I grew up in Hastings, MN. I am also back in that lovely little ville and am exploring it again: both the things that I loved as a kid and the things that I didn't experience before. One of these latter gems is the Alexis Bailly Vineyard. Sure, I had sampled their wines before but I hadn't visited the vineyard.
As most of you are quite well aware...this is a girl who is very much a part of the sensory world. And by a 'part of' what we really mean is that she thrills at tastes, touches, smells, sounds and is often enraptured in her own little world enjoying these things. She is often also appalled (thank you, upset doggy tummy) by some of the concoctions she comes across. Now, does this mean her palate is necessarily more educated than yours? Nope. Just means she is seeks out new sense experiences like a lot of people seek new WoW trophies. Polite cough.
Well it was a beautiful day in October in Minnesota, not one of those few that snowed. Our heroine puts herself with her parents and heads out into that sparkling blue afternoon over cornfield and soybean field and arrives. The approach is quite respectable: a horse and her rider on the dirt road out front, bare older vines as we make our way down the long drive to the house. It's rustic and charming, a dark red log-cabin that while is probably new looks like it could be the home of a well-to-do farming family from way back when.
We park and that's what hits me first: there are probably 20 cars in the parking lot. I wasn't expecting this, I thought it was little bitty. Hm, deserves more thought. So we walk through that clear fragrant air, the skin underneath my coat chill but in that pleasant way when your insides are still warm and your skin is just breathing in the open air. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust from the bright outdoors to the dark interior but I see my first impression about it being a beloved farmhouse are once again affirmed: gleaming warm woods gleam from every surface. Not the hyper-polished kind of cherry, but pines of rough-hewn tables loved under many hands and glasses, and oaks from the barrels surrounding the tasting room and the darker walnut (a guess) of the towering wine racks.
We belly up to the bar and order a couple tasting flights. I find out later that this particular bartendress who looked so familiar is someone who used to be in our neighborhood, she's just a couple years younger than me. So it is townieland and that brings me back to myself for a little bit, but que sera. The first light whites are pleasant, entirely drinkable but nothing that thrills my soul. Don't take this as extreme disparagement, in point of fact for a white to be at all acceptable to me is quite the feat. Normally I find them bland and without interest, or cloyingly sweet or overly oaked in lieu of real flavors. Specifically the Seyval Blanc was quite nice, and I can see how with the right fruits on a summer afternoon I'd want to sit out on the patio with a glass (fine, bottle) of that and a good book. Especially if George R. R. Martin actually can finish the stupid Song of Ice and Fire series because until he does it will occupy a part of my brain that I need for something else. /rant off. Anyway.
So we get through the whites and onto much more pleasing territory for these tastebuds, the reds. The means reds. Wait no, that's another thing altogether. The red wines, that's what we're here for or at least I am. Again, I'm pleasantly surprised at the generally palatable nature of these wines FROM MINNESOTA..actually, I'm going to digress again for a moment to give some kudos. The vineyards up here have decided to fight the good fight against Old Man Winter and a short growing season in which the sugars don't have anywhere near the same amount of time to work their magic multiplying act on the vine. These vintners have done some great work researching grapes and working hard at their craft, and I am so pleased at their result. Nay, tickled. That's what happened with Voyageur, a gorgeous red that I can't wait to try with a good ribeye. After maybe it sits for a little while as it was still a little peaky, but I have faith in that mellowing with a bit of decanting and/or aging. I'm pretty sure what we were drinking in the tasting room was 2006 so quite the baby.
The dessert wines I'm not going to get wax on about for the simple reason that I think my palate is in a state of flux and the clear sweet ruby ports and things I used to love just aren't holding me the same way. It could be also that after so many wines I just was feeling full and the heavy desserts just wasn't what I wanted.
Either way, if you are in the area I recommend you go and visit Alexis Bailly, if you aren't, come visit me.
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