Syrah A.K.A. Shiraz: The Experience WINE CLASS

The Northern Rhône runs along the steep slopes of the gorge from Vienne to just south of Valence

We continue our series of sessions with the Fredericksburg Tasting Room team we are calling "The Experience Wine Class." We will be watching and meeting for the purpose of expanding our knowledge and experience with wine. Our guide will be Jancis Robinson's Wine Course, an excellent resource! Aired in the United Kingdom in 1995 and is fascinating to see both areas where the wine industry has NOT changed and areas where it HAS. You can watch it all on YouTube!

Episode 5- Syrah A.K.A. Shiraz is a example where we can see a change in the wine world; in the mid-late nineties Syrah was a darling variety, many of us expected to see it explode in sales. Myself included and we can see the anticipation in the faces of the Syrah growers and vintners. Only that sales explosion never happened, and today many wine drinkers still think of Syrah as one of the "other reds" and not as one of the greatest wine grapes in the world. Jancis and the personalities she introduces to us will show us otherwise...

Jancis has shown us in episode 1 through 3; where the New World and Old World are different; climate, geology, and techniques. She has also shown us the commonality of the monumental struggle to overcome the unique challenges each region and each producer faces. Episode 4- Sauvignon Blanc added another layer of complexity as Mrs. Robinson showed us the dynamic and bold people who made the world's most famous examples of the wine; their personalities mirror the "savage" characteristics of the grape! All this foundation comes together is this show about our beloved Syrah! Here we will see the how two men in very different parts of the world use the same grape to bring their communities together and make them prosperous at the same time, in such a way that it has a positive effects in very livelihoods of everyone in the community... amazing events!

We start out in the Northern Rhone Valley, in France, as we hear about the sinister side of success; in this case attracting an armed gang that attacked the home Marcel Guigal of E. Guigal fame. As the information is filled in we find out that in addition to threats Monsieur Guigal has received other offers/demands for his wine; including blank checks, Ferraris and women! As the tour continues we see the cave where the barrels of aging wine are lined up in a peaceful setting they call "The Cathedral to Wine." In bright contrast doors open to the mechanized and computerized receiving lines, two of them in case one fails, where there is a buzz of activity as growers are bringing their crops in to sell to Marcel. We are shown how tough and detail oriented he can be and we can see how his success supports this thriving farm community and how the community supports the Guigals and the dynamic tension this relationship creates.

As an intermission to the drama we visit California with Jancis... Fred Cline, of Cline Cellars, has a vineyard gold mine in the Oakland area where the sandy soil has some of the oldest Mourvèdre vines in California, planted by the European immigrant farmers. Next we meet Doug Danielak who has a bad case of Syrah fever as he shows Jancis the Paras Vineyard where the famous Jade Mountain Syrahs once came from, alas the brand was sold off and lost it's former glory. The wine was made by Doug under the Paras Vineyard label. It was incredible! Tragically; in 2017 wildfires burned up the vineyards! In this video standing in the Paras Vineyard Doug says “Syrah is one of the world’s greatest grapes!”

"In California Syrah was an ultra fashionable rarity in and in Australia it grew like a weed..." Jancis explains as she gives us the brief history of the Barossa Valley which was settled by Lutherans fleeing Germany's turmoil of the time. Their hard work build this community and transformed it into a little bit of Germany in Australia. (Does this sound familiar to anyone in Fredericksburg, Texas?) In the 1970’s the big wine business came to the Barossa, the Accountants had full control. The accountants had worked out the cost of making wine and when a glut of grapes came along in 1979 the big business did not honor their contracts and refused to buy ANY grapes from the BarossaValley. In steps Peter Lehmann, son of a Lutheran pastor, built a local winery on the fly and bought the Valley’s entire production for the vintage; saving many of the local farmers from financial ruin. Affectionately his peers nicknamed him the “Bishop of Barossa.” He rules from the "weighbridge" at his winery where the growers bring him their grapes to buy. Here too his support of the community and the communities support of Peter is the only way all of them were able to find success. You can see the growers gratitude and appreciation of Peter in their faces. There is a very genuine, honest and sincere atmosphere here at the weighbridge, it has a comfortable and friendly feeling. Mr. Lehmann also says; “Shiraz is one of the world’s greatest grapes.”

So, the same way the dynamic personalities said a lot about the wines in episode four; similarly these generous, supporting and driven men who make some of the world's greatest Syrah also mirror the wine they make. I have not had any other wine as frequently and I can not find another wine that delivers so much complexity and flavor at all price points. For ME; Syrah A.K.A. Shiraz IS the world's greatest grape variety!!!

If you will read this handout which has a few notes from the video and a lot of information and links to more on the web related to the topics Jancis covers, hopefully it adds to the subjects and fills you in on where the personalities from the video are today. It is my sincere hope that you are finding this blog informative and instructional.

Sauvignon Blanc: The Experience WINE CLASS

"The Wildman of Pouilly" Didier Dagueneau, 1956-2008

“Nothing as refreshing!”

- Jancis Robinson

We continue our series of sessions with the Fredericksburg Tasting Room team we are calling "The Experience Wine Class." We will be watching and meeting for the purpose of expanding our knowledge and experience with wine. Our guide will be Jancis Robinson's Wine Course, an excellent resource! Aired in the United Kingdom in 1995 and is fascinating to see both areas where the wine industry has NOT changed and areas where it HAS. You can watch it all on YouTube!

