Thursday was a good evening, wine-wise. We began at Avondale Food & Wine for a tasting with Juliana A. McBride of Crosby Roamannn. She’s a vintner, and along with her husband, Sean W. McBride, makes some great wine. She poured a 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, a 2015 Chardonnay, and a 2013  Cabernet Sauvignon; they would all have a welcome place at my table.

The Sauvignon Blanc (100 Percent) is a single-vineyard selection, made from Handley Ranch grapes (situated a short drive from St. Helena). It was fermented in a combination of French barrels (once- and twice-used and neutral), and aged for eight months in oak. One hundred cases were produced. Lemon and other citrus notes are remarkable in this one, and it’s crisp and bright. The mouthfeel is full, alcohol is 14.5 percent, and I would happily serve this to my guests, paired with poached lobster.

The Chardonnay, a Carneros, is an intriguing one; floral, a slight buttery note. I want more of this one (it’s in stock from the winery at $34). The grapes were picked by hand and whole-cluster pressed. Fermentation took place in 20 percent new French oak, and the wine was aged 20 months in oak.

A Sauvignon Blanc worthy of your attention. (Photo by The Brockhaus)

The tasting ended with the Crosby Roamann 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, a serious yet inviting wine that for $75 should appeal to Cab drinkers looking to switch up their routines of spending twice as much for a bottle of California Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes here hail from the Rutherford AVA (a small percentage of Merlot is in this vintage, from the Oak Knoll District). The grapes are sorted by hand, and fermented in stainless for 31 days.  Aging takes place in 80 percent new French barrels for 30 months. The result is a supple wine whose tannins impress. You get the beloved aroma and flavor notes here — cassis, cocoa, black plum, leather, a touch of spice — but you get all of that for less coin.

Juliana is an engaging, friendly winemaker, and she represents her craft well. Read about Crosby Roamann here. (Side note: Take some time to visit Avondale Food & Wine; it’s L’Olivier’s next chapter, and Mary Clarkson and Olivier Ciesielski have made some major changes, including a retail wine operation, that promise good things.)

Drink this now.

Next was a quick tasting at Damian’s Cucina Italiana. Castello Banfi wines were on display in the restaurant’s upstairs private dining room, and the star of the event for me was La Pettegola (2017 vintage). It’s  100 percent Vermentino, and I’ve seen it for sale for as little as $14. Crisp, wonderful, balanced acidity, and just a simply crafted everyday wine that would go well with everything from pasta primavera to grilled shrimp. Drinking it was a pleasure.

Earlier in the week, I tasted a wine from Alois Lageder, one of my favorite producers. The 2016 Fórra Bianco Dolomiti IGT is a delightful pour, 100 percent Manzoni Bianco, and it sells for around $30 a bottle. You can read my take on this wine here, and I urge you to get your own bottle (or two). It’s one of the best things I’ve had in the past several months.

Drink well, and with people you love (or at least respect).

Want more wine? Check out these stories I wrote for PaperCity magazine:

Here’s a Serious California Cab
Drink Provence!
An Irish Whiskey With a Caribbean Twist
A Syrah You’ll Love
Houston Sommelier Charms at River Oaks Restaurant
A Zinfandel for Daily Drinking
A Wine Family’s Excellent Adventure
Four Brothers and Some Great Young Wines
Your Endless Crush Rosé
Enrique Varela Loves Malbec
This Geologist Knows His Italian
A Chardonnay For Your Mother (and You)
Don’t Dismiss the Peat
Distinctive Whisky Enters a New Era
A Whisky Legend Visits Houston
A Rare Cask, Indeed
Austin Whisky, Strange Name
Here’s Your Texas Rum Goddess
A ZaZa Wine Guy Loves Great Service
A Merlot That Your Snob Friend Will Love
French Couple Make a Sauvignon Blanc in California
A Perfect Afternoon Chardonnay
Terry Theise Talks Reisling
A New Wine Wonderland
Paris Wine Goddess Tells All
Rice Village Wine Bar Has a Cleveland Touch
A Texas White Blend for Your Table
A Pinot Noir Full of Flavor
This Pinot Gris From Oregon Pairs Well With Cheese
Willamette, Dammit!
A Value Rioja
Drink Pink!
Underbelly Veteran Goes for Grenache
A Man of Letters and Wine
Ms. Champagne Wants a Nebuchadnezzar
The Wine Artist Goes for Chardonnay
This American Loves Spain and Its Wines
Houston’s Wine Whisperer Has a Soft Touch
Blackberry Farm’s Somm Pours in Splendor
Mr. Pinot Noir: Donald Patz of Patz & Hall
A Cork Dork Wants to Spend More Time in Tuscany
Sommelier Turned Restaurateur Daringly Goes Greek
Texas Master Sommelier Debunks Wine Geeks
A Bottle From Gigondas Changed This Houston Man’s Life
Oil Man Falls in Love, and the Rest is Good-Taste History
Ryan Cooper of Camerata is a Riesling Man
Mixing It Up With Jeremy Parzen, an Ambassador of Italy
Sommelier at One of Houston’s Top Wine Bars Loves Underdogs