Wine Life - Houston

The 2012 Texas wine harvest is getting into full swing. I attended Messina Hof's Moonlit Harvest celebration in Bryan, Texas on the weekend before last and I really did enjoy my time there. The owners of the winery, Paul and Merrill Bonarrigo, are pioneers in the Texas wine industry and have been operating at that location since 1977. They planned a fun evening for some consumers and local media to kick off their harvest celebration. As it had been several years since I had been out there, I was interested to see what all had changed and Paul accommodated our group with a tour. In addition to being a fully operating vineyard and winery, there is also a four suite bed and breakfast resort for overnight stays, a locovore restaurant called the Vintage House and their Winemaster's Wine Bar pouring numerous selections by the glass. I had not seen the resort so I was curious to check it out as I have stayed in some questionably decorated Texas bed and breakfasts in the...

Our 18 year old nephew is staying with us for awhile so I have been cooking heavier meals to try to keep some leftovers in the fridge for him. That and all the rainy weather have led to more red wine than usual this summer. 2006 Cantine Leonardo Brunello di Montalcino Medium intense aromas of dried red fruit and leather with a bit of tobacco. Dry, medium body, alcohol, acidity and tannins with a tart cherry flavor and a thin medium- finish. Good but not as great as the high ratings would make you believe. For about $45 a bottle at Kroger's, I had hoped for a bit more. I had opened it while I was making a lasagna and poured a taste. At that point, I thought it needed a bit of breathing time. We tried it again a couple of hours later and I wrote my tasting note then.  2005 Terlato Syrah Dry Creek Valley Medium intense aromas of dark fruit, smoke and a bit of black pepper. Dry, medium+ body, alcohol and acidity, medium tannins with the same flavors...

Some assorted wines for under $20 that we have enjoyed at our house this summer. I misplaced a receipt so some prices are approximate. 2008 De Chanceny Brut Excellence Vouvray - Good bubbles. Aromas of lemon and earth. Dry, full body, high acid, medium alcohol sparkler with lemon pith flavor and a medium length mineral finish. It was a delightful aperitif poolside before dinner and was quickly consumed. Recommended, $17 at Whole Foods. 2009 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Gris - Dry, medium acidity, medium alcohol, medium body with light floral aromas and medium intense flavors of pear and melon with a medium length finish. Recommended, Nice with grilled tilapia.  $17 at Kroger's. 2010 Flora Springs "Soliloquy Vineyard" Oakville Sauvignon Blanc - Dry, medium acidity, medium body with medium- aromas and flavors of melon with a medium- length citrusy finish. Tasted a bit tired initially, it was better with dinner- panko-crust...

On Friday evening, my husband and I attended the Zinfandel wine tasting at Fleming's in River Oaks. My husband gets totally pumped up for any and all things Zinfandel but what I found really intriguing in the line up of wines were the aged offerings. Brent Sloan, managing partner at Houston's premier wine storage facility Nos Caves Vin, had provided Fleming's with four 18 year old bottlings and one 17 year old bottling from his collection of some of his favorites. I found this interesting because 1. I don't believe that I have ever had an 18 year old Zinfandel before this evening and 2. From various wine classes, I had always heard that at best Zinfandel had very limited aging ability. So, I was definitely excited to give these wines a taste. There were also an additional five younger Zinfandel wines that are some of Fleming's best sellers. The entire tasting line up for the evening included: 2009 Orin Swift Saldo - California 2007 Schulz "Lampyridae...

When I saw this at Kroger's priced at approximately $30, I had to try it. It was not a producer with whom I was familiar but as it does fall into that seemingly oxymoronic category of "budget Champagne". I brought it home to serve with the crabcakes and fried shrimp that I was making for dinner. From the label, I knew that the non-vintage Paul Berthelot Premier Cru Brut Reserve Champagne was from the Premier Cru village of Dizy located in the Vallee de la Marne. This area has more issues with spring frost and fall humidity so it is heavily planted with Pinot Meunier which has a shorter growing season than Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This grape tends to produce fruitier wines that are less long-lived than wines produced with a greater proportion of the other two grapes. The blend in this bottle is 45% Pinot Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay. In the glass, it was a pale straw color with effusive bubbles. It had clean, fresh aromas of red apple, almond...

My husband and I went to dinner at Ciao Bello the other evening. This is a Vallone establishment that Tony calls "Your neighborhood Italian restaurant". Unfortunately, it is not in our neighborhood but we consider it to be well worth the short drive.  As we discussed which direction to take our order, we contemplated the wine list and were torn between one of the Italian Sangiovese-based wines with which we were familiar or an unknown Pinot Noir. We opted for the unknown as we have great faith in their wine list and ordered the 2009 Alderbrook Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. This was a young, medium body fruity wine with good acidity and a hint of spice that ended up working fantastically with everything we ordered. We started with the Polpette, a deliciously soft meatball over cheesy polenta that mixes together into a rich, creamy goodness. We followed that up with a new pasta appetizer, duck stuffed tortellini in broth, also yummy and a nice weight for...