Mise en Place

Wine, Food, and Other Vital Things

Tag: wine (Page 4 of 7)

Jeff Pisoni grew up among the vines, and his approach to winemaking is one I respect and admire. (Courtesy Folsom + Associates)

Wine Talk: Jeff Pisoni on John Steinbeck, His Father, and Pinot Noir

April 16, 2020 / / 0 Comments

I love to talk about wine with people who share my passion for it. We open bottles, we trade stories about travel and soil types, terroir and residual sugar, and we talk of taste and food and restaurants. We recommend wines to one another, we drink, and we learn a lot.

In Wine Talk, I introduce you to some of my friends, acquaintances, and people I meet as I make my way around the world, individuals who love wine as much as I do, who live to taste, who farm and make wine. You’ll appreciate their insight, and I hope you’ll learn something from them as well. 

Pisoni is a name that needs no introduction — especially to lovers of wine. First, there’s Gary Pisoni, who, back in the 1980s, convinced his farming family to plant grapes on their land in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Those hallowed 40 acres of vineyards have been producing great fruit — Syrah, Chardonnay, and, of course, Pinot Noir — since then.

A family of wine: Jeff, Gary, and Mark Pisoni

And it is a family affair, which brings me to the subject of this Wine Talk, Jeff Pisoni, Gary’s son and Pisoni Estate’s vintner. (Jeff’s brother, Mark, is vineyard manager at the estate.)

Jeff, who has a bachelor of science degree in enology from Cal State, Fresno, worked at Bernardus and Peter Michael prior to joining the family concern. Since 2009, he has also been head winemaker at Fort Ross Vineyard & Winery, about which he says, “I’m not trying to make a style. Fort Ross Vineyard is the style.”

Fort Ross is the sole winery Pisoni works with apart from his family enterprise. The vineyard, the closest one to the Pacific Ocean, is in the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA. “I tried the Fort Ross Pinot Noir and Chardonnay at a tasting and was struck by the luscious fruit, fine minerality and crisp acidity in each wine,” Pisoni says, referring to his introduction to the fruit there. “The cool climate and the strong character of the vineyard were clearly evident. My goal is to continue to express the personality of the vineyard and the wonderful style the winery has worked so hard to establish.” 

I tasted through a selection of Fort Ross wines this week, including the 2017 Stagecoach Road Pinot Noir and the 2018 Chardonnay, both clearly made with precision and care. Pisoni’s approach is on display here, and it’s one I appreciate and admire.

Let’s see what he has to say in Wine Talk:

Tell us about three wines you think are drinking well at the moment. What makes them worthwhile? How about a food pairing for each one?

Jeff Pisoni: 2013 Prager “Steinriegl” Riesling. Wachau, Austria. With the down time from shelter in place, I did some organizing in the cellar and opened up this bottle. It was tasting great — fresh, complex, and elegant. My wife and I drank this with grilled sole. I purchased this wine upon release for $30.

Next, 2018 Fort Ross Vineyard Chardonnay. This variety can take many forms. Our approach with Fort Ross is bright and vibrant, but still with nice texture from the high-elevation mountaintops. I found it particularly satisfying, as I think a lot of people turn to a reassuring familiarity while being in a shelter-in-place situation in the world. This brings the beauty of California with a refreshing finish. You can get this for $44 a bottle.

Finally, the 2015 Renaissance by Clape. I love this producer. Clape has a way of capturing so much intensity and purity. Weather recently has also been cold and rainy, which I think fits well for a rich syrah. This was paired with a grilled ribeye steak. What else is needed? This wine was purchased for around $75 per bottle.

JB:  If cost was no consideration, tell us the one bottle you would add to your personal collection, and why?

JP: Sure! I would buy a 6-liter bottle of 2017 Chateau Latour. It’s my younger son’s birthyear and I still need to find a bottle for him. Might as well go big, right?  As a backstory, my father gifted me a 6-liter birthyear bottle of Chateau Latour, 1979. (And yes, Bordeaux was a little cheaper back then!) I have not opened it, yet. 

JB: What is your favorite grape, and why? If you can’t single out one — I know, it’s difficult — choose one that speaks to you in a particular way.

