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

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...

Watch this blog for notice of consumer events and tasting opportunities we will have for you!
Please click the "Join This Site" button over to the right in the "Followers" box to stay in the know.

In the Dallas/Ft. Worth area we have a Tasting Room you can visit:
620 S Main St., Grapevine, Texas  |   phone (682) 651-8668

Or, Join the Wine Club here.

My New Job!!!

I an very proud and excited to announce I am Representing Bingham Family Vineyards' wines in South and Central Texas!!!  I will be distributing these amazing wines in San Antonio, Austin, the Hill Country and the surrounding areas.  The Binghams are one of the largest growers in the High Plains of Texas. They sell grapes to over twenty Texas wineries; so Texas wine drinkers are likely to have tasted the fruits of their labor before. Some of Texas' most prestigious awards are won by the grapes grown in their vineyards. When I saw that the Binghams were starting to make wine, I was very excited by the prospect, and now, to get to share them with you is a dream come true.

"An adventure of music, children, grapes, and organic crops on the High Plains of Texas." Is how they describe themselves to the world. Cliff Bingham, a fourth generation farmer in Terry County, began full time farming in 1982. Since 1992, Cliff and his wife, Betty have served as pioneers in the Texas organic cotton and peanut markets. They diversified their farming operations in 2003 by planting grape vines. Today the Binghams currently own or manage over 200 acres of wine grapes in the Texas High Plains AVA. They are very pleased to be starting a winery. They plan to continue selling grapes to their winery friends across the state who are producing award winning wines. 

I can tell you they are NO ordinary family; they have eleven children, Betty homeschools them, they are very talented; all play music, some are artist, they all display a love for life, they are taking care of God’s earth, and have a deep and abiding love for the Lord.  All are involved and committed to the winery and vineyards; they work very hard and the Lord has blessed them in abundance. They are an amazing family!

The wines I will be selling:

DUGOUT (Cab red blend)
A full bodied blend that combines the scent of aged leather with the bold flavor of cranberry and a buttery finish. It is an oak aged blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.
The first of six generations of the family settled in the High Plains in the early 1900's and lived in a dugout.
Multi Vintage Blend | SRP 25

TURNROW (TX red blend)
This blend of Mourvèdre and Tempranillo has the fruity taste of strawberries.
Turnrows are single lane dirt roads that divide farms in the flat High Plains where farmers often stop their trucks to visit with the neighbors.
Vintage 2014 | SRP 25

HIGH PLAINS SUNSET ROSÉ
This dry rosé made from Mourvèdre grapes grown on the High Plains of Texas has a distinct flavor of strawberry and a pleasant dark cherry and chocolate aroma.
The flat terrain and clear skies on the High Plains produce some of the most gorgeous sunsets.
Vintage 2014 | SRP 18

CLOUDBURST (dry white)
Trebbiano, Vermentino, Roussanne, Viognier, and Chardonnay with a medium body ending with a hint of apple.
The High Plains has a very dry climate, but when rain comes it very often comes quickly and yet in a very refreshing way.
Vintage 2014 | SRP 18

SHORT ROWS (sweet white)
This wine has a sweet pear aroma that mimics the taste of this wine, ending with a light, bright finish.
Short rows are the shortest rows in a field that signal the end of the workday for a weary farmer.
Vintage 2014 | SRP 15

With more to come in the future! If you know of any retailer, restaurant, bar or wine seller who would like to offer the best wines in Texas; please share my contact information with them: Steven Krueger | (210) 724-9390 |  krueger.wine@gmail.com

My next posts will cover the wines and my journey in more detail...

Watch this blog for notice of consumer events and tasting opportunities we will have for you!
Please click the "Join This Site" button over to the right in the "Followers" box to stay in the know.

In the Dallas/Ft. Worth area we have a Tasting Room you can visit:
620 S Main St., Grapevine, Texas  |   phone (682) 651-8668

Or, Join the Wine Club here.

