Happy Friday!

After turning 21 in January, I have indulged in a Friday ritual of trying different alcoholic beverages, from a Mango Margarita at Red Robin to a Purple Haze, fruit and alcohol beer, at Fuel and Fuddle. (Check out these 21 fun drinking rituals from around the world: http://www.sloshspot.com/blog/08-05-2009/21-Drinking-Rituals-From-Around-The-World-199)

As an of-age college student at Chatham University, in a food studies course, I am able to begin my weekend with a (free!) wine tasting! A few Fridays ago, students loaded up the university vans and trekked out to Eden Hall farm to taste various local wines from Heritage Wine Cellars in North East, Pennsylvania.

As my fellow World Ready Women gathered around a table we were already deciding which wines to taste. I am a red wine drinker. White wine is completely unpalatable to me because my oldest sister Sara thought it would be a good idea to mix Minute Maid Pomegranate Blueberry juice into a chardonnay and I got sick from it. Really sick, yuck.

So, our table started off with a bottle of Half and Half, made with half Niagara and half Concord vine grapes. It is essentially half red, half white, but it was an interesting blend that had muted sweet tones with a bitter after bite. The following was more like tasting fruit juice: Raspberry Wine. It is one of their best sellers, as it has a natural berry taste with a tangy finish. The natural taste of raspberry was too sweet for me, as I prefer a Pinor Noir over fruit juice. Next, we tasted a Merlot, a European style dry medium body with a soft finish. More than 3/4 of the table opted not to taste, because the smell was so intensely bitter (and was described by one as an "old man drink"), and the taste indeed matched after tasting a drop.

The next red was a Concord made from Pennsylvania grapes, which was sweet (not to the extent of the Raspberry), with a full bodied fruit flavor. This was my favorite from the tasting because it reminded me so much of my favorite drink, red Sangria. I had tried Heritage's Sangria before, as it's one of my mom's preferred drinks (when we're not at Harris Grill drinking frozen Cosmos lined with Chambord). The red wine and citrus blend is refreshing, yet not the best (If you're looking for an outstanding Sangria in Pittsburgh, try La Casa in Shadyside on Ellsworth- their special ingredient is a cinnamon stick!).

Heritage Wine Cellar is a great example of purchasing local. They have many reasonably priced products: http://www.heritagewine.biz/. Chatham's new food studies program and school of sustainability at Eden Hall farm is looking at more opportunities to purchase local, the next one being chocolate. Until next time, cheers!