Rain, rain go away I need a sunny day. What a difference between summer of 2012 and summer of 2013. Last year I was begging the clouds to open up and provide some much needed rain. This year I’d like just a day or two for my husband and I to get out and tend to the gardens without being caught in a deluge or sloshing around in the orange Georgia clay.

My area has seen an above average rain fall for the year which I’m grateful for. Lake Lanier is several feet above full pool and our trees are lush and thriving instead resembling tried twigs. Sometimes rain is too much of a good thing. Our berries haven’t been able to do anything, seeds in the garden have washed away and the lack of sunshine on our property has stunted most of the veggies.

Nothing to do but sit in the rocking chairs while the rain pours down around us and drink some wine. On one rainy weekend Cupcake Vineyards Riesling Mosel Valley brightened my spirits.

Delicate floral, honey and lemon citrus aromas. Semi-sweet flavors of lemon, lime and Red Delicious apples and a zesty lemon finish provide for a harmonious balance between acidity and sugars. This truly is one of my favorite Cupcake Wines.
I received this as a sample some time ago but this gem retails anywhere from $8.99 to $13.99.

Varietal: Riesling
Appellation: Mosel Valley, Germany
Alcohol: 11.0%
TA: .70 g/100ml
RS: 3.0 g/100ml
pH: 3.621

Cupcake Vineyards wines hit the shelves in 2008 with a Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Under winemaker Adam Richardson’s guidance they’ve expanded not only their wine portfolio but have broadened their area of colloboration. Wines were originally created from California’s Central Coast but now include Argentina, Australia, France, Germany, Italy and New Zealand.

The grapes for this wine are grown on steep inclines in Germany’s Pfalz region. The grapes are hand harvested, de-stemmed and gently pressed. A cool and slow fermentation along with use of a yeast specific to Rieslings allows the wine to develop its delicate flavors. The wine is aged sur lie, also known as on lees. Wines undergoing this process have been unfiltered and allowed to age with the dead yeast still in contact with the wine. This method can add freshness, creaminess and clarity to the wine.

I’ve been thinking a lot about summers from my youth. My mom was a teacher so she was home with me over the summer. While my friends were at summer day camp I spent my days in our pool, playing with Barbies or my Fisher Price toys. My Barbies always went on a summer trip which meant each day I took them to a different room in the house where they climbed Mt. Couch and gazed at the open expanse of the blue or brown landscape. In reality this was the carpet, hey it was the 70’s. Other times they go for a spin on the record player before I turned the speed up to 78rpms and watched as they flew across the room, this was the amusement park trip for them. Finally they’d end their day with a dip in the pool or sailing on their Catamaran. Can you tell I’m an only child?

My evenings were also spent beside or in the pool. The air filled with the sound of buzzing mosquitoes and the scent of the Citronella candle, you know the one in the dimpled glass jar. I miss those days.

I also miss the days spent in the Gulf of Mexico spitting watermelon seeds out and tossing the rinds for the fish to nibble on. Hope we didn’t upset any eco systems by those actions. Do they even sell watermelon with seeds now?

I’m not sure why I’ve been thinking about these times lately. Maybe I’m a little home sick for the area and maybe for the era in which I grew up. No cell phones, no laptops and fewer distractions. Sigh, I guess we can’t go back, we can only go forward. Something to really keep in mind in light of recent events affecting us as a country.