Episode 4- Sauvignon Blanc continues the juxtaposition Jancis showed us in episode 2 and 3; New World vs Old World. AND the commonality of the monumental struggle to overcome the unique challenges each region and each producer has as Jancis shows us in Episode 3- Cabernet Sauvignon. In Episode 4 the layer of the owner/winemaker's personality is added in dramatic fashion; beginning in New Zealand where John Stichbury’s Vineyard is being threatened by frost so he calls in a helicopter to fly over vineyards and push warm air down on vines. As we learn more about this vineyard and winery we also see that this man is quite a character, very dynamic and bold. Mrs. Robinson goes on to introduce us to David Hoehnen who recounts how he started the Cloudy Bay winery in 1985 from nothing to being one of the most prized and recognized wines in the world. I do not know of a more bold and dramatic happening in the world of wine in our lifetime. Mrs. Robinson then whisks us, the viewers, away to France's Loire Valley where she introduces us to "The Wildman of Pouilly," Didier Dagueneau, a loner, a fighter, adventurer who was dis-owned by his Father, and died much too young. His philosophy about wine is very well thought out and expressed; “I make wine to give people pleasure. I sell happiness. It’s a good job to be in. I want wine to be a good moment in people’s lives. It’s like good food, beautiful music; it is like a beautiful painting. I think that wine should be considered as art, in the same way as painting or music.” Amen, Monsieur Dagueneau!!!

Continuing the bold and fresh personality tour, Jancis introduces us to a flying wine maker; Jacques Lurton. He is the son of established Sauvignon maker Andre Lurton of Chateau Bonnet, Bordeaux, France. Jancis explains how Jacques became the successful globe trotting wine maker he is because he did not or could not stay in Bordeaux and become competition for his Father. In his interview Jacques then explains how he works by coming into the client's winery and completely taking over, a very bold and audacious practice.

In this episode focused on the Sauvignon Blanc grape; we should not be surprised that the people who make the best examples are themselves bold and dynamic, like the grape variety. The grape gets its name from the French word "sauvage" (wild) and "blanc" (white) due to its characteristics in the vineyards and in the glass! So, is it art imitating life or is it life imitating art? Through the lives of these winemakers we can see a glimpse of how profound, magical and mysterious is the nature of wine!

It is a poignant and moving episode which is informative and instructional. Our group watched it and I provided this handout which has a few notes from the video and some information and links to more on the web related to the topics Jancis covers, hopefully it adds a bit of depth on the subjects. I tried to include links to 'where are they today' information about the people in the video.

And please reply to this blog; is Sauvignon Blanc your favorite wine?

Cabernet Sauvignon; The Experience WINE CLASS

Bordeaux renewed: Château Faugères’s "new" winery by Mario Botta, still looks cutting edge 10 years later!

“Cabernet Sauvignon

is special among wine grapes…”

- Jancis Robinson

We continue our series of sessions with the Fredericksburg Tasting Room team we are calling "The Experience Wine Class." We will be watching and meeting for the purpose of expanding our knowledge and experience with wine. Our guide will be Jancis Robinson's Wine Course, an excellent resource! Aired in the United Kingdom in 1995 and is fascinating to see both areas where the wine industry has NOT changed and areas where it HAS. You can watch it all on YouTube!

Episode 3- Cabernet Sauvignon continues the juxtaposition Jancis showed us in episode 2; New World vs Old World. This time Mrs. Robinson starts us in southwest France, Bordeaux, the Medoc, where dozens of people working feverishly in preparation for the Fete de la Fleur Celebration and things are about to get wet; soaking WET. All this activity is in the Saint Estephe region at the "NEW" Château LiLian Ladouys; owners Lilian and Christian Thieblot are hosting this party as a way to enter this very exclusive Bordelaise society! You can see their stress, the great effort and expense all to get noticed and accepted; to re-establish a once successful château. Jancis goes on to interview Anthony Barton owner of Leoville Barton (Second Growth in the St Julien region of the Medoc.) He is friendly and open about the Primer Crus being a “clique of their own.” “they use no vulgar advertising.” And he cautions that among the invitees “people are inclined to find fault.” He seems sympathetic to the impossible task the Thieblots have undertaken. I image this is not the first time he has witnessed this drama unfold, nor the last.

Jancis takes us thousands of miles away for the contrasting New World region; Chile. Here it is DRY, and there are no Classified Growths or hurdles to jump to gain entry to a clique. Here she shows us dusty trails and horseback riders along with some careless vineyard practices. As Jancis is interviewing Gaetane Carron, winemaker for Concha y Toro at the time, there are quick cuts to scenes of grape pickers tossing grapes around the vine rows and even a forklift dumping an entire bin of grapes on the ground! All the while Gaetane is explaining her efforts toward better viticulture management. “We have not refined our viticulture practices…” Gaetane says, and you get to see the weight of the impossible task on her shoulders as she talks.

Mrs. Robinson covers several important topics on this video including; phylloxera, why Cabernet Sauvignon is such a great grape, the nuances and nonsense in the Bordeaux wine business while showing the unraveling of the Fete de la Fleur "Garden Party" at Château LiLian Ladouys under torrential rain. As good as the contrast between the two regions is, like Jancis shows us in Episode 2- Chardonnay with Australia and Burgundy, this time the big reveal is that BOTH REGIONS AND WINERIES ARE THE SAME! ...They both have a monumental struggle to overcome the unique challenges of their region. AND, this is true of every region and every winery in the world!

It is a very exciting and dynamic episode which is informative and instructional. Our group watched it and I provided this handout which has a few notes from the video and some information and links to more on the web related to the topics Jancis covers, hopefully it adds a bit of depth on the subjects. I tried to include links to 'where are they today' information about the people in the video and I offer this link to a must read PDF about Bordeaux ten years ago; still cutting edge today!! "Extreme Estates!!!"

And please reply to this blog; is Cabernet Sauvignon your favorite wine?

Chardonnay; The Experience WINE CLASS

California's San Bernabe Vineyard; 9,400 acres in vines! Think of it this way: if San Bernabe were laid over the Texas Hill country, it would stretch from the Marktplatz in Fredericksburg to Hye Texas’ post office/general store. Nothing but vines all the way!!! WOW!

“It’s weird that everyone is

crazy about Chardonnay.” 

“it is such a neutral grape variety,

yet it is the world's

favorite wine!”

