Cherry wine

I'm by no means a wine connoisseur. I take what someone gives me or recommends and tend to enjoy it. Thus it will be no surprise that I found this Flathead cherry wine when I walked past the Montana wine display at the Columbus IGA.

Montana does produce wines, and I hope to visit a winery to give you a closer look at its production. Meanwhile, bear with me while I try to entice you to savor a made-in-Montana wine.

Although I will drink anything, I do prefer white wine, which seems to me more mellow than red. But who could resist a cherry wine, particularly when the cherries are from the Flathead region of Montana?

Flathead cherries tend to be Lamberts and Lapins, which thrive in the mild climate around Flathead Lake in northwest area of the state. The first orchards were planted in 1866, so many trees are well settled in and producing cherries worth going out of your way for.

The Ten Spoon Flathead Cherry dry wine I am writing about today was made from organic cherries grown in the Fat Robin Orchard on Finley Point. (The latest news on their Facebook page is that they are making cherry molasses. We'll be keeping an eye on that!)

Ten Spoon Vineyard and Winery is located near Missoula. Their website explains a lot more than I can here, but the main points are they are organic and they have a tasting room.

Today I paired my wine with Triscuits and some Danish Havarti cheese because I like crackers and cheese and that's all they had at IGA this week. As far as I'm concerned, the wine holds up well to this prosaic snack.

I mean no irreverence to this fine wine, with its deep cherry red color and fruity (cherry) taste. It's nicely dry, which means it is not sweet. (I looked up that term and learned something new!) I'd buy another bottle, and coming from me, that's a big compliment. I like wine OK, but I prefer iced tea or a glass of water. Although we can all be grateful that wine does make a meal or occasion very special.

So now you know that Montana produces wine, and I have no doubt it is very good wine that would please even the true connoisseur. If you can, buy some and taste it for yourself.