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: 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

Milestone!!!

Readers and friends, thank you; I have posted one hundred times on this blog and you have viewed the pages sixteen thousand times.  Many bloggers are more active than me and they have many more pageviews, I know, but I am very grateful for you and the opportunities I have had.  For me it all goes back to the glass and the beauty and artistry experienced from the wine.  I said it best in my very first post here.

I have a lot to learn still and hope you will continue the journey with me as we learn about and from wine.  Over the past years we have had some outstanding lessons:

The two most viewed pages are for the Magnolia Grove Chardonnay and Cabernet made for Starwood Hotels and posted during my time at The Westin. My posts on Texas wines have been very popular; the innovation at Bending Branch, the emergence of Wedding Oak Winery, the closing of Alamosa and the annual Rambling Rosé at Becker Vineyards.  One of my personal highlights in life and post has to be the Sommelier Selection blending at Raymond Winery in Napa Valley. Many great wines and great times are chronicled here.  I will continue to post and learn and share the Lessons in Wine with you.

If you are inclined to; click the "Join This Site" button over to the right in the "Followers" box. And, if you are curious at all, I have two event pages:  Famous for :15 at Francesca's at Sunset chronicle of the 2010 New Years Eve at Francesca's at Sunset (with over 1,700 pageviews!) and the wildly popular Your Last Supper at Francesca's at Sunset for the end of the world New Year's Eve of 2011 with videos! (with over 8,600 pageviews! people LOVE this one.)  More than you ever wanted to know!  Oh, but what fun!!!

Screwcaps Age Wine Best!!!

Love them or hate them; Screwcaps are the BEST closure for wine in the bottle. (Period.)

3 Lessons:

Lesson 1.- Blind tasters pick screwcaps, in every single tasting they vote heavily for screwcaps, (a.k.a. Stelvin® closure. Stelvin, which rhymes with Melvin.) Sometimes seventeen to one in favor of the Stelvin® closure. These blind taste tests reveal that wine drinkers prefer the flavors of wine from bottles closed with the Stelvin® closure, tasters comment on the wines being more aromatic and showing more complexity.  Even wine aged in bottle with the Stelvin® closure wins! At this years Vinitaly a selection of top Australian wines matured under both screwcap and cork led to “ground breaking” results during a blind tasting...the international panel of judges voted for the wines aged under screwcap!

Lesson 2.- Stelvin® closure failure rate is virtually ZERO.  And, cork taint is very real; 2 to 5% of bottles with cork closure are ruined because of bad corks. Faulty corks generate a nasty chemical compound called TCA (2,4,6 Trichloroanisole) Cork taint gives wine a musty, wet cardboard character. Then there is the great account of the 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon reserve from Plumpjack; half of the production was bottled with Stelvin® closures and the other half with corks. I have met customers who had one of each and the cork sealed wine was tainted.

Lesson 3.- Time tested, the Stelvin® closure is nothing new. In fact the first screwcap is Patented by Dan Rylands in the UK in 1889 it found its first practical use on whiskey bottles, replacing corks. (When is the last time you used a corkscrew to open your bottle of liquor? Don't you miss the romance???) Then in 1950's the Stelvin® cap was developed in France specifically as a wine bottle closure and is still a registered trademark of French manufacturer Pechiney. In the decades since it's creation many laboratory test have been conducted. Chemical analysis proves that the Stelvin® closure is better for wine in a bottle, time and time again. and again...

One of you is thinking; "well, aren't corks time tested?" And I will refer you to the Chris's writing over at the Grapeful Dregs wine blog; "There are a lot of traditions in winemaking, and sealing the bottle with a cork is one of them, but think about this for a moment: The winemaker nurtures the soil, carefully tends the grapes, waits for just the right amount of sugar content, scrutinizes the fermentation, sterilizes the bottles and then stuffs a hunk of tree bark in the neck of that bottle. Does that make any sense to you? No, me either."

And, if you need more technical information; look here.

Do you have a screwcap experience you would like to share?  Please comment below...