JP: Right, it’s hard to choose a favorite, but I am extremely passionate about Pinot Noir. Yes, there is the beauty and enigmatic nature of it, the fine balance between amazing and mediocre, the multitude of elusive nuances. I am also really drawn to challenges, and nothing challenges one’s winemaking skills like Pinot Noir. 

JB: How about one bottle that our readers should buy now to cellar for 10 years, to celebrate a birth, anniversary, or other red-letter day?

JP: Our Fort Ross Vineyard “Top of Land” Pinot Noir cuvée. It’s a wonderful combination of Pinot Noir’s power and elegance. 

The wine blend is of specific blocks and mostly heritage clones. It really conveys the essence of what Fort Ross Vineyard is about. The structure comes from the rugged mountain soils of our high-elevation sites, while the elegance is from the coastal climate that is only possible from a vineyard like this, at one mile from the Pacific Ocean. Overall, it has a great depth of flavor and structure that will age well for 10-plus years in the cellar.

This wine also speaks to the history of the vineyard. First planted by Linda and Lester Schwartz in 1994, the vineyard in total is 50 acres, but made up of over 30 unique blocks. Each block has its own personality. This wine, being a block selection, shows unique aspects of the vineyard and also the idea that Linda and Lester wanted to explore this detail of the vineyard. 

Fort Ross Vineyard & Winery occupies a special place near the Pacific Ocean.

JB: Where is your go-to place when you want to have a glass or bottle?

JP: There is a great restaurant here in Santa Rosa called Stark’s Steak & Seafood. It has a fantastic wine list and a great bar scene in the evening. It is a wonderful atmosphere for a relaxing glass of wine and/or dinner. When you are in Sonoma County, check it out. 

JB: If there was one thing you wish everyone would keep in mind when buying and drinking wine, what is it?

JP: I hope that if people have a chance, they will buy a wine for drinking early and a bottle (or more) for aging. It’s fun and educational to watch the evolution of wines. It also gives you more bottles and opportunities to taste, evaluate, and discuss. I enjoy collecting things in general, so I always default to saving wines for a long time. 

Fort Ross Vineyard wines need to be in your cellar and on your table.

JB: What is your “wine eureka moment,” the incident/taste/encounter that put you and wine on an intimate plane forever?

JP: Blind tasting wine with my father when I was a teenager. My father was instrumental in me deciding to be a winemaker. He was a farmer turned grape grower turned winemaker — and a viticultural pioneer.

He had a vast wine collection he started in the 1970s, and he would often open wines and introduce them to my brother and me. We loved the learning and experience of the different wines and regions. Well, many times, he would open wines and not tell us what it was — he would ask us to guess the variety, region, and vintage. It was an awesome experience, and very influential for me. In the blind tastings, we obviously had plenty of wrong ideas, but I remember making a few great calls and it brought a very strong connection to wine and the concept of terroir.

JB: What has been the strangest moment or incident involving wine that you have experienced in your career?

JP: One time an intern had filled a 15-gallon stainless steel keg with juice and closed it with a valve. This was during harvest, so it went unnoticed for a few days — long enough for the keg to ferment and build up a lot of pressure. When we tried opening the valve, it plugged with grape solids, so we could not release the pressure. We then had to very, very carefully remove the fitting that held the valve in place. This exposed a 2-inch hole in the top of the keg. In a fraction of a second, a 2-inch vertical stream of wine shot up from the keg and hit our 25-foot-high ceiling. Nearly all the wine was lost to the upward stream, and we all just looked around in awe for a few moments. 

JB: What is your favorite wine reference in a work of literature or film?

JP: I grew up in Monterey County, so John Steinbeck was an important author for us. And Cannery Row was a fun read:

“Two gallons is a great deal of wine, even for two paisanos.”

Want more Wine Talk? From Paris to Los Angeles and many other places, the goodness flows

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

Open the Cellar is your two-day opportunity to buy some hard-to-find wines and help out the industry.

Open The Cellar: Here’s Your Two-Day Way To Support Napa Wineries

April 14, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Tasting rooms are closed, no one is traveling, and you need more wine. Here is a perfect way for you to buy a few bottles (or cases) of Napa selections: Open The Cellar.

Napa Valley Vinters has organized the two-day event (April 14 and 15), and if your cellar needs to be restocked, take a look at the selections on offer. Many of the bottles are normally available to clubs members only, while others are typically sold only at the wineries. (Library releases are also available.)

