Wine Life - Houston

A small group of Houston wine writers and their spouses were  invited to try the  Ravenswood Single Vineyard Designate Zinfandels last week paired with three courses at B&B Butchers, an upscale steakhouse with a laid back vibe on Washington .   All the meat  for the restaurant  is hand cut in the butcher shop and t he pairings were created by executive chef, Tommy Elbashary.  Our host for the evening was Gary Sitton, Ravenwood's Director of Winemaking. Each of the  Ravenswood Single Vineyard Designate Zinfandels has   less than 1000 cases  produced. The winemaking for each is virtually the same and has been since the owner,  Joel Peterson, started in 1976.  All are fermented with native yeasts, punched down by hand in open top fermenters, and aged in 100% French oak with only 20-30% of it new depending on the vineyard. The d ifferences in the wines are not the result of the winemaker’s hand but are the truth of what...

Houston wine professionals enjoyed the Chianti Classico Experience on Monday, July 16, at The  Post Oak Hotel in Uptown. This master class and  tasting was designed to explore the diversity of the terroir of seven Chianti Classico communes.  Jeff Porter, the American ambassador for the region, was the guide for this endeavor.  This unique region has a broad mix of soils along with varying vineyard altitudes and climate differences across the communes. These small distinctions make themselves known in the glass. The territory lies between the provinces of Siena and Florence in the heart of Tuscany. The region considers 1716 to be their date of birth which is when the borders of production were first established though Chianti wine appears in trade documents as early as the 13th century. The modern governing body was established in 1984 when Chianti Classico achieved its current DOCG status, the highest recognition for premium Italian wine. A minimum of 80...

As originally seen in the July 2018 issue of Galveston Monthly magazine

I have posted on all of the winery stops that we made during the Abruzzo wine media tour but there are a few more winemakers and their wines that I wanted to share with you here. Valentina Di Camillo, who runs the communication department of her family's winery Tenuta I Fauri , joined us a few times along our journey. Though we never got to visit their winery which is located in the province of Chieti, we did taste some of their fantastic wines.  Tenuta I Fauri Brut - Dry sparkling with fresh nectarine aromas, a persistent creamy mousse, and a lingering citrus finish, a delightful start for any occasion. Tenuta I Fauri Pecorino   2017  - Crisp and dry with tropical aromas and flavors along with fresh herbs and a distinct honey note. Tenuta I Fauri Baldovino Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo 2017 - Fruity raspberry aromas and flavors with a light floral note and a bit of almond nuttiness in the finish. The next wines come from a cooperative of 700 growers that have been wo...