Wine Life - Houston

     I have served the 2009 Frenzy Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, a few times and it has always been well-received. It is a clear, very pale wine that is freshly aromatic with grapefruit, lime and bell pepper with a bit of grassiness. It has flavors of pineapple, grapefruit, bell pepper and dried basil with a zesty acidity and a bit of saltiness in its long tart finish.      I have served it alone as a patio sipper, with grilled vegetables and tilapia, as well as with cold boiled shrimp for an appetizer. It has worked well each time. Very good, very affordable wine!

     The Grand Tasting Experience held yesterday at The Tasting Room at Uptown Park was the finale of the three day Houston Cellar Classic-A Celebration of Wine & Food . Houston-area winelovers came in droves to taste over ninety wines and sample menu items from local restaurants.       The parking lot was partitioned off to provide tent space for food booths. This allowed wine tasters to have small snacks between tastings with diverse offerings such as cheese plates from the Houston Dairy Maids, lettuce wraps from Pei Wei, fried chicken from Max's Wine Dive, shrimp ceviche from Frank's Chop House and risotto from Ristorante Cavour, just to name a few.      On the patio and inside, there were about fifteen tasting stations to accommodate the large crowd who sipped and swirled through. I only tasted nineteen of the offerings, I intentionally skipped several good ones that I am alread...

     My husband loves this wine so he purchased quite a few bottles at a recent Michael~David  dinner that we had attended. Last night, I decided to open a bottle to serve with dinner. I was making a roasted southwestern pork tenderloin, sweet potato fries (w/ chipolte ketchup) and a salad consisting of baby lettuce (fresh from my garden) with strawberries, red bell peppers, red onions and walnuts tossed with a white balsamic-raspberry vinaigrette.      This turned out to be a great pairing. It is a bold wine that really stood up to the strong chipolte seasoning while complementing the fruit flavors. I opened the bottle a 1/2 hour before I served it as I have found this wine to be more enjoyable when I do so.      The Lust Zinfandel by Michael~David 2007  was a dark purple color with a ruby rim. It has intense aromas of very ripe mixed berries and baking spices-both allspice and ginger with hints of ...

     I hate to say that I am not sure who gave me this bottle, but what a nice gift! I had slow-simmered a beef stew all evening. I keep waiting for the cool weather to hit us here in Houston, TX, (it was 82 for most of the day but I am ready for a season change) and randomly, through the grace of Bacchus, made this wine selection. Turned out, I chose a really easy-drinking, light to medium bodied cab which was perfect with my stew.      I found the 2006 Fontanella Cabernet Sauvignon  to have a medium ruby-colored core with a rosy rim. It was lightly scented with blackberry, dried sage and violets. It was well-balanced and well-structured with refined tannins, flavors of blackberry, dried cherry and a hint of nutmeg. It had a pleasant, medium-length earthy finish. It was delightful as an accompaniment to the light beef stew but will probably be even better with some age. I definitely want to check out this winery on my next t...

     Last night, we enjoyed one of my favorite wines from Napa Valley, a bottle of 2006 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon . I almost always have a bottle of this in the house and it is one that my husband and I frequently order at restaurants when we are having any type of steak. We have introduced numerous friends to this wine and they always love it.      On the nose, there is intense black cherry with vanilla and smoky aromas; on the palate, there is more rich black cherry flavor with dark chocolate and a bit of chili pepper. It is always perfectly balanced. A medium+ body with mild tannins ending with a lightly spicy, fruit-filled lingering silky finish. Always absolutely perfect!

     I purchased this bottle of  2008 Selbach Riesling from  Spec's Wine & Spirits for about $14. It was produced in the Mosel region of Germany. In the glass, it is a clear, pale straw color with a watery rim. It has clean, crisp aromas of lemon pith, peach and a bit of slate. On the palate, it has flavors of lemon verbena, granny smith apple, a touch of honey with a mineral edge. It is a well-balanced off-dry wine (just the barest hint of sweetness) with low alcohol (10%), high acidity and a lingering light citrus finish. Very refreshing, a nice wine at a nice price!

     The Tasting Room has added the 2006  Burgess Cellars Napa Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon to its wine list. To promote their latest addition, Steve Burgess came to Houston to meet and greet with local wine lovers at the Uptown Park location.  Although Steve grew up on the Burgess property, he did not join the family business until 2005. He helps out with all aspects of the business but primarily focuses on sales and marketing.       Their Cabernet is blended with some Cab Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petite Verdot. It starts with spicy aromas with ripe berries. It has rich flavors of blackberry, cherry and cocoa with just a bit of oak. It is full-bodied with smooth tannins and a long creamy, hint of vanilla finish.       I was lucky enough to get to taste their Merlot and Syrah as well. The Merlot is a 100% varietal and to quote Steve, "a real crowd pleaser"; it is one of those Cab-lover Merl...