You’ll find wines from more than 150 producers, including Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Ladera, Mayacamas Vineyards, PEJU, and ZD Wines. It’s an impressive lineup (I’d like one bottle of each selection).

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the wine industry hard, and this sale is a great way to help out. Plus, it’s easy: “You support the employees and small family businesses in wine country, get an exclusive wine and you don’t have to leave your couch,” Napa Valley Vintners says.

Let me know what you decide to add to your inventory.

The U.S. Trade Representative's Office poured a little bit of good news last week, but this dispute is far from over.

Wine and Spirits Industry Breathes Sigh of Relief

February 19, 2020 / / 0 Comments

The tariffs will remain at 25 percent, stated the Office of the United States Trade Representative last week, and that’s a good thing for the wine and spirits industry. However, it is far too soon for cries of joy.

The U.S. was mulling slapping tariffs at a much higher level — perhaps as high as 100 percent — but decided to maintain the status quo.

Airbus is the entity the U.S. government is upset with, and that dispute is the cause for the current tariffs that are imposed on European wines, cheeses, and other items. The USTR’s office, in its Feb. 14 statement, added that the tariffs on Airbus will increase to 15 percent from the current 10 percent, effective March 18.

According to the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA), referring to data from economists at John Dunham and Associates, under current tariff levels, the U.S. beverage alcohol industry could lose as many as 36,000 jobs, and awards of $1.6 billion in wages, which could cost the U.S. economy more than $5.3 billion in 2020.

“Our industry provides consumers with the most diverse selection of products in the world and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country in an array of related industries,” said Michelle Korsmo WSWA president and CEO. “Our members offer products for every taste, budget and occasion and are already being negatively impacted by the imposition of retaliatory tariffs by China and the European Union on U.S-origin distilled spirits and wines – these tariffs will only increase that burden.”

The 25 percent tariff in place now apply to still wine with an alcohol content below 14 percent produced in France, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Wine from Italy, as well as all sparkling wine, is spared. The tariffs also effect single-malt Scotch whisky, whiskey from Northern Ireland, and cordials and liqueurs hailing from Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and the U.K.

Stay tuned, because this trade dispute is far from over.

Drink some Rebo!

On a happier note, I sampled a number of wines recently that you should know about, including a Zinfandel and a Chardonnay from Frank Family Vineyards, an Italian red blend (40 percent Rebo, 40 percent Corvina, and 20 percent Merlot), and a Bordeaux blend that I’ve added to my inventory.

All of these wines are drinking wonderfully now, and the Château Malescasse (2016 vintage) will certainly reward you with some aging.

Drink well, with those you love.

Laura Díaz Muñoz is making changes at Ehlers Estate.

Tasting With Laura Díaz Muñoz at Ehlers Estate

October 5, 2019 / / 0 Comments

I have been drinking wines from Ehlers Estate for a good number of years, and this week was finally able to visit the winery, which is located in St. Helena on an historic property that was developed by Bernard Ehlers in the 1800s.

Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Rosé comprise the bulk of the estate’s offerings, and based on some tank tasting, I am excited about what Ehlers’ new winemaker has under way.

Her name is Laura Díaz Muñoz; she took over as winemaker and general manager of Ehlers in 2018 … and her touch and style are evident everywhere. There’s a concrete egg in the winery’s tank room (a first at Ehlers), and Muñoz has long-term plans for some of the estate’s established vines — she is confident that they have much more (quality) life in them.

Laura Díaz Muñoz pulls a sample in the Ehlers Estate tank room.

Muñoz is from Spain, and studied enology at the Polytechnic University of Madrid.

“I was sitting with my father in northern Spain at a restaurant during a family vacation, and he ordered percebes and a local wine,” she told me when I asked her about her introduction to the world of wine. “I sipped the wine, and tasted the seafood and smelled the sea air, and from that moment knew that I somehow wanted to live and work with wine.”

After graduation, Muñoz worked at several wineries in Spain, then took her skills to New Zealand and Chile. California was her next stop, and she has been in the Napa Valley for more than a decade, making wine for Cardinale, Galerie, La Jota, and, since last year, Ehlers.

