Dezel: Was there one special bottle that initially got you into wine? If so, what was this find?

Max: I was 9 years old the first time I assisted in making wine. My parents drove me and my sister out 30 miles to a large pasture in the country and dropped us off with a couple of plastic trash bags. Our mission was to pick all the dandelions we could fit into the bags so that my folks could try their hand at making dandelion wine. Six months later we popped open a bottle and I got to taste the fruits of my labor. It was horrible. And I don't just mean that because my 9 year old pallet was not yet ready to appreciate wine-it was just bad. My parents had neglected to read the line in the directions that said to remove the stems - this snafu resulted in a bitter taste one might expect from turpentine. Several years later (1978) my family moved out to Goochland County where we would begin our adventures in grape-growing and winemaking. As we were packing up, we found a case of that dandelion wine long relegated to the back of a closet in the basement. We were all feeling brave so we popped a bottle and tried it. The mystery and magic of time had worked wonders and the wine had actually developed into something quite drinkable. I remember the sense of amazement and wonder that something bitter and unpalatable could so transform. That for me will always be my most memorable wine. It serves as a reminder to me to focus on producing good fruit, be reserved in cellar tinkering, and let time do its part.

 

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