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!!!

Becker Wines; Always Available Near YOU!!!

I am very excited to see Becker Vineyards nominated for American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Their co-nominees are: Abacela (Roseburg, OR) Oregon’s first commercial Tempranillo. (???-SK)  Gramercy Cellars (Walla Walla, WA) darling boutique winery founded by master sommelier Greg Harrington and his wife, Pam. Justin Winery (Paso Robles, CA) Founded in 1981, widely recognized the winery that put Paso on the map. Schramsberg (Calistoga, CA) Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and branched out into high-end Napa reds with the J. Davies Estate label!  This is some tough competition, all VERY deserving of recognition.

This is recognition that the Beckers and their team have earned, I am convinced they should receive this award.  It will be great for them and it is time for Texas to get recognition as a wine region!

The other aspect that is amazing about this is just how widely available the Becker wines are to us in South Texas.  They are everywhere!  Abacela and Gramercy wines I can not find in San Antonio wine shops.  Justin and Schramsberg I can find at specialty shops like Joe Saglimbeni’s Fine Wine and Gaberiel's.  Granted; outside of Texas, where most of Wine Enthusiast readers reside, they will find Becker wines harder to find.  Too bad for them!  But, for us, we can pick up a bottle of Becker wine and a carton of Blue Bell ice cream from HEB on the way home!  And, you should, get a bottle of Becker wine today and toast one of the nominees for American Winery of the Year!

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...

Texas Wineries are Ready for YOU!!!

Mike McHenry driving in the bumper crop of Tempranillo at Wedding Oak Winery!

Bumper Crops, Bigger Wineries, Better Wines, and Awesome Tasting Experiences! Texas Wineries are Ready for YOU!!!  It is time to visit them!

In my time between jobs, I am getting to visit some Texas wineries.  Everywhere I go it is clear and prevalent; they are ready for you.  The teams at each winery are striving to improve your experience. Take Kuhlman Cellars for example; Jennifer Beckmann and the tasting room team have prepared an amazing food and wine pairing taste experience for you. Be prepared to spend an hour in the tasting as you will dive into the chemistry of food and wine pairing, the techniques used in the vineyards and winery used to make their outstanding wines, the new and exciting grape varieties being grown and why they are perfect for Texas. They will get as geeky as you want or simply keep it to the thumbs up/thumbs down level. You will love this whole taste experience in the midst of their newly planted vines and growing winery/tasting room under construction.  Very exciting times in Hye, Texas.

The road less traveled will have surprises along the way like;  Falkenstein Wedding Castle on the park road to Longhorn Caverns. It is hard to imagine there may be a more picturesque drive with the curvy road that goes up and down step hills covered in cedar and oak trees.  Yet it is the destination that makes it all worthwhile, nestled in a beautiful valley is Perissos Vineyards! Seth Martin has planted and grown paradise here on the park road to Inks Lake outside Burnett Texas. The classical grape grower who does his winemaking in the field (minimal techniques in the winery.) Seth has planted and experimented with a wide array of grapes producing some of the best examples of Texas wine in every category along the way. His hard work and dedication has produced great tasting and popular wines, this has allowed him to expand his winery and tasting room.  While a very special place before, now the tasting room has high ceilings with big fans pushing the cool air to the wide open seating area and large windows with views of the vineyards and valley in the background. Indeed this family and winery live up to their name “exceeding abundantly, beyond what is expected, imagined, or hoped for.” You MUST visit this winery and taste 100% Texas!

