A sip of apple wine each day can drain the stash. And what precious stash Patrick Maher has.
His 100 percent Melrose Apple 2002 won a gold medal in the 2003 WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition in Vermont.
A darling ribbon and medal, shaped to drape around the neck of a wine bottle, signifies the award.
Organizers said walking into a ballroom packed with 1,499 wine bottles organized into 287 wine flights was an incredible sight, from a jalapeno wine made in Texas to a zinfandel from Sonoma, Calif. Each bottle reflected hard work, fun and pride that went into producing individual wines.
Don’t ask Maher for a sip of the 2002 blend. He only has a couple of bottles tucked away. I was at his home and didn’t get a taste, but sampling wine at 11 a.m. on a work day wouldn’t have been a great idea anyway.
Maher said he entered the competition to see if the fabulous response friends gave the 2002 vintage would hold up against wine makers from around the world.
At Maher’s downstairs workshop, six gallons of grape wine were percolating on a shelf under a plastic bag filled with corks.
"This is small time stuff," Maher said. "I learned how to make wine by reading books and talking to friends."
After the U.S. Navy Reservist served as a dental technician in the Navy, he studied dentistry at the University of Washington, then changed majors and received a master of fine arts degree at the Rochester Institute of Technologies’ School for American Craftsmen in New York.
He met his wife, Betty, there and they returned to Everett with a pot, frying pan, two sleeping bags, and a Bn6 Austin Healey.
Maher taught art at the new Cascade High School, became a school administrator in 1968 and later retired after 30 years in teaching. Maher started his own business in silver-smithing, created jewelry and repaired antiques and jewelry.
Just for fun, he grows bonsai trees. Maher’s impressive artwork is shown around the house, as are quilts created by his wife, a retired teacher.
When he makes wine, he uses top-notch products in near- sterile conditions. The winning apple blend is a dessert wine, good with a piece of pie in the early afternoon, Maher said.
The winning apples came from a friend in Stanwood.
"You wouldn’t want to cook a roast from a mad cow," Maher said. "I use the best apples."
He gives bottles to friends and donates some to auctions. They aren’t pretentious about their wine choices. The couple enjoys going out and tasting wines at dinners and wineries, but neither talk smugly about expensive selections. Maher said the actual making of his product is like kneading bread dough.
"It makes me feel kind of earthy," Maher said. "I feel like a Renaissance man. It’s fun."
Maher’s friend and fellow wine maker, George Richardson of Everett, has a bottle of the winning apple wine. The men met through a fly-fishing club. Richardson said he enjoyed sampling the fragrant, mellow Melrose blend. He is saving his bottle for a special occasion.
"Pat is an artist, and he takes that perfectionism of his art and transfers it to his wine making," said Richardson, 54. "I wasn’t surprised to see him win that award."
Richardson said the only bad thing about the wine is that Maher didn’t make more of it.
Columnist Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451 or
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