Muñoz checks Cabernet Sauvignon in one of Ehlers’ vineyards.
Ehlers has a new addition in its tank room.
Muñoz walks a different section of Ehlers’ 42-acres of vines every morning.
featured image
Go ahead and order a Prosecco. Just make sure it's a good one. (Photo by The Brockhaus)

Prosecco a-Go-Go!

July 20, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Jeremy Parzen brought Flavio Geretto to Houston this week, and the two gentlemen poured some great wines, wines from Villa Sandi. They opened a Pinot Grigio and some Prosecco.

“Soon, Prosecco Rosé will be everywhere,” Parzen says, and I don’t see why it won’t.

Geretto, who’s with Villa Sandi, and Parzen, who works with the concern (social media, web design), were speaking to a small group of people assembled at Vinology, one of Houston’s better wine bars.

“I know a lot about Italian wine,” Parzen said, “but I’m learning things from Flavio every day.” And Geretto knows from his Prosecco. He’s enthusiastic, and the bottles he had with him are worthy of your attention. They are fresh, balanced wines, and I’d be happy pouring any of them to my guests.

Flavio Geretto
Flavio Geretto, of Villa Sandi, takes Prosecco seriously. (Photo by The Brockhaus)

Here’s what we tasted: Il Fresco Prosecco; Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore; Rosato Il Fresco (brut); and a Pinot Grigio delle Venezie. (We were also treated to a wine that I cannot discuss, because I don’t want to make anyone envious.)

Here’s Geretto talking about Prosecco.

What do you know about Prosecco? Here’s what Jancis Robinson wrote about it, on her superb site, back in 2017

For years champagne ran the most sophisticated and effective public relations machine in the world of wine. Consumers were convinced that champagne and only champagne was the socially acceptable lubricant for celebrations and smart dinner parties. 

But all that has changed. A vast army of enthusiastic wine buyers regard Prosecco as their drink of choice rather than second best – even though it is made by a much more industrial process than champagne or any of the other wines made sparkling inside individual bottles rather than in big tanks. I have to admit that Prosecco seems to disagree with me. I find too many of them too sweet for my taste, and for reasons I don’t understand, a mouthful or two of Prosecco often seems to precipitate a headache. But it’s obviously not genetic; my daughters adore the stuff. 

Fake news has hardly impinged on the world of wine but I honestly thought it had last January when I read that Prosecco producers were applying for UNESCO world heritage status for their growing area, 35,000 acres (14,154 ha) of vineyards in virtually the whole of north east Italy. It was doubled overnight in 2009 when they cunningly renamed the eponymous grape responsible for their wine Glera and registered Prosecco as a protected geographical indication instead. (It hasn’t stopped the odd Australian using the P word, so popular has the wine style become.)

Yes, UNESCO recently added the Prosecco region to its World Heritage list, and that’s not Fake News. And, you should drink Prosecco … just pay attention to the residual sugar.

Parzen did a great thing for Prosecco by organizing the seminar. (For your reading pleasure, the Wine Talk featuring Parzen.) And if you haven’t already, add Do Bianchi to your reading list.

I’m undertaking a historical and literary study of Prosecco, and you can read my findings on Mise en Place as they are published. Meanwhile, drink well, and with people you love.

It's the most wonderful time of the year ...

Wine, Wine, Wonderful Wine

December 13, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Holiday season’s here, and the Wein is fine. I’ve already offered up a slate of selections for gatherings, parties, and dinners — click here for my selective and approachable holiday lineup — and I’m tasting a lot of wines, some of which will end up as gifts or being paired with holiday meals. I’m sure you’re doing the same.

Wine shops and bars are also busy, and you should stop by your favorite one(s) and peruse the shelves. Then visit one that you never have before. Find something new to your palate, ask the staff what they’re drinking, and stock up. 

To get you started, Avondale Food & Wine’s  Holiday Wine Market should be on your agenda. It takes place today (December 13), from 6-8 p.m. For $20, you get appetizers and the chance to stroll through a market featuring pop-up shops including Houston Dairymaids and Heights Vinyl. Bonus: purchase a wine from Avondale’s worthy inventory and your $20 is refundable.


Avondale Food & Wine wants to help get you in a festive mood.

