Riesling Haiku Contest Continues

Be it summer – or pseudo-summer – Riesling is still a worthy beverage these days. It’s chameleon-like quality lends itself to a versatility that’s perfect for the foods of summer (or pseudo-summer). Of course, Riesling goes great with Asian foodie fare, which reminds me of a post I placed not too long ago….

A couple of weeks ago, I did a piece on Riesling, Wild Ginger, & Haiku Contest that announced Wild Ginger’s participation in the “Summer of Riesling 2011” – a national movement spearheaded by New York restaurateur Paul Grieco – as well as a joint Riesling Haiku Contest with Wild Ginger (which, incidentally, also has its own Riesling-related events all summer long; for details, simply peruse their blog). I am happy to announce that the haiku entries – posted as comments to that article, as well as on the Heed the Hedonist Twitter page – are rolling in.

Haven’t yet submitted a hedonistic haiku pertaining to Riesling? Fear not, dear hedonists, as there is still time: the contest ends at 11:59 p.m. PST on Saturday, August 6th, 2011. Simply send us your Riesling-related (standard/non-standard) haiku as a comment via Heed the Hedonist. (Be sure to include your email address and Twitter handle. All acceptable entrants and entries will be approved as comments on this website as well as posted on Twitter (both @heedthehedonist as well as @WildGingerRes).

Both your Hedonista and Jake Kosseff – Company Wine Director/Director of Operations at Wild Ginger – will together select the winner, who will receive a magnum-sized bottle of the 2008 Dr. Loosen Graacher Himmelreich German Riesling (Spätlese), valued at approximately $100, when he/she accepts it in person at the Seattle Wild Ginger location (so we can photograph the winner with the prize). (Which means 21+ years of age, dear hedonists.)

As if the prize alone isn’t enough to get your hedonistic head into haiku mode, here’s further inspiration: it seems that we have caught the attention the Summer of Riesling folks themselves! Even better, one of their representatives – a poetry major, no less – has submitted an “unofficial” entry (which will not be considered for the prize). It’s too long to tweet; thus, below, please find a rather lengthy haiku – an “unofficial” entry, mind you – by a certain someone who is self-dubbed the “Riesling Ninja” (Twitter handle: @SummerRiesling).

A great, big, hedonistic “thank you” goes out to you, Riesling Ninja, for this entrancing entry – may it inspire my dear readers to seek out haiku heaven!

I cannot tell you
how thrilled I was to learn
of your haiku fest.

Please know, and believe,
were I on the West Coast,
I’d own that contest

and would skip lightly
back to my ninja cave home
drunk on blue Riesling.

So, sound the war cry
of crisp acid and sweetness
and go, baby, go!

So if you have yet to get your entry in, you still have a couple of weeks….

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the given venue/meal/performance/product/service.