning, this is no way to live.

    A firm believer that everyone can grow and better themselves, I have recently been trying to work on not being so rigidly structured. Instead of stressing out because a day’s agenda is not the norm, I have been trying to embrace it for the new adventures it will give me and the new lessons it will teach me. This is easier said than done, but every baby step feels like a small victory. Embracing this ideology gave me a fantastic day last week and reminded me just how memorable these “out of the norm” days can be.

    During my time as an event planner at a local winery, I became friends with two very amazing people; one of the women who worked tastings off and on, and the vineyard manager. The vineyard manager has one of those rambling lives that overly structured people like myself envy. I mean, what would it be like to live in Colorado during the growing and harvest seasons and Hawaii during the winter months? For me, incredibly stressful, for someone like him, freeing.

    Upon his return from Hawaii this season, the three of us, along with my husband who quickly became part of the group, decided to head up to Estes Park for a little day trip. Our Hawaiian resident had never been to Snowy Peaks Winery, and we just had to introduce him to this most magical of wine places.

    After a morning workout of walking around Lake Estes – which was another milestone for me as in the past I would have woken up early to get a run in, as a simple walk around a lake, even if the walk is four miles long, would not suffice as exercise – and a delicious lunch at Poppy’s Pizza and Grill, we headed up the hill to Snowy Peaks. After being seated, I started looking over the wine flight menu. Though I willingly try all varieties of wines, I definitely prefer reds, and that is typically what makes up the majority of my flight options at any winery. While pouring over the options, it came as a surprise to me that I had either tried or had a bottle at home of every single red they currently offered. I thought briefly of selecting some of the reds I had only tried once or had been on the fence about in the past, but inspiration hit me. It was time to jump out of my comfort zone. I quickly selected all white wines and handed my choices to the friendly staff member taking care of us before I could change my mind. Never before had I been to a winery without trying a red, and I wasn’t backing out now.

    Though still a little hesitant when they placed my flight in front of me, all golden in color, I quickly started in. Up first was their 2021 Chardonnay, followed by the 2021 Pinot Gris, 2022 Viognier, 2022 Élevé Blanc, 2022 Dry Muscat, and the 2021 Traminette to end it. My mind was blown. Why in the world had I not been trying more of their whites? They were delicious! I was particularly infatuated with the Pinot Gris that did taste like a white Gummy Bear just as their tasting notes suggested, the Viognier which had a crème brûlée nose and floral palette, and the Traminette – which is fast becoming a grape variety I gravitate towards – with its green apple and cinnamon vibe. What a delicious change. This wine flight was the perfect way to teach me that it pays to fly out of your safety zone every once in a while. And, the new adventures didn’t stop there.

    With an uncanny ability to simply chat up everybody, our vine growing friend scored us a tour of the production and barrel room. I have been coming to this winery multiple times a year for the past ten years, and never once had I seen where the wine magic happens. I was about to explore uncharted territory. Along with the table next to us, we followed the owner down a set of stairs and stepped into the wonderful world of wine making.  Here, the owner gave us a quick tutorial on their process from receiving the grapes, to bottling and labeling the wine, and answered any questions we had. I was the annoying one with too many questions, but it was so exciting to be down there, seeing everything firsthand. It was the perfect ending to an adventurous day.

    What this wonderful Tuesday outing taught me is that going with the flow can bring a whole new world to my doorstep. It is now my goal to not only further my exploration of white wines, but to also continue to be more flexible and see what new doors will open up for me. A little spontaneity truly is the spice of life, and I look forward to all of the spices it will bring.