- Jancis Robinson

We continue our series of sessions with the Fredericksburg Tasting Room team we are calling "The Experience Wine Class."  We will be watching and meeting for the purpose of expanding our knowledge and experience with wine.  Our guide will be Jancis Robinson's Wine Course, an excellent resource!  Aired in the United Kingdom in 1995 and is fascinating to see both areas where the wine industry has NOT changed and areas where it HAS. You can watch it all on YouTube!

Episode 2- Chardonnay is AMAZING because of the juxtaposition Jancis shows us; New World vs Old World. She starts out on the Geoff Merrill's winery in McLaren Vale Australia where it is DRY as a bone and there seems to be two maybe three men working with giant machines, pumps, giant hoses, tractors and using additives like enzymes, yeast nutrients and liquid sulfur (to prevent oxidization), and techniques like all MOG removed (Martial Other than Grapes), and cooled like crazy (REFRIGERATION is very important to modern wine making), juice is squeezed as gently as possible to avoid any harsh flavors in the skins, stems and seeds.  Then Mrs. Robinson takes us to France, Meursault specifically, the vineyards and winery of  Dominique Lafon where it is soaking WET and there are DOZENS of people working, a lot of it by hand, some machines, pumps, hoses, tractors are used however only natural yeast and no additives are used. The two wineries are a night and day comparison in every way except one; both wine makers DID NOT like the other's Chardonnay AT ALL! It is GREAT television! Still and watching it again after multiple viewings!!

Jancis returns to Australia driving home even further the point of how dry it is there and interviewing  Adam Wynn of Mountadam in the Barossa Valley. He went to Bordeaux University, worked in Burgundy and had some of the most critical things to say about the French. “They have everything in their favor in France.”  “If you are born lucky enough to inherit three hectares of Meursault; it is a license to print money.”  “It is a tragedy to taste a bad French wine.”  AND the punch line to it all is that Monntadam was founded by Adam's father in 1972 as one of Australia's pioneer Chardonnay producers and handed it all over to Adam who sold off in 2002 and is seemingly out of the wine business and living in Japan!(?). While the other two Mr. Merrill and Mr. Lafon are both passionately making GREAT wines to this very day!!!  

As important to Chardonnay as anything else is the time it spends in oak barrels, so Mrs. Robinson takes us to the Francois Freres cooperage in the Saint-Romain Forests where a 150 year old tree is cut down to make two barrels!  On a whirlwind the way only a DVD can be Jancis takes us to San Francisco where the cooperage has an office and where Chardonnay DOMINATES on restaurant wine lists where she makes the declarative quote listed above.

It is a very compelling episode which is informative and instructional. Our team watched it and I provided this handout which has a few notes from the video and some information and links to more on the web related to the topics Jancis covers, hopefully it adds a bit of depth with some updates on the subjects. It is amazing stuff!!!

Please reply to this blog; is Chardonnay your  favorite wine? If so; why? 

The Experience WINE CLASS...

Endangered by Cabernet Sauvignon? The Rocky Terraces Cailouteuses in Roussillon France

“I have seen the future of wine and it’s name is Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.” –Jancis Robinson

Today we start a series of sessions with the Fredericksburg Tasting Room team we are calling "The Experience Wine Class."  We will be watching and meeting for the purpose of expanding our knowledge and experience with wine.  Our guide will be Jancis Robinson's Wine Course, an excellent resource!  Aired in the United Kingdom in 1995 and is fascinating to see both areas where the wine industry has NOT changed and areas where it HAS. You can watch it all on YouTube!

Episode 1- Aperitif has a powerful hold on me because of the narrative arch Jancis takes us on; after filling in her background she tells you quite convincingly that the ONLY opinion about wine that matters in your own. As she builds the story of the wine industry showing us the competition results and supermarket buyers at work juxtaposition to vines being pulled up and wineries passed over by the buyers, and the changing habits of the wine drinking population.  At the end she boldly proclaims “I have seen the future of wine and it’s name is Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.” Probably not quite prophetic in 1995, it is amazing at how DOMINATE these two grapes have become.  From the vantage point; here in the future, I can see just how right she is today.  To drive the point home we can look up the places featured; the most dramatic being Domaine de Mayrac, which the supermarket buyer passed over, was sold by the Buoro family in five years of the filming.  Carignan, the grape vines being bulldozed in the video, in the Languedoc and Roussillon regions the planting area has decreased by seventy-one percent ((as of 2009, most likely even more today) or is it less...meaning more bulldozing and less Carignan grapes.) This is where it impacts me; yes it is our opinion that matters and the wine choices we make today have deeply profound effects in the lives and communities around the world. As consumers, sellers, educators and lovers of wine we have to make the right choices, informed choices and wise choices. 

It is a very compelling episode which is informative and instructional. Our group watched it and I provided this handout which has a few notes from the video and some information and links to more on the web related to the topics Jancis covers, hopefully it adds a bit of depth on the subjects.

“I have seen the future of Texas wine and it’s name is Carignan.” –Steven Krueger

The Experience WINE CLASS… information is compiled in the spirit of education and communication with the intention of stimulating discussion and helping everyone develop their own Experience with WINE! And please reply to this blog; do you believe the future of wine is Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, OR Carignon???

Grower Champagne: BENOÎT LAHAYE

When it's time to celebrate good times; we reach for Champagne!!! I recommend that you not only seek out TRUE Champagne that represents only eighteen percent of the sparkling wine made in the world, BUT; GEEK OUT and enjoy the VERY RARE; GROWER CHAMPAGNE! Only 5% of the Champagne imported into the USA is grower Champagne.

