When you think about wine what images come to mind? Sprawling vineyards...clear crystal...elegant people...the curve of a green bottle...french oak barrels...
How about crampons and an ice axe?
A while back I got a post on Facebook from West Toast's own Andrea Flatley offering me a link to a wine that pairs well with an active outdoors lifestyle (well, in my opinion, all wine does...but this maybe a little bit more) - the Wine Tote from Piccola Cellars, of which I have procured the chardonnay.
On the way up...
We took this fun bag of wine (complete with caribiner) with us on a climbing excursion on Mt. Hood. After all, why not see how this wine works in its preferred habitat. The bag lists its suggested uses as "camping, potlucking, picknicking, bonfiring, dinner partying, stargazing, hiking, kayaking, outdoor concert-ing, hottubbing, ultimate frisbeeing, snowshoeing, symphony-ing, gofling, biking, road tripping, beachcombing, fireworks watching." No, climbing is not on there. Apparently the folks at Piccolo think that climbers are made of different stuff? Regardless, we buried the bag in a snow drift and made for our climb. 5 hours later, upon our return, we gave it a taste.
Crisp and citrusy, this wine drinks more like a pinot gris than a chardonnay. That said, it sported a floral and citrus nose, cool and smooth crispness with melon and an herbal quality. It was incredibly refreshing in the warm parking lot after the chill of the upper elevations. It is smooth, accessible, and easy to drink. It would be a lovely addition to all of the above-listed activities...and you can add climbing to that list as well!
Stay tuned for next month - the merlot is going to the desert...
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