Then, when Saturday arrives, make sure you set some time aside to visit 13 Celsius, because their Annual Holiday Wine Sale & Customer Appreciation Event  is taking over the space on Caroline beginning at 11 a.m. A multitude of wine sellers (including Monopole Wines, whose team I recently joined — more on that soon) will be on hand with great pours and amazing bargains. 

I’ll let the 13 Celsius crew speak for itself: 

It’s that time again! Our annual wine sale and customer appreciation event takes place on Saturday, December 15th.

As our little way of saying thank you for 12 wonderful years, we have scoured the market to find the best wines for you and your family to celebrate and share this holiday season. Come say hello and taste through this massive stable of amazing wines. Decide which ones you like and gleefully purchase them at foolishly low prices.

Finish up the last (or at least some!) of your holiday shopping with:
Weights + Measures’ fresh-baked bread
Houston Dairymaids with more delectable cheeses than ever before

This event is free to attend and no reservations are required!

Here’s what Monopole will have for you at the sale: the 2015 Kerloo Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley Washington), the 2014 Y. Rousseau Tannat (Russian River Valley), and the 2015 “La Sorella” Pinot Noir from de Lancellotti Family Vineyards. Come by and say hello, and taste some great wines. 

Cheers!

A Subjective, Approachable Holiday Wine Guide

November 21, 2018 / / 0 Comments

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t’s the season of celebratory gatherings and cooking … dinners and parties abound, and the wine flows. I love the days between Thanksgiving and January 1, and approach them with enthusiasm and care. We began this year last week, hosting friends who are passionate about food and wine, and we’ll continue through the first week of 2019.

Mexican chicken soup, carne adovada, sausage balls, sweet potato pie … and wines, of course. Sparkling and read and white, even a vermouth here and there. Uncorking bottles with loved ones and friends and toasting the past, present, and days to come is a thing of joy.

To assist in your merrymaking, I put together seven bottles that would serve you well this holiday season, no matter your culinary plans. Click here for my 2018 wine guide, and drink well.

Want more wine time? Check out my  PaperCity library:

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

A family affair. (Courtesy Cellarpass)

Frank Family Vineyards: Here’s a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon For You

November 14, 2018 / / 0 Comments

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he holiday season is here, and we’re stocking up on some party and dinner wines. Two that will be on my table are the 2016 Carneros Chardonnay and the 2015 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, notable selections from Frank Family Vineyards. Their price points and characteristics are perfect for entertaining and pairing, and The Brockhaus recommends them.

Click here for further notes.

Want more wine? Check out my PaperCity library:

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

It takes a lot of work to make great wine.

Tastings: A Fine California Blend, Followed By a Roero Arneis From a Vaunted Name

October 25, 2018 / / 0 Comments

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]fter a great tasting earlier this month of selections from 19 of Italy’s best wineries put on by the Instituto del Vino Italiano di Qualità – Grandi Marchi , I conducted tastings of several California wines and one from Italy, bottles that impressed me with their honest approaches and distinct characteristics.

A family of farmers who make great wine.

Among them was the 2014 Gamble Family Vineyards Paramount Proprietary Red Blend, a succulent and bold wine (32 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 32 percent Cabernet Franc, 28 percent percent Merlot and 8 percent Petit Verdot) that will continue to improve with age. Click here for my take on it, and then look for a bottle of your own, which will be an asset to your cellar for the next decade or so, or feature at your next dinner party. I shared a meal with Tom Gamble and one of his sales reps several years ago at Tony’s in Houston, and immediately grew fond of the man and his wines; I look forward to tasting more of them.

Vietti is the name behind another wine from this week, and that name is special to me. I have drank a lot of wine emanating from the house, and I’ve never been disappointed. This time, it was the 2017 Roero Arneis, a unique grape that more people should know about. Dry, full-bodied, satisfying, and crisp: I loved it. Here’s my brief review of the vintage.

I wrote about these wines, and many more, for PaperCity magazine, and if you want to see what else I’ve been drinking, check out the links below.

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

Juliana McBride is making some intriguing wines at Crosby Roamann. (Photo by The Brockhaus)

Wines From Alto Adige and Napa’s Crusher Wine District, Plus a Lively Vermentino From Maremma

October 13, 2018 / / 0 Comments

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]hursday 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.

[dropcap]E[/dropcap]arlier 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

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