BENOÎT LAHAYE

<ben-wa> <La-y>

Grand Cru, Blanc de Noirs, Champagne

"Blanc de Noirs" refers to a wine produced entirely from black grapes (“red” grapes)

Grapes: Pinot Noir

MIRABELLE PLUM / FLORAL / RASPBERRY / PEAR / ETHEREAL / CARAMEL  

Lahaye’s vineyards are planted almost entirely to Pinot Noir (88%), with the majority of the vines in Bouzy, a hectare in Ambonnay, and a small parcel of old vine Chardonnay in the Cotes de Blancs. Benoit feels strongly about working the land as naturally as possible; he stopped using chemicals in the vineyards in the mid-90s. He became organically certified in 2003 and biodynamically certified in 2010. Benoit Lahaye is a farmer first and winemaker second.

In this bottle there is more than wine; there is generations of experience tending to the vines, there is attentive care that only uses natural and sustainable methods. There is attention and thoughtful talent that you will be able to taste! This is wine the way it is supposed to be; seek it out!

You can find it at the NEW Restaurant Poppy at The George Hotel in Collage Station, Texas.

Grower Champagne: PIERRE PETERS

When it's time to celebrate good times; we reach for Champagne!!! I recommend that you not only seek out TRUE Champagne that represents only eighteen percent of the sparkling wine made in the world, BUT; GEEK OUT and enjoy the VERY RARE; GROWER CHAMPAGNE! Only 5% of the Champagne imported into the USA is grower Champagne.

One of the very best...
PIERRE PETERS
Grand Cru, Brut Cuvée de Réserve
Their flagship Champagne is a blend of more than 20 vintages and is exclusively composed of Chardonnay from Grand Cru villages in the Côte des Blancs. Côte des Blancs is a department of Marne, across 8,000 acres with east facing slopes almost exclusively planted with Chardonnay. The Grand Cru villages here are highly regarded and many the best known prestige cuvees of the big Champagne houses source their fruit from these same vineyards.
Grapes: 100% Chardonnay
APPLE / WHITE PEACH / LIME / HONEYDEW / HYACINTH / TOASTED ALMOND
The Pierre Péters estate is in the heart of the "Côte des Blancs" in the village of Le Mesnil sur Oger. It has been the family house for six generations and has produced Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Champagnes since 1919. Their wines come exclusively from their vineyards.

In this bottle the wine is completely comparable to the greatest and most famous names in Champagne! The experience will be unforgettable with luminous flavors and deep dimensions that make one wish the glass was bottomless. Seek it out!

You can find it at the NEW Restaurant Poppy at The George Hotel in Collage Station, Texas.

Grower Champagne: VILMART & CIE

When it's time to celebrate good times; we reach for Champagne!!! I recommend that you not only seek out TRUE Champagne that represents only eighteen percent of the sparkling wine made in the world, BUT; GEEK OUT and enjoy the VERY RARE; GROWER CHAMPAGNE! Only 5% of the Champagne imported into the USA is grower Champagne.

One of the very best...

VILMART & CIE

<Vill-ma> and <Sea>

“Cuvée Rubis” <Cuvee ruby>

Brut Rosé, Champagne

Grapes: 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay

SENSUAL LAYERS / PERFUMED FRUIT / SPICECAKE / ANISE / RED BERRY  

Vilmart and son Laurent are considered the greatest grape growers in Champagne! Appreciate that Champagne has hundreds of years of history, many very famous vineyard sites and thousands of men and women growing grapes and making wine. Vilmart is at the 49th parallel, considered to be the most northern of wine growing possibilities. This cool climate is partnered by the cliffs of pure limestone powder in which the vines dig into with their roots. The vines are very old, with many growing on their own root stocks and dating back to the days before many of the old clones were ripped out in favor of more "productive" new clones.

In this bottle is more than great flavors and an exciting sensory sensation; in this bottle you will taste art, smell a symphony and drink in sublime poetry. Seek it out!

You can find it at the NEW Restaurant Poppy at The George Hotel in Collage Station, Texas.

Grower Champagne: Geek Out!

When it's time to celebrate good times; we reach for Champagne!!! BUT; in our glass it is more likely to be sparkling wine than TRUE Champagne, but don't be a wet blanket and point that out, man. The sparkling wines presence just seems to heighten the feeling of celebration. Some guy like me pointing out that sparkling wine can only be called Champagne if it comes from the region of Champagne, France, just outside of Paris. Well, that does not heighten the feeling of celebration at all. The best thing to do, for all of us, is for you to just go ahead and pour TRUE Champagne!

And, Champagne is well worth the money. It represents eighteen percent of the sparkling wine made in the world. It is a rare jewel that you can afford. Comparable rare wines from other regions sell for many multiples of the price of Champagne. The quality is undisputed and unsurpassed! And, it is not hard to find a great Champagne; it is in every wine shop and every restaurant. Many are brand names you will recognize and when you gracefully mention them, by brand, to your self-important friends; they will be oh so impressed! And, everyone will be happy ever after...

Only, that is not what wine is about.
Wine is not supposed to be fashion. Wine is not supposed to be brand names that one buys because it impresses the right people. Wine is art! It is a collaboration between man and nature. It's beauty is in the five senses of the beholder. The sparkling wine that embodies this the best is not mearly Champagne; it is GROWER CHAMPAGNE!

Grower Champagne is sparkling wine crafted by grape growers and their families. The men and women who live and work in the vineyards. Their careful hands touch the vines in the vineyards and their watchful eye on the grapes, the harvest, the fermentation, the ageing and the entire process to make cuvées that reflect their distinct vineyards and style. It is 'homemade' Champagne.

Everyone loves home grown tomatoes, unique character of farm fresh eggs, distinctive single origin coffee and gourmet chocolate? Grower Champagne is like that; it rarely tastes the same every year and each producer is different. And, this is part of what makes it so compelling, AND IRRESISTIBLY DELICIOUS!

Good news; Grower Champagne will not cost you any more than comparable Champagne. Bad news; it is VERY RARE; only 5% of the Champagne imported into the USA is grower Champagne. It will be hard to find. You might have to geek out and search for it. Your efforts will be worth it.