Wedding Oak; growing tall, standing out from the landscape

Over 400 years ago a oak tree sprouted here. It grew, slowly at first, then it's strength and stature grew it began to stand out from the landscape. The large impressive oak became the symbolic site of numerous ceremonies and weddings, beginning with Native Americans, continuing with early settlers from the Santa Cruz de San Saba mission of 1758, whose ruins are located upstream on the San Saba River at Menard, and to the locals of today who look to this tree as a testament to the enduring qualities of life and the majestic beauty of all creation.  Great inspiration for this winery's name, after all, like this majestic oak's roots, wine reaches back through time reminding us of all the shared pleasures of life — requesting we slow down long enough to appreciate the blessings of the land while enjoying local food and wine with friends, family and community.

On Monday I got to visit Mike and Lynn McHenry at their Wedding Oak Winery.  An unassuming storefront off the town square in San Saba.  It is a beautiful tasting room with great atmosphere; almost living room like feel that is very comfortable and inviting.  Seemed almost cozy.  Windows into the production part of the winery hint at the larger operation.  Going through the door opens up to the barrels and beyond this is another door to more winery area and beyond that is another door still more winery.  This is a much larger winery operation than it first appears and just a few minutes of talking to Mike and Lynn you will catch on that their aspirations are as big as Texas!  Like their wineries namesake, they are digging in deep roots and growing tall; standing out from the landscape of Texas wineries.

And, their wines are ready for the world stage!  Tasting through their line up convinces me that Penny Adams is making the best wines of her life.  The whites are crisp and clean, refreshing and balanced.  The "Wedding Suite" of wines is the triple treat of delicious wines, easy drinking, and brilliant branding/packaging.  This line should be the 'cash cow' for the winery.  

That being said, their real stunning and brilliant wines are the red wines... a long time favorite of mine is the Terre Rouge, this is made from the grapes grown in Mike and Lynn's High Valley Vineyard, it is a textbook example of grape type matched to geology and location.  The aromas have a floral quality reminiscent to wild roses with cherry and cranberry.  The flavors are bold and bright with sour cherry, raspberry and cranberry with notes of leather and tobacco heading into the complex and smooth finish.  The shorthand on this wine is that it is a Texas rendition of Chateauneuf du Pape, one of the world's greatest wines and one MORE Texas wineries should be trying to recreate. (Soap box to come...)  

Another show stopper is the Reserve Syrah from 2013, it is wisely being cellar aged in bottle right now and will be available next year.  It has 23% Tannat grapes in it and which makes it BIG and brooding.  On the nose there is a pronounced smoky quality venturing into the tar neighborhood. In the flavors licorice comes forward first with black cherry and stony minrality, cracked black pepper and those smoky, oaky flavors.  This is a delicious wine now and in a few more months; the flavors will knit together and become more seamless and more seductive. I can't wait!  

And the other superstar wine I tried was the Harmony Ridge 2012, Tempranillo 57%, Mourvedre 20%, Cabernet Sauvignon 16% and Grenache 7%.  Another example of how great Tempranillo does in Texas!  Expressive aromas with initial flavors on the sour side of the sweet and sour equation.   Lots of black cherry, plum and wild fruit with that dusty Texas minrality and subtle oak.  Balanced and expertly crafted, as good, if not better than many GREAT Spanish Tempranillo blends. 

Take some time and make the trip to San Saba, it is a great Texas town, you can relax and unwind at Wedding Oak, taste their amazing wines and buy a case or two.  You will be glad you did.

Wine Stained Jobs

Last October I left my job at the Westin La Cantera Hill Country Resort as Resort Sommelier.   The resort changed management companies and was closing for remodeling. I was there eighteen years, which amazes me!  It was a great run, we did many awesome things with wine over the years. 

Immediately after the resort I went to work with old friends at Arcade Midtown Kitchen as the General Manager / Sommelier.  This was a blast!  The Owner / Chef; Jesse Perez has incredible flavor profiles and an talent for unexpected combinations.  People love his cooking and it was a very busy and high energy restaurant.  It was unfortunate that Chef has bigger and better opportunities to pursue; so he closed down AMK.  It was sudden and surprising; our regulars where VERY passionate about our closing.  I wish it could have gone longer; I was just getting the wine list into shape and we received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence as we were closing.  

