From the Battlefield to the Vineyard—A Lesson in Perspective
When I first started my military career, I was stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana—home of the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) and a place where hot, humid, and miserable were standard operating conditions. As part of a Recon Company, I had the opportunity to engage in long-range surveillance (LRS) operations, navigate the woods on Enduro motorcycles, and drive Humvees through the forest at night using night vision goggles (NVGs).
Now, if you’ve never had the pleasure of off-roading in a Humvee at night with NVGs, let me set the scene:
• You see everything in a weird green glow.
• Depth perception is practically nonexistent.
• Everything looks the same—until you hit it.
One night, during Sergeant’s Time Training, I was behind the wheel of a Humvee, navigating through the Louisiana backwoods. My senior NCO sat beside me, evaluating my driving skills. We maneuvered around obstacles and trees—well, mostly around trees.
At one point, I paused and said, “That’s a really big tree.”
My Sergeant, cool as ever, responded, “You see the tree?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, just give it a little more gas, and you’ll push it over.”
Now, here’s the problem—there were trees everywhere. And in that moment, I had no idea which tree he meant.
What he was referring to was a small, thin tree off to my left—one that the Humvee could easily roll over. But what I saw was something much bigger, much stronger, and much more immovable directly in front of us.
So, I gave it a little more gas.
And I hit that massive tree head-on.
Let me tell you—Humvees are tough, but trees are tougher. Everything inside the vehicle came to an abrupt stop. The front end was wrecked, and my Sergeant? Well, he just looked at me and said, “Why the hell did you hit that tree?!”
Confused, I said, “I thought that was the tree you meant!”
“No! I meant THAT tree! Not THAT tree!”
The conversation continued like some twisted version of Who’s on First?.
It took me a long time to realize that this was more than just a training mishap—it was a lesson in perspective.
What Does This Have to Do With Wine?
Perspective matters—not just in military operations but also in winemaking and wine appreciation.
When someone tastes a wine, they might say, “Oh, this is dry.” But what does that actually mean?
• Dry as in not sweet?
• Dry as in tannic, like over-brewed tea?
• Dry as in mouth-puckering, or just not fruity?
Or maybe they say, “I like red wine.”
• Do they mean a bold Cabernet Sauvignon?
• A light Pinot Noir?
• A fruity, slightly chilled Lambrusco?
And this is where Kansas Farm Wineries, including Z&M Twisted Vines Winery & Vineyard, face their biggest challenge—people’s wine preferences have been shaped by California wines for decades.
In California, when someone says they like a dry red wine, they’re usually talking about Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Pinot Noir—wines grown in the warm valleys and coastal regions of the West Coast.
But Kansas doesn’t grow those grapes.
Here in the Kaw Valley AVA, we grow Chambourcin, Norton, St. Vincent, and Vignoles—grapes that are suited for our unique climate and soil but aren’t widely recognized by the average wine drinker.
So when someone says, “I want a dry red,” and we pour them a Kansas Chambourcin or Norton, they hesitate. They see a tree, but it’s not the tree they expected.
Just like in that Humvee, we need to step back and consider what the other person sees.
Leading People to the Right Tree… or the Right Wine
Instead of simply saying, “This is a dry red,” we should say:
• “This is a Kansas dry red—fruit-forward like a Pinot Noir but with a boldness similar to a Cabernet.”
• “If you like Merlot, you’ll probably love our Chambourcin—it’s medium-bodied, smooth, and pairs well with everything from steak to barbecue.”
• “Kansas Norton is America’s true native grape—it’s bold, structured, and great for aging, much like a California Zinfandel.”
Perspective is everything.
In the military, we learn that what you see isn’t always what the other person sees. The same lesson applies to wine.
When we talk about Kansas wines, we have to guide people to the right tree—not the one they think they see, but the one that actually stands before them.
So next time you’re drinking wine and someone says, “I like red wine,” don’t assume you know what they mean. Ask them which tree they see—because it might not be the one you think.
From Warrior to Wine—Join the Conversation
Have you ever had an experience where your perspective was different from someone else’s? Let’s talk about it!
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From Warrior to Wine—Cheers to seeing the forest, the trees, and maybe even the Humvee crash along the way.