I Highly Recommend:

• VILMART & CIE
• PIERRE PETERS
• BENOÎT LAHAYE

17th Annual Rambling Rosé at Becker Vineyards

One has to appreciate the challenge of doing something year after year, always endeavoring to do better yet NOT abandoning the original concept. Steadily and consistently working toward a goal. Loyally and dependably working to develop and grow no matter the ebbing and flowing of public opinion. Many will be able to grasp this idea but without the perspective of decades of experience; you can not understand the joys and heartbreaks contained within the years.

It is the compounding of the years and crush of change that makes a simple drive through the Texas Hill Country AVA, on Saturday August 8th 2016 that much more heartfelt. The beauty of the winding roads and the rolling hills at the time the harvest is beginning and the winemakers are rejoicing another exceptional vintage! The crushing of the grapes gets underway to vinify another vintage for the waiting masses of Texas wine drinkers.

The Rambling Rose event began in 1999 to celebrating the first vintage of the Becker Vineyard's Provencal! At that time all pink wine was assumed to be 'white zinfandel' by the average wine drinker and Richard and Bunny Becker set out to change the minds of those wine drinkers. Since then this event has become one of the many Culinaria events that take place year round in celebration and support of the culinary arts in South Texas with a special emphasis on the The Farm!  We thank everyone who participated in this worthwhile, enjoyable and easy endeavor. 

Both seatings for this event were sold out.  The attendees were already rosé wine drinkers and enthusiast. Or, as Vanity Fair put it: "When did it become “a thing”?" From well heeled revelers in the "East End" (of Long Island) drinking pink wines for refreshment earning it the nickname "Hampton Gatorade." To social media posters tagging their exploits with "#roséallday" and from the men "#brosé." This delicious lightly colored wine is hip and trendy; exuding all that is right with the good life, it is here to stay and destined to go the way of French wine culture where more rosé wine is consumed than white wine!  It is great to see that the category of rosé wine is more popular than ever; this is a category of wine that Texas can make in quantity and quality that rivals the best rosé wine in the world.  I salute the Becker's leadership in making this wine and providing this forum to develop our knowledge and experience with rosé wine.

We tasted the rosé wines blind, blind tasting is the only way to accurately judge and assess the quality of any wine.  The picture above shows the eight wines at the start of the tasting.  The colors are beautiful and varied from pale pink, often called salmon, to richer pink hues that can become fairly red in appearance.
My notes and review of the wines are below following the order they were presented with the bottom right wine being the first and the top left being last.

Jolie, Becker Vineyards, Texas 2015
Tempranillo blend.
As it's name suggest this wine looks beautiful!  A flirtatious shade of pink that teases and beckons. Dusty aromas hint at substance with notes of red cherry and rose in bloom round out the attractive scents. With attention grabbing flavors that are a bit tart and tangy. Then the taste experience slips into fruity, strawberry flavors that are fun and underscored with notes of pepper in the finish. Great wine!

Bieler Pere et Fils, Coteaux D' Aix en Provence, 2015

Grenache: 40%, Syrah: 25%, Cabernet Sauvignon: 25%, Cinsault: 7%, Rolle: 3%

Light salmon pink in color and a little funky on the nose with a waft of cherry and lemon zest. Classic flavor profile that is gentle with a sensible amount of lushness. The fruit is sour cherry, with flavors reminiscent of watermelon rind, and notes of strawberry. A wine that seems like the girl next door from a producer who is flashy and flamboyant; interesting dichotomy. The #1 Rosé from Provence France. And only 35,000 cases imported to North America.

High Plains Sunset, Bingham Family Vineyards, Texas High Plains, 2014
100% Mourvèdre
Deeper and darker pink tones proceeding to rusty red color that hints that there is more character and flavor in this wine.  The aromas support this impression with earthy tones with fresh rain over an open field. With less fruit aromas it stands apart from the aromatics of it flight mates. On the palate the fruit is gushing with expression of watermelon, tart cherry, and light acidity. This grape grown in Texas makes beautiful wines that are oh so easy to enjoy, like this one.

Alexander Vineyards, Bordeaux, France, 2015
Very light in appearance with salmon pink colors in the glass.  The nose is closed, mysterious, very subtle. The mouthfeel is wide with sour cherry, plum, with tangy and dusty notes. Made from 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot from the unlikely Bordeaux location of the Texas Hill country.  The winery was opened by Claude Alexander in September 2013 believing that it’s about the quality of wines produced no matter if the grapes are grown in Texas or half-way around the world.

Domaine de la Sanglière, Cuvée Spéciale, La Londe, Côtes de Provence, France, 2015
Light pale pink colors with rose petal aromas very typical of rose wine. Interesting experience of tart fruit in the attack of the wine and sweet fruit in the finish. Enjoyable sour strawberry flavors with a clean and quick finish.

Provencal, Becker Vineyards, Tallent Vineyard, Texas Hill Country, 2015
100% Mourvèdre
Pale pink hues with pretty coppery hues that are fun to swirl and appreciate. Aromas of carnations in bloom carried on a cool breeze.  The flavors deliver with greater brightness than expected with black and red cherry, strawberry and cranberry. The flavors are of a quality that many winemakers attempt to capture in the bottle but few actually do. Great wine from a great vintage! 

Rosé De Dolcetto, Wedding Oak Winery, Texas High Plains, 2015
100% Dolcetto
Rich pink color that pops in comparison to it's flight mates. The nose is aromatic; cherry and berry fruit notes with fresh blossom overtones. Pretty in it's aromas. The flavors deliver a richness that just feels right, with cherry, apple watermelon, and lemon fruit flavors it is complex and well balanced. Outstanding rosé!
(Note: on the first panel we confused the #7 and #8 wines on the reveal, I was very congratulatory to the Washington State producer for making such an great wine. Turns out it was from Texas and my own Wedding Oak Winery! A happy accident in the challenges of blind tasting.)