     The Napa Valley Vintners Association was in Houston this week. Almost 70 wineries were represented with about 200 wines at Minute Maid Park yesterday afternoon. Locals in the media and wine trade flocked to the event to taste the latest offerings from Napa Valley. Although I did my best, I was unable to make it through the entire line-up. I am just going to comment on some of my favorites although there were many more noteworthy wines.      My top pick amongst the Sauvignon Blancs was 2009 Conspire  from Rutherford. It was a beautifully balanced wine with honeysuckle floral aromas with hints of minerality and citrus notes. It had flavors of pineapple and kiwi, bright acidity and a creamy tropical finish. Other Sauv Blanc favorites were from John Anthony Vineyards, Peju and Heitz Wine Cellars. St Supery's Virtu , a white Bordeaux-styled blend, had both cantaloupe and peach aromas and flavors with a...

     After a hearty late lunch yesterday afternoon, we kept dinner simple. By that, I mean we opened a bottle of the newly released 2007  Luna Vineyards Napa Valley Red Wine and I made an assorted cheese plate with crackers and almonds. This wine is a Bordeaux-styled blend made from 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot primarily sourced from Howell Mountain.        In the glass, it was a dark garnet red with aromas of blackberries and cedar. It had rich flavors of sweet cherries and berries and cocoa with smooth tannins and a medium length peppery finish.      It was a delicious easy-drinking wine that should be even more interesting after some time in the cellar.

     I attended a California vs Bordeaux wine tasting last night. The wines we tasted from Bordeaux were 1994 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Premier Cru Classe-Pauillac, 1999 Chateau Rochebelle Grand Cru-St Emilion and 2004 Chateau Pontet-Canet Cru Classe-Pauillac. The California Cabernet Sauvignons were 2005 Clos Pegase Napa Valley, 2005 Silver Oak Winery-Alexander Valley and 2006 Flora Springs Winery-Napa Valley.       My favorite Bordeaux of the three was the Chateau Pontet-Canet. It was a deep ruby with mild aromas of red cherry, smoky tobacco and licorice and had flavors of juicy blackberry, vanilla and hints of oak. It was well-balanced with smooth tannins and a dry, slightly oaky finish. My favorite from California was the Clos Pegase. It was garnet colored with aromas of creme de cassis, cherry, leather and cedar and had flavors of black cherry, ripe plum and cocoa. It was also well-balanced with s...

     Today, I met a friend for lunch at the Napa Grille  Urban Wine Bar in Sugar Land. I had not been there in a couple of months so I was surprised to see that they had expanded and were now twice the size from my last visit and had also gone to a full bar. It was a beautiful day and they had it all opened up to enjoy it.      We sat on the edge of outside and checked out the new menu . I ordered the bleu cheese angus burger and a glass of 2007 Louis M. Martini Napa Valley Cabernet . The burger was huge, coated with bleu cheese and topped with a hunk of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and red onion strings and came with a big side of fries. The wine was very good though not a complex, serious drinker; it was perfect with my lunch. It was just an easy-drinking cab, bright ruby colored, fresh aromas of ripe cherries, light in style, very fruity flavors of blackberry and plum with hints of vanilla and cedar with li...

     Tonight, we went to  The Vineyard  wine bar in Town Square in Sugar Land where they were having a complimentary wine tasting of Hope Estate  wines. The tasting was to kick-off a month long promotion where The Vineyard will be donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Hope Estate wines (by the glass or bottle) to the Breast Cancer Network of Strength .      Winemaker, Ryan McCann, was there to talk about Hope Estate wines and the Hope Estate vineyards in Hunter Valley in New South Wales, Australia. The owner, Michael Hope, has transformed an historic estate into a dynamic new venue with a new dining establishment called Harvest Restaurant and an amphitheatre. Hope Estate now provides a fantastic location for premium wine, fine dining, private functions and spectacular outdoor concerts and events. They have had Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, The Who, Chris Issak and ...

     The history of wine in Texas starts much the same as everywhere else in the Americas . It began in the 1600’s when Spanish missionaries started cultivating grapes at the Ysleta Mission which was located in the present day El Paso area. Out of these humble beginnings grew an industry that today produces 2.4 million gallons of wine and over $1 billion dollars in revenue annually from its more than 160 wineries.      This industry has also increased tourism with nearly a million visitors each year taking the opportunity to visit Texas Wine Country. " Texas is one of the fastest-growing wine destinations in the country," says Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples. Charming winery bed and breakfasts, boutique cellars and large wineries on huge vineyards provide a diverse experience.      The Texas Department of Agriculture has created a “Texas Winery Passport” to help you get started on your wine country adventure. Th...