Today I find myself looking for employment.  I am focusing on a job that will allow me to work with wine day in and day out.  We will see what opportunities are out there.  Wherever I end up;  my plan will be to revive my postings and work here.  No matter what life throws at you there will always be 

lessons in wine!  Cheers!!!

Tour de France: France Saves the U.S.A.!!!

Not all lessons in wine come in a bottle...  Featuring the wines from France during the the Tour de France seems reasonable and even natural, some might even say obvious.  But, featuring French wines on July 4th!?!  Well that seems almost un-American!  Or, at least that is what I thought.  Looking a little further into it I learned that there would be NO Independence Day if it was not for FRANCE...

French involvement proved decisive, with a French naval victory in the Chesapeake leading to the surrender of a British army at Yorktown in 1781. The Treaty of Paris in 1783 ended the war and recognized the sovereignty of the United States over the territory bounded by what is now Canada to the north, Florida to the south, and the Mississippi River to the west.
The war of American independence could be summed up as a civil war fought on foreign soil, as opposing forces comprised both nations' residents. That said, it is a war that America could not have survived without French assistance. 

http://www.revolutionarywar101.com/ 

Like so many things in our world and in history; there is more to the story than what we might commonly know.  The French and American relationship goes much deeper than french fries and fresh bread.  There is a complexity and dynamic here that can be felt and tasted in a glass of wine; a glass of French wine.  Cheers!
Come see me for some excellent selections today.

Sangiovese, Duchman Family Winery, Texas

The legendary red grape used to make Chianti; Sangiovese, grows well in Texas!  I pour and pair this wine like a Pinot Noir from other parts of the world.  It is very easy to drink, it can be enjoyed by itself at cocktail hour and it pairs beautifully with a wide range of cuisine.  What I really love about this wine and Texas Sangiovese in general is that it does not have as high an acidity level as it's Italian counterparts and the grape vine is genius at taking the minrality from limestone and wrapping the fruit flavors into a cohesive delicious wine.  (Not every vine can do this.  I am not going to name names like Cab-er-nay ;-)

• Sweet Cherry 
• Tart Cherry
• Cranberry
• Red Apple
• Spice
• Minrality

Founded in 2004 by Drs. Lisa and Stan Duchman, pronounced “Dukeman.” Their love of the unique Italian grape varieties inspired them to work with viticultural consultant Bobby Cox and growers in the Texas High Planes AVA to use 100% Texas grapes that will allow winemaker Dave Reilly to make the best possible wines!!!

“If that were all cultivated, Texas could produce more wine than all of California.” - BOBBY COX, Texas High Plains Grape Grower

Dream big, Bobby!

Texas WineMonth- Austin Quote

“Nature seemed to have intended Texas for a vineyard to supply America with vines.” Stephen F. Austin. I love this quote. The exact wording and context the Founding Father of Texas said it in is not as important to me as the mindset and experience these words reveal. Mr. Austin and his contemporaries won Texas' independence and were "hacking their living out of the wilderness with their own two hands, burying their children along the way!" (to quote Hawkeye in The Last of the Mohicans. (Great movie!)) Many of them were new immigrants from the Old World; Germany, France, Spain, Italy and other homelands. Some were from places just as hot and dry as Texas, and they had grown vines and made wine in the Old World! They looked around the Texas landscape and could easily imagine vast vineyards here too. Prior to Prohibition, Texas had almost fifty commercial wineries! This was the beginning of what would have been a great industry for our state. Prohibition closed all but one winery; Val Verde in Del Rio.

In the years immediately after Prohibition the California wine industry grew exponentially. They have done a incredible job; growing grapes, vinifying wine and marketing their wine and state. Today they make ninety percent of the wine in the U.S.A. Most wine drinkers in North America who think about wine are really thinking about California wine. Because of this many think that wine country has to be as cool and as wet like California. This is NOT TRUE, there are other regions in the world hot and dry like Texas and they make world class wines. I encourage you to look for Texas wines that are taking their inspiration from these other regions. You might have to go outside your comfort zone and drink a wine other than Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet or Merlot. But, you will be okay and you might even find a Viognier, Roussanne, Blanc du Bois, Trebbianno, Picpoul Blanc, Syrah, Tempranillo, Malbec, Sangiovese, Lenoir (a.k.a. Black Spanish) or Aglianico grown in Texas that you love even more than those California wines! And, who knows, maybe someday Texas wineries will make enough wine to begin shipping them to the other states in our union and other countries! Achieving that elusive dream that started back when Texas was a brand new state (country.)