Charles & Charles, Columbia Valley, Washington, 2015
Syrah (61%), Mourvedre (12%), Grenache (10%), Cabernet Sauvignon (7%), Cinsault (7%), Counoise (3%).
Pretty pink color and pretty floral aromas. Subtle in the gentle, traditional rose style. The flavor start out with sour cherry and a note pf lime zest. Overall very pleasant, enjoyable and quaffable. The packaging is striking; based on a Hatch Show Print, the legendary poster shop from Nashville, TN created the original label. It’s an abstract American Flag in honor of the tremendous wine heritage and current practice right here in
our great country.

All eight wines are excellent and would make for an delightful and delicious selection for your next bottle of wine.  

Blind tasting is great fun! And if you can get a panel of experienced tasters to talk about their experience it is amazing!  It is no wonder this event is sold out every year. The experience is heightened and everyone learns from the sharing of their own personal impressions on the wine. On the tasting panel with me was: our hosts Dr. Richard Becker who is very insightful in his tasting comments, Rambling Rose co-founder, bon vivant and writer for the SA Current Ron Bechtol, the Becker Vineyards winemaker Jon Leahy who is a very funny guy, author extraordinaire and co-founder of Savor SA web site John Griffin who is unsurpassed in his passion for rosé wine, our very own science teacher Dana Nabors from Alexander Vineyards (Texas, not California) helping us understand why we liked the wines, and with insight and insider information on the French and Washington wines; Kerri Putnam and Adam Eber from Republic Beverage.

The wines were made all the better by the cuisine of Chef John Brand of the Hotel Emma in the historic Pearl in the midtown of San Antonio.  If you are ever in doubt on which wine to pair with almost any meal you can reach for a bottle of rosé wine, it is very food friendly.  The ultimate test that proves this is Thanksgiving dinner; the turkey, the ham, dressing, potato salad, green bean casserole, cranberry relish and everything else on the table will go with rosé wine!  

The next time we are enjoying a glass of rosé wine: let's say a toast to Richard and Bunny Becker! They are the trendsetters and pioneers and we are all very grateful!  CHEERS!!!

PS: Sommeliers....

The days of having one dry rosé wine on your list are OVER. If your list has one or none on it you are behind the times and are probably part of the reason your restaurant is loosing business. At a minimum a wine list must have at least one from Provence France, one from California or the Pacific North West, a sparkling variation and if you are in Texas at least one from here. Bare minimum. Most wine programs should be able to support six or more rosé wine offerings. Otherwise you are slacking. (If you think that your clientele won't buy them; it's not your customers, it's you.)

2015 UNFORGETTABLE

A Near Perfect Texas Wine Vintage

The Texas Wine Industry will be talking about 2015 for many years to come. 2015 will be our vintage of the century. We had a mild spring, escaping the treacherous late spring frost, we had tame temperatures through the growing season and a later than normal harvest. Growers and winemakers are on cloud nine, they are blessed with quantity and quality. Perfect vintages or near perfect vintages are few and far between, especially in Texas, and it has been incredible to witness. We should all enjoy it and never forget it.

While this vintage is in the glowing sun, shining bright, almost so bright that nothing else can be seen. I want to ask you to look carefully. There just above the horizon is a full moon rising, reflecting the light of this vintage. Yet it's own beauty should not be overlooked. This moon is the industry itself, waxing into maturity, coming off some difficult vintages, lessons learned from past mistakes and turning the tide of consumer knowledge in favor of the grapes that grow best in Texas.

One event that brought this whole picture into focus for me was on October 3rd 2015 at the Pedernales Cellars winery just outside of Stonewall Texas. The special occasion was the release dinner for their new allocated wines with the Kuhlken-Osterberg label. They are only available through the purchase of futures. The dinner was hosted in the winery itself, up the hill from the tasting room. Barrels were moved to the side and linen-covered tables were neatly arranged with shiny happy centerpieces. A classic music trio played for the gathered Texas Wine enthusiasts. An exquisite wine dinner by Sullivan Street Caterers. Everything you could want at a wine event anywhere in the world.

Our hosts, glowing with pride and joy, Larry and Jeanine Kuhlken, who planted their vineyards in the Bell Mountain American Viticultural Area in the early 1990’s, along with their children; David and Julie – along, along with with their spouses, Heather Kuhlken and Fredrik Osterberg. Guest of honor was Master Sommelier Guy Stout and Mistress of Ceremony was Veronique Cecilia Barretto. While the reason for the gathering is the new wine release, this was also a celebration of this incredible team, the and the Pedernales Cellars venture coming up on ten years, and the wine culture emerging in the Hill Country.

This team expertly runs Pedernales Cellars a over fifteen-thousand case winery, with many award winning wines with very high reputation. Having set a high standard already for Texas wine and recognizing that they have not reached their potential; this team brainstormed, designed and created Texas’ first Luxury Wine released “en primeur.”

Fredrik Osterberg, with experience in European wine traditions, desired wines that could be cellared and aged to reach their full potential as liquid works of art. David Kuhlken, working with their geographically unique estate vineyards, and now wonderfully mature vines producing amazing fruit, knew that they have the raw materials to create some of the greatest wines in the world. Julie Kuhlken, genius and inspiration for design created an fluid, elegant and breathtaking package with a look somewhat reminiscent of avant garde artist Gustave Klimp.

Tasting Notes, in order of tasting:

2014 Kuhlken-Osterberg, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Mourvedre, 22% Touriga Nacional, 11% Tinta Cao & Tinta Amarela.
Seventy-five dollars a bottle

Aromas of violets with vibrant red cherry and hints of pepper, vanilla and cocoa with a tantalizing blackberry scent in the background. The mouthfeel is silky and ripe with the fruit of red cherries and black cherries, a decent oaky vanilla presence with the pepper and cocoa balancing out the elegant finish.

