Wednesday, June 16, 2004

In the USA

I have been in the USA for a week now. It was a long flight to Minneapolis via Seoul and LA. I don't particularly like the hustle and bustle of airports any more. Since 9/11 the increased security has intensified the airport experience. But apart from a small delay in Denver caused by bad weather arrived at my destination without much drama.
Minneapolis seems a nice city but have not had a chance to have a close look yet. Have done a little exploring in the countryside and of course found a winery. Alexis Bailly Wines in Hastings presented a full tasting of their range during their season opening on the weekend.
The wines are all made from American grapes or their hybrids so to one used to wine made from European grapes the "foxiness" of the wines stood out at first. But I have to say that after a while that characteristic disappeared into the background. I liked the reds. Easy drinking, soft and fruity. Not long termers by any stretch of the imagination but nice examples of what can be done with vitis labrusca.