Martha Stewart Says It’s OK to Put Ice in Wine, and These 3 New England Wineries Responded
Editor's note: This article was written by a Townsquare Media Northern New England contributor and may contain the individual's views, opinions or personal experiences.
Martha Stewart told People Magazine that it's OK to put ice in your wine.
What the what?!? Has she been hanging out with Snoop too long, taking in his casual what-evs attitude? This is tough, because Martha is the queen of lifestyle perfection.
I mean sure, we’ve probably all put ice in our wine at last once because we were sipping out in the hot and humid weather at a baseball game, or didn't have a properly chilled bottle and just couldn't wait. Or, we just drink too slowly and it's warm now.
This goes against everything we've ever learned about wine etiquette, unless it's the cheap stuff and who cares.
No matter what the reason, it's most definitely not the norm and will dilute the colors, aromas, texture, and tastes, especially in the more fine or complex wines, according to Vine Pair and the Institute of Culinary Education.
I decided to ask 3 of our New England wineries what they thought.
Here's what Brian Ferguson, the owner/operator of Flag Hill Winery and Distillery in Lee, New Hampshire, had to say:
Boy, that's a charged topic. Personally I don't care. I wouldn't, but it's an individual thing and I won't judge. The only thing I will say is that no matter what, for goodness' sake, buy New Hampshire wine.
Warm wines are a thing in the winter though, Ferguson added. Right now, Flag Hill has winter warmers, which is a mulled wine concept including chocolate as well as spiced, so stop by for tastings if you crave some tasting time.
At Massachusetts' Nashoba Winery in Bolton, Restaurant Manager Kristine Dangona had this to say:
Why would you want to water it down and ruin the flavor? You should always have a chilled bottle ready to go, especially if you're a wine drinker. That's my personal opinion, but if flavor isn't that important then, I guess it doesn't matter.
If you decide to join Nashoba for their winter series of live music in a heated pavilion with tapas, and you want ice, they'll give you ice for you wine.
Finally, Megan Wei, the Marketing Director of the family owned and operated Dragonfly Farm and Winery in Stetson, said this:
Whatever works for each person is what works. For your traditional, fine wines I personally wouldn't because you lose a lot in flavor and taste. However, we actually have wines that we encourage you to put ice in them. We are known for untraditional wines and our All Fruit wines like watermelon or pineapple are even better with ice
Megan adds that they're open for tastings at Dragonfly inside or at their outdoor fire tables, so come by, and however you like to drink your wine is just fine.
Where do you stand on the topic? Do you agree with Martha? Do you have a favorite winery in New England?