On a quick trip to Maine...

Ok...quick life update.

I am an aspiring actuary. This means that every spring and fall, I will be on social lock down as I educate myself in all things risk, insurance, and math related. Then I will take an exam. It means that immediately before and after that exam, Gas Stove Girl will go on a temporary hiatus...kind of like the sitcoms inconveniently stop running new episodes during winter break.

Anyway, the good news is that during this past hiatus/exam season/social lockdown/whatever you want to call it I got a passing score on my exam! One more chip off the big actuary block. And now I'm back! I definitely want to keep this little blog thing up while I have the time to do so.

This past weekend, Cory and I took a trip up to visit his parents in Maine. We totally treated this weekend like a fun mini vacation. We went down to Portland to see lighthouses, we went to the Seadog Brewing Company for dinner, we got gelato in the Old Port, and -- the best part -- we went to Blacksmith's Winery.

Now, if you have never been to Maine or never did much wine drinking in Maine, I encourage you to return and go to Blacksmith's. The winery, located in Casco, does tastings daily and has awesome merch and wine for sale! I went a little overboard...

But they have THE MOST DELICIOUS WINE. Every time I go up to Maine, I know I have to stock up. I usually get my fix from the local Hannaford. The winery, though...it was like my adulthood Disney World.

The tastings at Blacksmiths are a little different. Each sample ranges from $1 to $1.25 and you can have as many as you want!

So, needless to say I tried a few things:
- Fatty Bampkins: This is their deliciously crisp and wildly popular hard cider. It comes in original and dry (dry = most alcohol, less sugar). I would LOVE for this stuff to start popping up in bars around Boston. It is one of the best ciders I've had (and, to be honest, I've had a lot).
- Maine Blueberry Wine: You may have noticed I came home with two bottles of this bad boy. I am absolutely obsessed with this wine! It is on the sweeter side, but it still has that good bite that you look for. The blueberry flavor is just right - not too overpowering, but there is no doubt that there are real blueberries in there.

- Vidal Blanc: I am so glad that I sampled this wine, because as it turns out I came home with a bottle of that as well. The label really says it all (SO CUTE). It was so refreshing (it's also on the sweeter side). I can't wait to break in to this.

- Sweet Elderberry: I need to be honest...this certainly ranked lowest on my wine list. The nice employee serving us the samples warned me ahead of time that with Elderberry, you either like it or you don't. I...do...not...like. It reminded me of cough syrup. I couldn't even finish the two ounces. *sigh*
- Sparkling Peach: This was a sparkling wine (go figure). It reminded me more of a sweet champagne than a wine. I really wouldn't be interested a whole bottle, but the sample was very crisp and sweet. In fact, if I were ever in Maine for New Years Eve, I think it would be very festive to pop a bottle of this at midnight!

 In my other Blacksmiths adventures, I have tried my hand at the raspberry and cranberry wine. These were both lovely as well. Basically, if you like wine (or cider!) you should definitely head out to Blacksmiths next time you are in Maine. They have something for everyone, and then some!

What's your favorite kind of wine? Do you pair wine with meals?