Dallas Wine Chick

Fourth of July, Family & Fireworks Meet Bordeaux and Chilean wines

Fourth of July.  It’s more American then apple pie, mom and tasting French and Chilean wines?  Let me explain.  I found myself over the Fourth of July weekend on a beach trip with my husband’s family.  Picture one beach house in Sandestin, eight adults and six kids (with all six under the age of six and a half).  Usually not ingredients for a successful wine tasting, but my husband’s family had indicated an interest in wine tasting.   In the beginning, I had my reservations with my husband blasting beach music, a Pixar movie on the screen, kids eating dinner and the family gathered around a small coffee table with one glass in hand.  But soon, the kids were happy, the electronics were off and we were discussing the wines.  

Due to a schedule mix-up, the Planet Bordeaux people had sent over some samples earlier this year for a Twitter Live Tasting while I was out of town.  We discussed conducting a tasting of my own at a later date and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.  The Planet Bordeaux folks are trying to get the word out about what Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur AOC wines have to offer.  Superieur Bordeaux’s are inexpensive, but come from a specific vineyard with a set amount of age.  I was surprised at the differences in appellations, blends and tastes of the variety of Bordeaux wines provided.  And that was a good thing because the folks in the room couldn’t have more different palates.

The wines tasted included the following:

• Chateau de Parenchere 07 Bordeaux Superieur Rouge ($15) – liquorice, blackberry, chocolate, tar and plum.  This wine screamed for a food pairing.
• Costes du Chateau Feret-Lambert 07 Bordeaux Superieur Rouge ($16) – this wine was fruity, but an earthier, chewier mouth feel.  I tasted cassis and blackberry.
• Chateau Cablanc 06 Bordeaux Rouge ($11) – this was smooth, elegant and the definite favorite of the group.
• Chateau Lamothe de Haux 09 Bordeaux Blanc ($11) – very grassy with big notes of grapefruit, lemon, crisp fruit and refreshing.  The crowd favorite of the whites and a fabulous price for a good white. 
• Chateau Marac 09 Bordeaux Blanc ($11) – This one had a lot of minerality, almost a little effervescence to it, muted soft stone fruit.
• Chateau de Lisennes Cremant de Bordeaux ($17) – This one was described as the “non champagne drinkers champagne” by my brother-in-law.  We were split on this one as half of us liked the dry palate and half wanted something with softer bubbles.  A great brunch or food wine.

The next day we decided to expand our journey to Chilean summer white wines provided by Banfi Vintners.  We first focused on the Casablanca (aka Carneros South, which is north of Santiago), region of Chile, which is known for cooler temperatures and compared on occasion to California’s Carneros region.

Emiliana Organic Vineyards, the world’s single largest collection of estate-grown wines, produces their wines from organically grown grapes.  Their winemaking is directed by Alvaro Espinoza, known for being a visionary for organic, biodynamic and eco-balanced wines.                                          

We started with the 10 Natura Sauvignon Blanc ($11) and Chardonnay ($11).  I smelled oranges, citrus, grapefruit and something floral.  I enjoyed this wine better on the second day as it was more balanced.  The Chardonnay had lots of tropical fruit and almost a nutty flavor.  My mother-in-law named this as her favorite.

We then moved to the 10 Casillero del Diablo Sauvignon Blanc ($12) once named “Devil’s Cellar,” after the owner spread a rumor about his cellars being haunted by a devil after a robbery.  It’s crisp, fresh and tropical – definitely the favorite of the group.  We followed that up with the 10 Casillero del Diablo Chardonnay ($12), which had lots of tartness, fruit, citrus and a crisp finish.

Our final wine was the 09 Marquis de Casa Concha Chardonnay ($18), which is from Limari, the “Land of Cold Light” known for the presence of limestone soil.  This was a much meatier wine with buttered toast, vanilla and citrus flavors.  This was also a divisive wine with half of the tasters naming it one of the top wines and the other half in disagreement.

It may have not been the most traditional thing to do on a fourth of July weekend, but then again, what better time to experience different wine with your family?  And, sometimes wine is the ingredient needed for all that togetherness.