Please follow my blog; I will have more to share with you about Texas, wine and the lessons we learn along the way.

Texas Wine Month- Plant! Baby, plant!!!

Welcome to Texas Wine Month!  The most important thing for you to know about the Texas Wine Country is that there is a shortage of grape vines growing in Texas soil.  Texas needs more grape vines!  We have many great grape growers working hard and supplying great raw materials for the talented winemakers.  I want to encourage them and thank them for hard work they are doing.  Working outdoors in Texas is not easy, the heat alone keeps many indoors.  Add to this the other weather challenges, the pests, wild life and more.  I admire you strength, determination and true grit to do the work it takes to grow vines here in Texas.  You are doing a great job!  We are tasting better wines every vintage.

The simple math is that today we may have five thousand acres under vine and the current estimate on demand is that the wineries can sell as much wine that would come from eighteen to twenty thousand acres of vines!  Even if these numbers are a little high you can see there is still a great need for more grape vines growing in Texas soil.  So, this Texas Wine Month I call you to drink more Texas wine, visit Texas wineries, thank the wineries for the wine they make, thank the growers for the grapes they grow AND encourage all of them to plant more vines in Texas.  Plant baby! Plant!!!

Digital Wine List...

Earlier this year I had a brush with the potential of having a digital wine list for our guests and the concept has captured my imagination!

Truth be told; today all wine list are digital. Sommeliers are using some form of computer program to log, arrange and track the wines in their charge. There is a divide or canyon between the printed list the guest uses to select wine from and the digital one the sommelier uses. The good news is that this divide is closing; we are beginning to see distal list in the hands of customers. This can take the form of a Ipad or other tablet to other electronic devices. This is one of the challenges; the cost of the hardware is significant. While thinking about this dynamic and watching our customers in the resort; I realize that the vast majority of our customers are already "packing" their own hardware. So then, why wouldn't our guest want to access our digital wine list with their own device? This is how and why I have added the wine list page to my blog page. Please; click on the link below and give me your feedback.  Do you find this list helpful?  How can it be better?

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MOET AND CHANDON, “IMPERIAL” Epernay, Champagne, France, NV

The world’s most loved CHAMPAGNE!  The flagship of the Champagne house Moët & Chandon, "Impérial" is the most accomplished and universal expression of the house style and Champagne itself. It reflects both the diversity and similarities of the three champagne grapes and the richness of the region’s best vineyards to reveal the magic of the birthplace of sparkling wine!

• VIVACIOUS
• Apple
• Pear
• Yellow Peach
• Lemon
• Yeasty
• Delightful

Moët Impérial is an extremely accomplished assemblage of over 120 vineyards, in which the Pinots predominate for intensity and structure (35% to 40% Pinot Noir, 45% to 50% Pinot Meunier) with a hint (10%) of Chardonnay for freshness.  The synergy between fruit and yeast is revealed through maturation. The ageing process is almost twice as long as the legal requirement.  The use of 30% of carefully selected reserve wines complete the assemblage and enhance its harmony, complexity and consistency.  This wine has earned its success with substance and consistency.  Year in and year out it is a remarkable wine.

