Vintage Flows: “Drink Outside the Box”

“Rosé in my Fruit Loops,
hard time, I done did that…”
-Tru Life, Last Night

So, if you are a subscriber to “Vintage Flows”, first off, thank you! Second, you know that I start every article with a rap/music lyric that segues into my topic of discussion. It’s only right that I reference the perfect quote from rapper, Tru Life. As far as I’m concerned he was the originator of “drinking outside of the box”. Unfortunately, I could only use part of the lyric, as it gets slightly too distasteful. Feel free to look it up for yourself.

Tru Life, before incarcerated, often made videos of himself eating cereal with rosé instead of milk. Maybe he still does it to this day – who knows? But I felt it was important to acknowledge him as a pioneer and an influence.

As I, with your help, break down the walls that have been put up by the traditionalists of the “wine culture”, I find myself needing to think outside the box, or in this case, “drink” outside the box. I get a kick out of finding untraditional wine pairings that help people widen the realm of possibilities for wine to be enjoyed.

I started a “cereal and wine challenge”. What I did was pair 3 different cereals with 3 different wines and actually use wine instead of the milk. The goal was to get 1 combination to actually taste good. Allow me to break down each pairing, one by one, and walk you through how that experience went.

My first pairing was Apple Jacks with a very impressive Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay from Napa Valley, California. This chardonnay is a personal favorite of mine. And if I may say so, slightly pricey for such an experiment, but so be it. The chardonnay itself had a hint of apple flavor, along with butterscotch, butter pecan ice cream, almond, and touch of lemon. When mixed with the Apple jacks, I kid you not, it smelled and tasted like a spiced apple pie. I was shocked at how much I enjoyed it. This experiment right away, was looking surprisingly optimistic.

My second pairing was Froot Loops and a Miraval rosé from Cotes de Provence, France. This winery is owned, or at least was owned by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. I’m not sure how it worked out in the divorce. This rosé had flavors of rose water, violet mints, watermelon, cherry gummy bears, and a sweet citrus finish. When paired with the fruit loops, it possibly tasted better than had it been with milk. This rosé was so smooth and there was no hint of alcohol, spice, or any sour flavors. Had it not been for fear of a terrible stomach ache, I would have eaten the entire serving. But I played it smart, and moved on to the next pairing.

The last pairing was Cinnamon Toast Crunch with Old Parcel pinot noir from Oregon. This was a light to medium bodied red wine with flavors of plum, licorice, some dark chocolate, vanilla, and rubber. In all honesty, I was skeptical on this pairing, and sure enough, my instincts were right. Immediately, I knew this was not a winner. The licorice and rubber flavors right away made this a no go. I have a hunch that red wine is not doable with cereal, whatsoever. It may just be too overwhelming.

So “the cereal and wine challenge” resulted with the rosé and Froot Loops being the best of the 3, with the chardonnay and Apple Jacks coming in a close 2nd. The pinot and Cinnamon Toast Crunch however, was a very distant 3rd.

This challenge was not meant to convince people to use wine instead of milk in their cereal – even though it may be a healthier option. The point was to inspire people to get creative with their wine pairings. I want to remove the stigma that wine is fancy and can be enjoyed in any type of setting.

I have a deep respect for the grapes used to make wine, the land from which its grown, the hands that pick these grapes, the process it takes to make the wine, and the winemakers themselves. This is in no way mocking the process. I just believe, in order to push the culture forward, we must attract a broader demographic and a more light-hearted approach is a way to do so.

Sure, sometimes wine makes the night for you and that special someone. Wine certainly can “set the mood”. But wine can also be simple and casual. You don’t have to throw a steak on the grill with all the fixings to enjoy with your wine. There are regular, everyday foods in your cabinets, pantry, and refrigerator that can pair wonderfully with that wine. Take chances! Be adventurous! I don’t believe you have to always be right when it comes to wine. No fear of being wrong forces you to ask yourself the right questions while learning a valuable lesson.

Well, I hope you had as much fun reading  as I had creating the content for it. I do it #fordacultcha. Cheers!