2017 Riesling and All-Wise Mead Tasting

The All-Wise crew made the trek from Brooklyn up to West Park, New York.  They're preparing to ramp up a commercial volume production of mead.  Mead is honey mixed with water and fermented with yeast. All-Wise brought a sample of their product, bottled on 9-11-17.  I was impressed.  My taste in wine tends to be on the dry side, with a preference for complexity over smoothness.  The mead was dry, but not overly dry.  I would compare it to a complex semi-dry wine.  The flavor also retained the yeast, which I understand is a hearty strain, able to ferment the more stubborn (as compared to wine grapes) honey sugar. The mead lends itself to sipping, with a natural peppery spice kick at the end.  Some people actually add pepper directly to the mead, though the guys told me they added no pepper to this batch. The mead smells great in the glass.  Mr. Sprouse recommended a glass with a narrowed flute to hold in the aroma.  It will be great to see how All-Wise develops their commercial product.  One intriguing aspect of mead is its versatility.  All-Wise seem willing to experiment, so mead fans may find something new each time they come back for more.

My fall ritual of beginning my primary Riesling fermentation is delayed a week due to abundant rainfall in the Finger Lakes.  It's a great time to taste my earlier vintages from years back to 2008.  I'm often pleasantly surprised when I open an old bottle.  Sometimes it just makes me remember something I did one time, and I am reminded to try it again.