2013 Kuhlken-Osterberg, 30% Tinta Amarela, 30% Touriga Nacional, 15% Tempranillo, 25% Syrah blend. 

One-hundred dollars a bottle

Distinct smoky aromas with the undertones of tar that support the fruit of black cherry with hints of cedar and pepper. The wines bursts with flavor on the palate with black cherry and cranberry fruit, pronounced vanilla, grippy tannins and a very long finish leaving a impression of a firm wine with resolve. This wine is miracle that it exist at all; most of the Texas High Plains was wiped out by freezes and most of the Texas Hill Country was pummeled with hail, however the Kuhlken Estate vineyards was spared and flourished!

2012 Kuhlken-Osterberg, 76% Tinta Amarela, 24% Syrah blend.
One-hundred and fifty dollars a bottle

With shy aromas there are hints of red cherry, and smoke. Like a great old world wine that has a closed nose; this wine explodes on the tastebuds! Bursts of red cherry followed by vanilla and oak with tannins in a rich textural experience that makes the finish long and luxurious.

Years ago I can say I recognized that wine is an aesthetic experience; wine is art. As my education and experience has grown over the years my understanding of the world of wines available deepens; I can say all three of the Kuhlken-Osterberg wines are Masterpieces! Only this team could have come up with these wines and this night. Only this team has dared to kiss the sky and reach for the stars.  Only this team is creating wine that transcends the glass and time of the experience, achieving new heights for themselves and the Texas wine industry. From this new vantage point in shines a bright light on Texas wine with the bright light of the 2015 vintage; everything is clear and the world is within our reach!

For more great wine posts, check out https://umami.life/vinolingo-2015-best-texas-wine-vintage/ 

The Journey

Cliff Bingham in the Tempranillo Vineyard

The Monday after the Blood Moon, I drove up to the High Plains. It is a beautiful drive, I love Texas; the Hill Country is so scenic with the rolling hills and winding roads. As you travel west you go up a series of plateaus, rising in elevation and the terrain evens out to become very flat with the enormous dome of the sky above.  I was amazed by the number of electricity generating windmills along the way. Well over a thousand of them by my estimation.

There are several very interesting cities along the way; San Angelo and Big Springs just to mention two. My cell phone GPS did an excellent job navigating my route. I was able to drive right to the Bingham Family Vineyards.  The appearance is of the brick farm homes in the area because this was the family home up until a few years ago. There are large vineyard plantings in the fields around the house, barn and winery.  The open space in this part of the country makes gauging distance and size difficult.

Puppy sez "They're ripe!"

Greeted by winemaker, Daniel Bingham and then I meet Cliff Bingham, Grape Grower and so much more. I was guided on a tour vineyards looking at Tempranillo, Vermintino and Dolcetto. Meet the neighbor's puppy, cutest ever, and he loved eating the grapes!

My tour of the winery was with Manuel Lechuga, he has been growing grapes and making wine in the Texas High Plains for twenty-eight years!  Manuel worked with Bobby Cox at Pheasant Ridge Winery until a few years ago. Tasting from a wealth of barrels, Manuel showed me a delicious array of wines; Merlot, Tempranillo, Dolcetto, Petite Verdot and wine in OLD barrels; 2009, 2006 and 2004!  Eleven years in barrel! Does anybody outside of Spain do this?  The wines are profound and amazing! (The Dugout, Cab Blend, is a wonderful result of this extreme barrel aging program.)

After this we went to the Bingham Family home for dinner tasting the wines in bottle. There were numerous family members and several wines to taste. I of course, kept up with it all. (No pop quizzes, please.) It was a wonderful evening and as dinner ended and I was heading back to the winery to stay the night. It seemed like the wonders were about to cease. I was in my car following Cliff in his truck, as we turned on to the FM road he stopped got out and came to my car asking; "Do you want to see harvest?" My answer; "YES!!!"

We pulled to the side of the Tempranillo vineyard we had visited in daylight. It was now after 10:00 pm, a cool night, dark; country dark, the only light the flood lights on the tractors working. One pulling the harvester and two tractors each pulling a bin the size of a modest Winnebago, to receive the grapes from each pass of the harvester.  The tractors with bins then rush over to the winery to pour their load into smaller bins, that are still pretty big. This pour was into a series of three bins with Daniel Binghanm standing in front of them. It looked like a Niagara Falls of grapes.  It is hear that I wished I had my cell phone camera, only all the GPS guidance had zapped my battery to 0%.  (I will be taking pictures next harvest.)  At the winery there is a forklift zipping back and forth, giant bins of grapes being pushed, pulled, lifted and hauled. Destemmer crusher whirling, semi-trucks idling while being filled with bins of Tempranillo right off the vines, and a large team of people working in full court press.  This was more exhilarating that watching the Spurs in the playoffs! This scene was a whirlwind, as was the day. As the semi-trucks headed out to the Hill Country where a great winemaker will take over them and make beautiful wines, I went to bed; exhausted from the long day. The Bingham family kept working through the night.

I stayed the next day we discussed our business plans and agreements. I went to check out "the competition" or wineries I should have visited long, long ago. The Binghams and I easily and cordially came together on our Brokerage Agreement. The next morning we loaded samples into my car with an absolutely breathtaking sunrise for this NEW day!

It was a journey to come up here, one that began many years ago. It feels great, right and very promising. Like anyone on a journey; somehow I am surprised that it has not ended but grown into an odyssey better that I could have asked for...

"Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth!" Psalm 98:4

Blind Tasted and Tested...

The first supper where Bingham Family Vineyards wines are served in San Antonio was for my dear friends, the taste makers for San Antonio or as they like to be called; The Varsity Squad. In attendance; Dr. Gary Penny, Dr. Deborah Strus, Lisa Elliott, Tony Cherone, Veronique Cecilia Barretto (full time Sommelier for Pedernales Cellars, Wine Consultant for Folc Restaurant and 'part time' Wine Snob), Gloria Baretto and Ramon Baretto. All experienced wine enthusiasts and foodies.

