A good wine takes time to bring to life, and a good start. It is said that the soil, the weather, and the grapes combine with the wine makers talents to give each vintage its unique taste, body, and aroma. Wines are made all over the world, and many are exceptionally good; yet there is one place that makes a wine near and dear to my heart.
Many years ago, an explorer by the name of Bartholomew Gosnold discovered a series of islands off the coast of Massachusetts. One he named Nantucket in honor of his sister Nan, and a chain of smaller ones he called the Elizabeth Islands, to honor the queen. And the final one, he named to honor his mother-in-law, who had financed his expedition. He also named it for the vast amount of grapes he saw growing wild there; he called it Martha’s Vineyard.
It wasn’t long before settlers came to the islands. They cleared the brush, built homes, and established farms and shops. In time, whaling became a big part of the economy, and then collapsed with the near extinction of the whales! Yet, there were other enterprises to sustain the people; among them – vineyards and wineries.
One summer, my dad and I went out to take a tour of one of the vineyards. We got to see everything; how they gathered the grapes, selected them, the fermentation process, and the bottling. At the end, we got to try some, and we bought a case.
Over the years, wine has always played a part in the life of my family. My mother being full-blooded Italian, she uses it in her cooking. For special occasions, we still get some island wine out and drink a toast. No, it is not the best wine around. Yet, that never really matters; it is the wine of home, and that is what makes it special. Any person who comes from a place where wine is made knows this to be true. You would sooner drink a warm bottle of new wine from home, than a perfectly aged bottle of the finest vintage ever made.
There’s just something about the wine of home.
So, I decided to send my mom some wine for her birthday. While I couldn’t make it a bottle of Martha’s Vineyard wine, I did find a nice gift basket at a website called TheBasketSpot.com. I got her the Coastal Extravaganza.
We drank a fine selection that day and she kept the others for another time.