Joel Peterson and Ravenswood Zinfandels: Bold, Brash and Unafraid

I had the chance to hang out with Joel Peterson, winemaker for Ravenswood Winery, during his trip to Dallas in June.  Peterson’s background has always fascinated me.  Educated as a clinical laboratory scientist with a degree in microbiology, he worked in cancer immunology research while he dabbled in wine.  His passion led to an apprenticeship with Joseph Swan to learn about making Zinfandel and he founded Ravenswood in 1976.  His Zinfandel’s were quickly named the #1 and #2 wines in 1979 at a prestigious San Francisco wine tasting.  He continued to work in the medical field until 1992 when the winery made a profit and Robert Parker raved about his wines.

Peterson was in town for the Texas pre-release of his upper-end wines, which surprisingly were not all Zinfandel wines.  We tried eight wines – all were very different stylistically – but you could tell he was passionate about each and every one of them.

He started with an overview of mixed black wines and the point that it is rare to actually have a Zinfandel that is 100 percent Zinfandel because of the amount of mixed black grapes – a term used to refer to a blend of grapes native to Sonoma — Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane, and Alicante Bouchet.  The wines were all made exactly the same with the terrior showing differently in each wine.  Like Peterson, Ravenswood wines are big, bold and brash.  Here was our line-up: 

Dickerson Napa Valley

This single vineyard showed bright red raspberry, eucalyptus and spicy notes.  This was a big California Zinfandel lovers Zinfandel.

Belloni Russian River Valley
I tasted boysenberry, sandalwood, tobacco and even some cardamom, which Peterson described as oriental baking spices.  This wine was 78 percent Zinfandel and Carignane, Petite Sirah, and Alicante Bouchet grapes.

Barricia Sonoma Valley

This Zinfandel was definitely one of my favorites and I loved that the grapes came from a vineyard owned by women.  Silky is how I describe this with raspberry, cherry, pepper and spice.  

Big River Alexander Valley

The Big River Vineyard in Alexander Valley on the border of the Russian River was made from 100 percent Zinfandel grapes.  I tasted blackberry, spiced plum, oak, floral notes and a bit of fennel.  It was a fatter, juicer wine and possesses more of what traditional Zinfandel is known for.  

Old Hill Sonoma Valley

This is one of the most historic vineyards and Sonoma’s first famous Zinfandel by William Hill was grown in this vineyard.   This blend contains more than 14 different varieties and is made in a Rhone style.  I tasted a nuttiness, vanilla, oregano, cherries and black raspberries.  

Teldeschi Dry Creek Valley

Ravenswood has been working with the Teldeschi family and their famed Dry Creek Valley vineyards since the 1970’s. This was my favorite wine that was to die for with my salmon and the mushroom risotto passed around the table.  I tasted black raspberry, cherry, chocolate and smokiness in the finish.    

Icon Sonoma County

This is what a great mixed black wine tastes like – a complex blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane, and Alicante Bouchet.  Black cherries, plum, cedar, bay leaf, vanilla and cinnamon with a very long finish.  Put this one down for a while and see what happens.    

Pickberry Sonoma Mountain

This Bordeaux style wine is a blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot.  Named because of the ample blackberry vines on the property, you taste red currant, plum, vanilla and tobacco.  Also a wine that needs some age or a decanter to fully bring out its nuances.

COOPER: A Red Mountain Winery Comes to the Heart of Texas

Those of you who remember last year when I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in my first Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, WA, I mentioned meeting Neil Cooper. Neil was working on opening his winery when I made my visit to Red Mountain with Margot. Fast forward almost 11 months and COOPER: A Red Mountain Winery is not only up and running, but has taken home a slew of awards and medals for its Bordeaux-style reds. Having taken on several states successfully, Neil set his sights on Texas and I was more than happy to host the Dallas stop on his Texas tour.

Neil originally followed in the footsteps of his father, a farmer, and began growing grass seed. But he always had a strong appreciation for wine due to his family’s close relationship with Bill Preston, wine maker for Fidelitas. While I was drinking Gallo blush in a big jug, he and fellow members of the St. Luis Obispo water skiing team, would pool their money and buy wine. When they didn’t have tournaments, they went tasting in different cities in California. Grass seed farming was lucrative, but Neil found himself getting stuck in corporate politics and began to think about the wine business.