One of the great things about every wine country is that their food and lodging is world class.  So, not only are the wineries ready for you but the restaurants and hotels are too.  We are seeing this throughout Texas, further proof that we are IN WINE COUNTRY.  Some of my recent discoveries (new to me) are; lunch in Marble Falls at the Noon Spoon Cafe.  All the ingredients are fresh and high quality.  This is one of those places where you feel the love and care that the culinary team put into making each plate, rare in today's world.  The service was attentive and friendly.  I will go out of my way to eat here again. Casual dinner at The Brick in San Saba, delicious pizza and burgers, made to order and of a quality that competes with the best from every large city in Texas.  Dinner experience at Rancho Loma, from finding this place hidden on the backside of rural roads, to walking through the creaky screen door of an old farm house into an hip modern restaurant dinning room.  The cuisine here is as good as you will encounter in San Francisco, Chicago or New York. The service is impeccable. The owners; Laurie, Robert and Zadie Williamson are very gracious hosts, they take time to make you feel at home and a valued guest in the home, which you are. This place seems almost like a dream, almost too good to be real, a experience you must seek out for yourself. (Note; Rancho Loma has sleeping accommodations too.)  If you want to stay next door to a winery, literally next door to Wedding Oak Winery, stay at Dofflemyer Hotel in San Saba.  It is a swanky hotel that would be at home in Napa Valley, with only six rooms, so book ahead, you will be glad you did. And, they leave the most delicious locally grown pecans on your pillow.

You and your friends will in time realize that you LIVE IN WINE COUNTRY!!!  Get out there and drink it in.  Texas is more interesting now than ever, don't miss it.

Do you have a favorite Texas winery?  Please comment below...

Brennan Vineyards; ready for harvest and ready for the world!

Our cultural buzz seems to be focused on the big cities and the hope that there is some kind of bight future in the urban centers.  However, it is in Comanche Texas, that the past and future are entwined very tangibly and you can feel an synergy where creation and innovation is happening.  I love to visit the area, my Mom's side of the family is from here, it is a great part of Texas.  This is a very rural part of the state with many farms and ranches, where many people work long and hard to put food on our tables.  Then there are the many wind turbines across the region spinning and generating clean electricity.  They are connected to the world via the internet and yet you can drive a few miles further and loose your cell phone signal.  The local realtor advertises 40k starter homes along side the 400k sprawling estates.  Here the present is the past existing side by side with the future with no pretense or conceit.  And, you can see and taste all this at Brennan Vineyards.

On the south side of Comanche, across the railroad tracks, in an area somewhat industrial, somewhat run down and somewhat new, being developed, and vibrant; you will find Brennan's winery with the estate vineyards next door.  It looks and feels like an oasis with giant trees, lush landscaping and sprawling vineyards.  The tasting room is in the historic McCrary House with the state of the art winery a few yards away.  I was treated to a tour and tasting with the wineries talented Sommelier and Director of Marketing, Rebecca Conley.  It was obvious and mentioned that they were gearing up for harvest, their busiest and most stress filled and long hard days that any wineries experiences.  As impressive as the facility is, it is the quality of the wines in the glass that blew me away!  The entire line up of wines is very impressive, expertly crafted and honest wines, tip of the hat to winemaker Tim Webster, great guy, very humble for the talent he demonstrates, he is worth meeting if you get the opportunity.

Highlights from my tasting; while renowned for their Viognier, they are offering a 2014 Reserve Viognier for the first time in a decade!  It is amazing with a classic rich and lush mouthfeel delivering apple, pear and lemon fruit with some subtle stonefruit and long complex finish.  This is a classic and elegant expression of Viognier that should be served throughout the world.

Two of my favorites were from their 4.0 Cellars line; the 2012 Syrah which showed big juicy flavors of black cherry with hints of anise and black pepper, luscious wine. And, the 2012 Mourvedre which has a fascinating aroma of french onion and cherries with awesome juicy flavors of vanilla and cherry and that toe curling velvety finish.

We all love the superheros and quite cleverly they have named their wine made from Nero d'Avola grapes; "Super Nero!"  The 2012  is super smoky on the nose with enticing hints of black fruit. The flavors are complex with a bite of tar up front, big juicy and meaty fruit flavors like plum and wild berries, a touch of coco and more as the finish goes to infinity and beyond!