I gathered them to blind taste the wines from Bingham Family Vineyards against counterpart wines from famous and popular producers from other regions of the world. Not a uncommon practice for wineries and wine professionals to engage in to asses the quality and perceived value of their wines in the glass. And, I will admit more than a little nerve racking when it is your wines being judged.  I did my best to be fearless and put in very serious competition from the 'counterpart wines.'

There were five pairs of wines tasted blind. We tasted each pair and discussed and voted on a preference as we went. The reveal was at the end after all the wines were tasted. Below are my tasting notes for each wine and then a summery of how the group felt.

• Sweet White Blend, Bingham Family Vineyards, "SHORT ROWS," Texas High Plains, 2014 | SRP 15  Aromas of lemon tartness with a rocky minrality. The flavors in contrast are richly sweet and smooth, with pronounced lemon fruit, nuance of apple, a creamy texture and a smooth sweet finish.  

• White Wine Blend, Caymus Vineyards, "Conundrum," California, 2013  |  SRP 20  The aromas are surprisingly earthy with an almost petrol quality and bright lemon and lime notes. The flavors have a richness but only semi-sweet, white grape tastes with a mellow mouthfeel with a balanced finish. Nothing to dislike.

The group picked Caymus blind and once revealed some recanted their choice, there seems to be love/hate reputation for the Conundrum wines. Blind the Short Rows was thought to be a Riesling or Gewurztraminer. Revealed the group could see the potential for sweet white drinkers, the target audience, all in attendance being dry wine lovers. Short Rows provides an excellent value and held it's own against a popular wine that is more expensive.

• Dry White Blend, Bingham Family Vineyards, "CLOUDBURST," Trebbiano, Vermentino, Roussanne, Viognier, and Chardonnay, Texas High Plains, 2014 | SRP 18   The aromas have a smoky nuance up front with a pleasing sweet fruit middle and floral scents that are beautiful. The flavors a rich feeling and dry in experience with peach and vanilla with lush full body and a dry finish.
• Viognier, Freemark Abbey, Napa Valley, California, 2013  |  SRP 26    The nose displayed pronounced minerals with a earthy quality and lemon fruit and apple blossom.  The flavors had lemon and lime up front with a dry apple fruit and a classy elegant mouthfeel all the way to the finish.

The group tied these two up in votes, they are very comparable. I expected the wines to be wildly different with one being a single variety and the other a blend, but I was wrong and very pleasantly surprised. The Cloudbust shows that Bingham Family Vineyards is not only delivering quality but value too! The challenge Texas wineries need to overcome, and we have done it!

• Rosé, Bingham Family Vineyards, "HIGH PLAINS SUNSET," Mourvèdre, Texas High Plains, 2014 | SRP 18    Subtle aromas with strawberry notes and essence of summer flowers. The flavors are tangy and tart with sour cherry fruit and a lush delicious finish.
• Rosé, Orin Swift Cellars, "Skin Deep," Carignan, Grenache and Syrah, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes, Roussillon, Languedoc Roussillon, France | SRP 18   The floral aromas are at the forefront with enticing strawberry notes. The flavors are big and juicy with a very pleasing watermelon fruit and strawberry in the background, substructure of minerals and  a lush delicious finish.

The group picked the Orin Swift unanimously. It is the best rose I have tasted this year; it is amazing!  I was tasting blind also and I was SURE it was the Sunset Rose. The two roses are very similar and both are excellent.  Orin Swift is the hottest brand going; the same team who make the Locations wines, the "TX" blend that partnered with Kim McPherson and the bottles FLEW off the shelf! 

• TX Red Blend, Bingham Family Vineyards, "TURNROW," Mourvèdre and Tempranillo, Texas High Plains, 2014 | SRP 25    So aromatic that it is perfumy in the violet and lilac vain with added complexity of leather, minerals and smoky notes. The flavors are big and juicy up front with raspberry and strawberry fruit and a mellow body and a nice and easy finish.
• Tempranillo Blend, Marques de Caceres Reserva, Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Rioja DOCa, Spain, 2009 | SRP 22    Fruity aromas of strawberry and raspberry with earthy and leathery notes and an interesting sun dried tomato fragrance. The flavors are big and forward with red cherry and vanilla with notes of old oak echoing in the finish.

The group picked the Turnrow by one vote, everyone loved the floral aromas and found the wine complex and delicious. The Spanish wine was very good and had that old oak note that some liked and some not so much.

• Cab Blend, Bingham Family Vineyards, "DUGOUT," Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc., Texas High Plains,  Multi Vintage Blend | SRP 25   Smoky on the nose with a earthy background and cherry notes with herbaceous hints. The palette has tar upfront with big black cheery flavors, pomegranate with that herb component hinted at in the complex long profound finish.
• Cabernet Sauvignon, Beringer Vineyards, Knights Valley, Sonoma County, California, 2013 | SRP 24  Smoky right away with black berry fruit, liquor notes and a earthy background to the aromas.  The wine is very purple in color. The flavors are vanilla with red and black cherry with a herbal possibly cactus quality in the complex and beguiling finish.

The group picked the Dugout by two votes, they loved the complexity and oak notes. The Beringer Knights Valley was the most different; some thought it was a Malbec. Curiously Beringer seems to have change it's style to be less Napa Cab like. Why?  The Dugout taste like the Knights Valley did ten years ago; it is berry nice.

Overall assessment; three winners out of five selections were made for the Bingham wines. In one instance the wine was out of place in flavor profile or price point, and that was the Beringer Knights Valley. I am very encouraged to witness the value (quality and price) that we are offering. The tasters were very excited on the reveal of the Bingham wines and to be the first in San Antonio to try the wines. It was a very warm and enthusiastic reception. I need you to start spreading the word that the Bingham wines are coming to San Antonio, Austin, the Hill Country and surrounding areas! And look for your opportunity to taste them yourself...

My next posts will cover my journey in more detail...

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