Some Mighty Fine Wine

On Saturday I went down to Seneca lake to taste some wine at my parent's favorite winery: Atwater Estate Vineyards. As many of my closest friends understand I am a connoisseur of all types of adult beverages: from my usual rum and coke to an occasional scotch, I enjoy a good drink. When my parents offered to take me to the winery I was quite excited, despite not really being a big wine drinker I am always eager to gain new experiences. We happened to pick an absolutely perfect autumn day, it was warm, sunny and there was not a cloud in the sky. For someone on the pursuit of learning to love fall, the Finger Lakes this time of year is a strong selling point, the fall foliage transforms the area in a stunning array of colors. Still enjoying our new van's XM radio, we made the pleasant drive to the winery.

When we got to Atwater, we were greeted by my parents friend Amanda, who works at the winery and is a wonderful person. It's important to understand that my parents have been coming to this place for years, they started as the Pinot Noir people to the Morts to simply Ed and Kathy. I never really understood my parent's passion for wine, until recently it had all tasted the same. I tried a few wines—both red and white—and began to realize the art in it. No two years are ever the same in life nor in wine. Each year the wine is a little different, these variations make for a unique and special experience. Wine has complex textures of flavor that take a keen sense of taste to fully appreciate, luckily my parents were there to walk me through it. Wine is made from grapes but it's flavors can reminded you of other things such as apples, peaches or oak. After this enlightening tasting I have a new found love of wine and the culture associated. For lunch we had some amazing tacos from Global Taco, a food truck that was parked at the winery that day. I had one the spiciest tacos in my life, it was brutal and delicious all at the same time. That day I was also able to taste some vodka from the distillery down the road. Saturday was a very enjoyable day that left me feeling a little more cultured. It was wonderful to share in something my parents love. The entire endeavor also made me a lot more grown up. Trying new things is what makes life worth living... go out and do something that broadens your horizons, it's always worth it.