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CHARLES DE FERE, CUVÉE JEAN-LOUIS, Blanc de Blanc, Brut, France, NV

Jean-Louis Denois, a sixth generation Champenois from a well-established Champagne producing family.  He decided to create his own sparkling winery in 1981 in Fère-en-Tardenois, twenty miles outside of the Champagne appellation. Instead of being bound to grapes from one region as is the Champagne tradition and laws, he wanted the flexibility of using a variety of different grapes and purchasing the best grapes each year, believing that other regions had the potential to create sparkling wines of superb quality without being very expensive.  The Jean-Louis Cuvée is highly praised for it's quality and affordability.  Wine Enthusiast – 87 Points, Best Buy and Washington Post – Highly Recommended

• VIVACIOUS
• Bright 
• Fruity Aromas 
• Apples 
• Apricots 
• Hint of Honey 
• Smooth Finish

Charles de Fère wines are made using Chenin Blanc (40%), Ugni Blanc (20%) and various other grapes that change each year to ensure that our style remains consistent.  The grapes come from many of France’s exceptional wine growing regions: Loire Valley, Charentes, Burgundy, Gers, Languedoc and the PACA region (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur).

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Tempranillo, PEDERNALES, Texas

Tempranillo is Pedernales Cellars premier varietal and the heart of their winemaking efforts. In the early 1990s, Larry and Jeanine Kuhlken planted their first vineyard outside of Fredericksburg, Texas. They were pioneers as Hill Country grape growers with only a handful of wineries operating in Texas. It was also a time for experiments with different grapes varieties and viticultural practices. Over time, with carefully managed yields, and as the vines matured, the vineyard started producing consistently high quality fruit with bold, intense flavors.

• Rich Black Cherry
• Raspberry
• Earthy 
• Mineral 
• Spiciness 

This wine is made with fruit from the Texas High Plains and Texas Hill Country, the wine was aged in French and American oak barrels. An excellent example of Pedernales Cellars making some of the best wine in the state. Their estate vineyard has expanded over the years and today consists of 17 acres mostly planted with hot weather varieties such as Tempranillo, Touriga Nacional, Albarino, Monastrell (known as Mourvedre in French), Garnacha (Grenache in French) and small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Their plantings and winemaking style is natural for a boutique winery focused on making small lots of hand crafted wines.

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Claret, BECKER, Texas High Plains, Texas

"LES TROIS DAMES" has graced this label for years in honor of the matriarchs of grape growing in the Texas High Plains; Eunice Hunter, Laverne Newsom and Dorothy Cooper. This great trio of ladies have a state full of grateful Texas wine drinkers and wine makers indebted to them. It is them and their families who lead the states grape growing. Recognition of them from Becker Vineyards, one of our states most successful wineries, is a right and good thing.

• SUCCULENT and POWERFUL 
• Red and Black Berries 
• Raspberries 
• Chocolate 
• Spices 
• Vanilla 
• Oak 

CLARET blends should only contain varieties that are authorized for use in the red wines of the Bordeaux region of France. Currently, the varieties are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. Carmenere is another permitted grape, but rarely used except in red wines from South American. The term Claret has no regulated meaning or legal status so it is best to investigate how each winery is using the term. In the United States, red wines labeled as ‘Meritage’ (www.meritagewine.org) can be included in the category of Clarets and the term ‘Meritage’ is regulated with a legal meaning.

For more on the Becker Claret visit; http://vintagetexas.com/blog/?s=Becker+Claret&searchsubmit=

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Chardonnay, Rodney Strong, Sustainably Grown, Sonoma County, California

Place Matters.  An early pioneer in Sonoma County, Rodney Strong was an acknowledged visionary who understood the potential that Sonoma County’s soil and climate held for producing world-class wines. He was the first to craft a single-vineyard Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, one of the first to plant Pinot Noir in Russian River Valley and the first to produce a Chalk Hill Chardonnay.  
“Place is not everything. But place is the most important thing.” – Tom Klein, Proprietor

• SUPPLE
• Brown Spice
• Vanilla
• Lemon
• Apple
• Toasty Barrel
• Pear
• Pineapple

From the west and southwestern regions of Sonoma County, ideal for growing chardonnay grapes.  The cool maritime influence of the Pacific Ocean arriving reliably in the form of fog each summer evening maintains the bright natural acidity that is key to the balance of any fine Chardonnay, while the warm summer afternoons ensure plenty of ripe fruit character. A combination of estate grown and locally farmed fruit, grown in the Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, and Sonoma Coast appellations make this wine delicious.

And please reply to this blog;

have you tried this Chardonnay?

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