Wine Life - Houston

I was in Austin last Monday for a Wines of Provence luncheon with a presentation by Craig Collins, MS, at Chef Andrew Curren’s and his West Sixth Street casual French restaurant, Arro. As a lover of Rosé, particularly the dry, mineral-laced style of this region, I was excited to attend. We discussed the region’s focus on Rosé including its long history of wine making and the making of this particular style of wine. About 88% of the region’s production is Rosé although they also make some rich reds and interesting whites.  In most other areas, Rosé is often made as an afterthought but here, every vineyard decision is based on making the best pink wine possible.  The wines are typically blends from red grapes like Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvedre but may also include a few others. The hot dry climate helps keep pests and disease at bay so very little intervention is needed in the vineyard. They harvest at night to maintain the acidity. The wines are always dry; t...

I was pleased to attend the Ferrari-Trento sparkling wine lunch at Tony’s for wine trade and media with Ferrari President, Matteo Lunelli; it was undoubtedly the wine highlight of my month. In addition to the fabulous food that one can always expect from Houston’s favorite upscale Italian eatery, each course was also being paired with some of Italy’s most award-winning sparkling wine.  I learned many interesting things during the course of our meal. The history of the company began with the dream of one man, Giulio Ferrari.  He began his study of wine in the late 1800’s in Italy. He later moved to France to continue his studies and ended up traveling to Champagne to learn to make bottle- fermented sparkling wine. He would also study in Germany before bringing his knowledge and ideas back to Trentino at the end of the 19 th century. Well-traveled and well educated, he believed his home was ideal for making a bottle-fermented sparkling wine like he had seen in other part...

As originally seen in the  October 2014 edition of  Galveston Monthly   magazine. Follow the magazine on  facebook

The Wines of San Juan, Argentina Tasting in Houston earlier this month surprised local wine trade and media with their fresh and approachable array of wines. Fifteen wineries were represented with numerous wines being poured.  The high elevation of the vineyard area in San Juan helps to create wines that maintain natural acidity while still achieving full ripeness. This was the first opportunity for most in attendance to taste wines from the San Juan region; tasters were also treated to wines from some of the area's specific named valleys as well. I was particularly looking forward to trying some crisp Torrontes and some of the award winning Syrah. I walked in from the heat and was greeted with a cool glass of   El Guardado Chic Rosé  made from 100% Malbec grapes sourced from the Zonda and Pedernal Valleys. This wine was refreshing and fruity, an easy drinking patio sipper. I then circled the room and tasted several Torrontes and a few other whites. My next...

After a slight decline in sales in 2012, the wines of Argentina have been experiencing the glow of renewed interest in the U.S. market starting last year with bottled shipments rising up to 6.1 million cases; that's an increase of 5%, according to Impact Databank. While continuing to focus on the country’s signature grape varietal, Malbec, larger companies like Alamos and Trapiche continue to grow while a number of smaller Argentine wineries are also being introduced into the U.S. The Wines of San Juan, Argentina, a group of 35 boutique wineries, with assistance from the Argentine Federal Investment Council, have decided it is time to present their wines to some of our key markets. They will introduce their wine to the trade in four cities- Dallas, Houston, New Orleans and San Francisco via a delegation of 14 highly regarded wineries with their Taste and Experience the Wines of San Juan, Argentina tour. The San Juan area has been producing wine for over 150 years and ...

Media Sample My husband made pulled pork sandwiches for a weekend family gathering. I decided to open a bottle of the 2011 Belnero Toscana IGT by Castello Banfi which had been recommended as a barbecue wine.  This Tuscan blend is mostly Sangiovese with a small amount of Cabernet and Merlot which has been aged for about 14 months in French Oak, of which only 30% new. In the glass, the wine was a deep ruby color with aromas of plum, licorice and milk chocolate. On the palate, a full body with smooth tannins and fresh acidity with flavors to match the nose with a medium+ length finish.   It worked well with our sandwiches and everyone enjoyed their taste of the Belnero, recommended.  Approximately $27.   

As originally seen in the August 2014 issue of Galveston Monthly Follow Galveston Monthly on Facebook

My husband and I had dinner last weekend at Ciao Bello . Jeremy Parzen turned us on to this restaurant back in 2012 and it quickly became a favorite of ours. We had started to get into a rut over the past year always ordering the same things. We did this last month during restaurant week when our favorites like the pastiera di mare, a creamy marscapone souffle with shrimp and crabmeat made the lineup. On this evening, we did things a bit different than usual. Instead of bubbles and the crisp green tomatoes with crabmeat and/or the above mentioned souffle, we ordered a bottle of the 2012 La Magia Rosso di Montalcino and decided to start with the polpette, a baseball-sized meatball that arrived to the table looking better than as pictured, my husband was swiping bread through it as it hit the table before I could retrieve my camera. He was genuinely that excited to see it arrive. For our next course, we split the primavera salad. This baby arugula salad has roasted grapes, Tomino ...