Yet, there is no denying the super star of the line up is the winemakers choice simply titled "W."  This is a beguiling multi vintage and multi grape blend.  It has the smoky and tar aromas on the nose with the big, rich and lush flavors aggressive on the palate.  Black berry and black cherry fruit combines vanilla and licorice to make a complex and long finish that is outstanding for red wines from the best wineries in the world.  I plan for  some friends to taste this wine blind against some expensive Napa red blends.  My money is on the "W."

Brennan Vineyards is wonderful place, you simply must go, see and taste for yourself.  You will be in Comanche and there is a lot to see and appreciate; look beyond the past, anticipate the future in the wind and realize that it is all bottled up in 750ml bottles of wine for you to enjoy today and tomorrow!

The Most Innovative Place in Wine Country!

John Rivenburgh, Neal & Janice Newsom, and Dr. Bob Young; celebrating the new release of their
delicious Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon made with Newsom Vineyards grapes. 

Where do you think the most cutting edge winemaking and innovation is taking place?  California?  Sonoma? Napa Valley? NOPE.  It is happening in Comfort Texas; that's right, the little town just off IH-10 a little northwest of San Antonio.  Home to the Bending Branch Winery where owner Robert W Young, MD and grape grower John Rivenburgh are co-founders and co-winemakers.  Their combined academic expertise, experience and chutzpah make them a dynamic duo leading a passionate and committed team ready to go out on the limb and grab the brass ring.  

They started with identifying great grape varieties for Texas that no other Texas winery was developing; Picpoul Blanc, a white grape from the Rhône region in France, it is one of the thirteen permitted varietals in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, literally translates to “lip stinger” because it's bright acidity, minerality, and clean lemony flavor. AND... Tannat, a red grape from of the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains in southwestern France on the Spanish border, famous for making wines that are robust and powerful.  Both grapes have done well for Bending Branch Winery  and they are making world class wines from them.


While great steps for Texas as a wine making region selecting these varieties is just the beginning for Young and Rivenburgh. Early on they built their own fully equipped laboratory. On the fly they can ensure that the chemistry is correct, so their wines will inspire the palate as well as age in the cellar.  Continuing the evolving process they began using Cryo Maceration, indicated by "CM" on the labels, freezing the grapes leads greater pressure on the grapes to break up the cellular membrane and results is the release of anthocyanin (dyes), tannins, flavoring and multiple sugars, making better more flavorful wines.  In addition Bending Branch is the forth winery in the United States to buy "Flash Détente" equipment manufactured by 
Della Toffola in the Veneto region in Italy.  This cutting edge extraction technique involves a combination of heating the grapes to about 180ºF and then sending them into a huge vacuum chamber, where they are cooled. The cells of the grape skins are burst from the inside allowing for 100% extraction of anthocyanins and skin tannins before alcoholic fermentation!  Flash Détente, which translates roughly as “instant relaxation” has great potential for Texas and the larger wine making world and will eventually be just another tool in every well equipped winery and it will be up to the winemaker to decide when to use it or not.  But, the future of winemaking is available today at the Bending Branch Winery.
Huge props to Dr. Young and Mr. Rivenburgh for their vision and leadership, this just covers their most outstanding innovations.  They have created a wine geek's paradise with the many grape varieties in single vineyard bottlings and indicating the different techniques being used; we get to taste and experience the difference in each nuance.  However, you DO NOT have to be a Sommelier to appreciate what they are doing and have fun at the winery; San Antonio Express-News Readers voted Bending Branch Winery The Best Texas Winery!   It is a very fun place with frequent events and parties, not the least of which was the recent Two Tons of Steel concert, which promises to become a concert series!!!  Look for all the winery events here and friend them on Facebook to get the updates as they come out.  I hope to see you at the winery.

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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WINE LIST

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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WINE LIST