Just after opening City Vino, we were approached by Lt. Blender to sell these cocktails, or winetails, in a bag. Fun MRE size bag that you pop a bottle of wine into, and water, then freeze to make a wine slushy. There are all sorts of flavors for both summer fun and winter fun. Lieutenant McMorris was a U.S. paratrooper who had an assignment in the Caribbean Islands. The story goes that he was invited to all the parties because he had the blender and would concoct tasty fun things for all kinds of social events. When he got home to Galveston, Texas he bought a run-down ice cream factory, and started making and distributing the bags you see in the store.

With Memorial Day Weekend approaching, everyone is anxiously awaiting the kickoff to the summer season. Not officially, of course, but most think of it as the gateway into warmer weather, trading the long sleeves for tank tops, packing up the thermals, and opting for a cool drink instead of a hand and body warmer.

The winery’s location will determine what wine laws it may choose to participate under. Wine laws are meant to strengthen the branding relationship between winery and consumer by informing the customer what level of quality, approved varietal used, and production methods were imposed to produce a bottle of wine.

There are grapes in the world that are planted in a wide range of environments. This is an absolute understatement. Of this vastness is a small number of varieties that have easily traveled from their homelands and have been planted around the world. Why? Because they are proven grapes that can produce high-quality wines and are not too fussy about where they are planted.