An Unexpected Tasting.

The other day my wife and I were both off from work, and after a nice lunch we stopped at a local orchard (Frecon Orchard) for some fresh fruit and vegetables. Upon entering I was suprised to see that they had a tasting room in which they feature wine and mead from two local vineyards. We first tasted a mead named "Blueberry Melomel" from Stonekeep Meadery. (FYI, mead is an alcoholic beverage using honey as the sugar source for fermentation.) Mead, especially the homeade type, has a bad reputation with regard to taste. This blueberry-favored mead was unexpectedly good, tasting much like a port or sherry. We next tasted two wines from Blair Vineyards. The first was a Pinot Gris, a semi-dry white, which was forgettable for the most part. The other was a dry red named "Wedding Cuvee", a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. As before, I had nothing with which to take notes, but I recall blackberry flavors with moderate tannins. Overall quite good; good enough in fact that I bought a bottle. I also intend to visit the winery some time soon.