I stayed at  Lakeway Resort and Spa  during my last trip to the Austin area. The hotel is located on Lake Travis just 20-30 minutes from downtown Austin. The resort has beautiful grounds with panoramic views of the lake. Amenities include both a multi-level adult pool with a swim up bar and a family pool with a water slide. While boating and other lake activities were the main attraction for many guests, my husband and I were there to enjoy the proximity to one of the Hill Country's award winning wineries, Spicewood Vineyards , and enjoy some relaxation time. We arrived shortly after the 4:00 check-in time; we left our car with the valet and we walked into a quiet lobby for a quick and easy check-in. We were shown to our 5th floor lake view room with a king size bed. We found a cheese tray and water bottles waiting for us upon entry. We  ate our snack,  freshened up and headed down to the complimentary happy hour. We each got a drink and took a seat out on th...

I had the pleasure of tasting the wines of Spicewood Vineyards last weekend with the winery’s visionary and president, Ron Yates. Ron grew up in nearby Marble Falls and graduated from the University of Texas. In his attempt to get the most out of his academic quest, he did a study abroad in Spain in 1999 to fulfill his college Spanish requirement; this led him to his love of Tempranillo wines. Despite his not enjoying his early participation in Texas grape harvests as a kid, he decided to parlay what he called his highly embellished vineyard skills for the opportunity to stay on in Spain for the Ribera del Duero harvest after his Spanish courses ended. While he was in the midst of his personal Spanish wine adventure, he did think about how the terroir of Ribera del Duero reminded him of some areas back home in the Texas Hill Country. The idea of making the Spanish style wines that he loved back in Texas began forming. The longer that I talked with Ron, the more I was repea...

While my daughter was in town briefly between her study abroad and school starting, we took the opportunity to wine and dine our way around Houston. She is always a favorite dining companion of mine because she will taste anything and loves to split items, we can always create our own multi-course menu. Uchi was one of her not-to-miss spots while she was here. Happy hour runs from 5-6:30 daily and there is always a crowd. We arrived at 5:00 pm on Wednesday to find the line already forming but we were able to walk right in and get a table as soon as the doors opened. The restaurant quickly filled up. This time of day at Uchi provides a great opportunity to try smaller portions of some of the regular menu items. The entire menu is also available as well as a menu of daily specials. We ordered some sparkling Loire Valley rosé, the Bouvet Brut NV off the regular wine list. They serve it for $11 a glass or $43 a bottle. Happy hour or "Sake Social" drink selections includ...

A lunch time tasting with Arnaud Saget from Saget La Perrière Wines was definitely a highlight of this summer. Arnaud shared his vision for growing his family's company and his push for greater awareness among consumers about the wines of France's Loire Valley.  Arnaud discussed both the value that can be found in the Loire Valley and the pairing potential of his food-friendly wines with our local cuisine.  We tasted his selections at the Oceanaire with the Alaska Seafood Institute Prefix Menu . This multi-course menu included red king crab salad, pan-broiled weathervane scallops, seared wild halibut, grilled coho salmon and blueberry cobbler for dessert.  All of the wines are recommended. The Tasting: Muscadet de Sèvre & Maine sur Lie Les Cilssages d’Or  (approximately $14) Marie de Beauregard AOC Vouvray (approximately $18) Guy Saget La Petite Perrière Sauvignon Blanc (approximately $12) Guy Saget La Petite Perrière Sancerre (approxi...

As originally seen in the  July 2014 edition of Galveston Monthly   magazine. Follow the magazine on  facebook

I had a great time meeting Chris Hanna of Hanna Winery & Vineyards last week. We met at Brennan's for dinner, some conversation and a tasting of a few of her wines.  Chris told me that she had not expected to join the family business originally. She was an English major with her sights set on academia when her father requested that she sit in on some interviews for a new position in marketing and public relations that he was needing to fill. She listened to the interviewees with a mix of concern and skepticism, she couldn't imagine most of these people representing her family's brand. The final interview had the opposite effect, it was so positive that she was inspired to do the job herself. When all the applicants had left, she told her father that she felt that someone with the last name of Hanna should represent the family business. He told her that he was hoping she would say that; shortly thereafter, her immersion into the family business began. We sta...

As originally seen in Galveston Monthly June 2014