My husband came to an appreciate dry, tannic red wines much sooner than myself who had graduated from Moscato to Sauvignon Blanc, but he urged me continually to expand my horizons. However, my palate hadn't quite attained the level of appreciation for strong tannins that his had; consequently, I often retreated to my safety zone of dry white wines and concluded that I wasn't cut out to enjoy dry reds. Then, in 2018, Noisy Water Winery released their Mourvèdre.

A grape that originated in Spain and is now grown in France, Australia, and the United States. Mourvèdre – a wine I had never heard of, and like all wines in the Noisy Water catalog, I had to learn about it. Which meant drinking it. 

“The best way to learn about wine is in the drinking.”
- Alexis Lichine, American wine dealer and writer (1913–1989)

Notes of dark cherry, leather, and a hint of pepper fill the nose, suggesting a truly dry, tannic experience, but then one sip and… surprise! Like the grumpy old man who’s really all heart under that gruff exterior, El Cabron Viejo glides like velvet over the palate to an astonishingly mellow finish. Even novice wine drinkers who typically shy away from anything dry and heavy on tannins will be able to appreciate the smoothness of this blend. It’s a great place for them to start exploring dry, full-bodied red wines.

“Nobody would do anything if they knew what they were in for.”
- Amarante Cordova in “The Milagro Beanfield War”

• Helps keep wine stable in the bottle, allowing for a longer shelf life  
• Prevents bacterial growth 
• Naturally occurring antioxidant
• Known to benefit the heart and help with blood pressure issues 

Introduced by Noisy Water Winery in 2013, Run for the Rosé heralded a renaissance in rosé appreciation. After a decline in popularity in the 1980s and ‘90s, rosé wines began to enjoy a resurgence, climaxing in 2015 as a “mainstream wine”, rivaling red and white wines in the amount of shelf space they occupied in wine stores and supermarkets. And they ran the gamut from bone-dry to tooth-achingly sweet. I simply never considered that rosé had such an extensive variety of flavor profiles and levels of sweetness and dryness in my early days of wine drinking. Even Noisy Water’s catalog of wines includes a total of seven rosés and everyone, from Moscato aficionados to true dry lovers, is sure to find a rosé to suit his or her personal taste.

A semi-sweet rosé that evokes a true feel of summer which, in Ruidoso, includes weekend afternoons at nearby Ruidoso Downs racetrack, Run for the Rosé offers a respite from the hottest days of the year. A touch of floral on the nose and a refreshing orchard peach finish with a hint of honeyed almond, this rosé deserves a place in just about everyone’s wine fridge. Pair it with good friends and a cheese and fruit platter on a sunny summer afternoon in the backyard. Or relax on our back deck at The Cellar Uncorked with a bottle of Run for the Rose and recall carefree summer days that you wished would never end.

And when you’re in the homestretch of a long day, you’ll be sure to find this wine in the winner’s circle!

“And it’s high time you joined in the dance.”
-“Run for the Roses” by Dan Fogelberg

Although we at Noisy Water Winery take the actual making of our wines very seriously, it's important to remember how to have fun. And one thing we do take seriously is having fun. Tighty Whitey White is nothing if not fun... one look at the label will tell you that!

Produced since 2014, Tighty Whitey White is one of those wines that can claim the title of being an All-Around wine. It's one of our takes on Pinot Grigio: dry, but not too dry, so it appeals to palates across the spectrum. It's crisp, but not sharp; fruity, but not overly sweet. Honey, a hint of spice, a burst of orchard fresh peach make it smooth but refreshing. What better way to encourage sweet wine drinkers who are a little intimidated by dry wines to venture into new territory?

I love wine, but I'm not a scientist; I can't tell you a lot about the process of making wine, but I can tell you why I like it. And I like Tighty Whitey because it doesn't make you work too hard to find out what it pairs with best. It's a wine you can feel comfortable with, like your favorite pair of shoes or sweats. It's as easy to sip as a complement to a briny, seafood entree as it is to enjoy with a snack of chips and salsa while relaxing on the back porch on a summer night. While it screams “summertime in a glass”, who couldn't use a glassful of summer in the dead of winter, along with a bowl of popcorn?

So when you've had one of “those” days – when all you want is to just shrug off the outer shell and strip down to just being yourself after spending the day being everything to everyone around you – Tighty Whitey White's got you. Even if you prefer boxers.

Cheers,
Amy