Around the same time Neil and his partners – all who were not in the industry — were looking for a place on Red Mountain to make wine. After three years of negotiating, the winery that they desired was for sale and, Neil decided to make the plunge into running a winery including the operations, sales and building a brand from scratch. Long story short – with the wine being made today by Charlie Hoppes from Fidelitas – COOPER has some fantastic wines that provide a great value as compared to the Napa blends. He brought the full line up with him to Dallas, which gave me the chance to throw a party that coincidentally fell during the kick-off of my husband’s birthday week.

About 50 folks rolled up to find the Urban Crust pizza mobile kitchen in front of our casa and were treated to Neil’s fantastic wines. I loved that the top wines differed among so many of our guests, but what didn’t change was the universal agreement that we need these wines in Texas. Here’s the line-up:

2008 Pinot Gris (Columbia Valley). This wine was crisp, bright and refreshing. I tasted tropical fruit and some floral hints. This is the first wine that I have ever heard my mom ask to have shipped to her and I totally understand why. Neil was sweet enough to let her have a bottle.

2009 COOPER Estate Chardonnay (Red Mountain). This is not your typical buttered toast bomb. It’s definitely an Old World style with butterscotch, pine nuts and a bit of lemon. There is lots of depth to this first estate wine. 2007 and 2008 Cooper L’inizio (Columbia Valley) L’inizio is a Bordeaux-style blend that showed spice, berry, tobacco, licorice and oak. While both were great wines, the 07 was my favorite as it was much more elegant with the gift of time. L’inizio means the beginning and is the cornerstone of the line-up and shows big notes of coffee, vanilla and cherry.

2008 COOPER Merlot (Columbia Valley) This is a very full bodied merlot with lots of berry. This one was the favorite of a good friend who is also a distributor in Dallas. I’d recommend some decanting time if you open it young. 2007 Cooper Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley) Dark fruit, cherry, spice and coffee made up this great tasting, full-bodied cabernet.

2007 COOPER Cabernet Sauvignon * Walla Walla Valley This is a big, complex, earthy cabernet. Lots of dark fruit and herbal essences like rosemary and even a little cardamom. Definitely one of my favs.

2008 COOPER Cabernet Sauvignon Hightower * Red Mountain This is the model for what Red Mountain Cabernet should be. Lots of tannins, minerality, cherry and a dry finish.

Cheers to l’inizio for COOPER wines in Texas and Neil Cooper, one heck of a great guy who followed his dream.

This is Planet Bordeaux: DA, DA, DA, DA, DA, DA, DA, DA

Enough of the Duran Duran flashback, let’s talk about wine.  When I received the invitation from Michael Wangbickler to participate in #planetbordeaux Twitter Taste Live event, I eagerly accepted.  I knew that I’d have the chance to expose a group of people to the white wines of Bordeaux and the wines would be selected with care. 

I secured the cheeses and various appetizery things and set up the glasses.  Our first wine was a Dourthe Grand Cuvee Sauvignon Blanc 2010.  Dourthe, a Bordeaux negociant, also owns several other interesting properties including Haut-Medoc’s fifth growth estate, Belgrave, and the St Estephe cru bourgeois property St Estephe cru bourgeois.  This wine was full of lemon and grapefruit and lots of fruitiness.  It was fresh, crisp and a great summer wine for $12.

Our next wine was the 2010 Chateau La Freynelle Blanc.  This vineyard was established in 1789 and has been passed through seven generations.  In 1992, Veronique Barthe, the first daughter in the family since the revolution, inherited the family estate.  She uses a sustainable vineyard management program.  This was also a crowd pleaser and was comprised of a classic blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and a hint of Muscadelle.  The wine had lots of citrus and minerality, but an almost creaminess that made it linger on your palate.  The bargain of the year at $13.

We also tried two roses and I must disclose that unless it is a sparkling rose, I personally struggle with most roses.  Our first was the Chateau Ballanhttp Larquette Rose 2009 at $16.  Chateau Ballan Larquette has been making wines for generations by the Viognobles.  One member of our  group described the wine as tasting like “dusty strawberries,” but another friend  claimed this one immediately to take home.

The second rose was the Chateau Fontenille 2010 ($14), a Bordeaux claret.  Chateau de Fontenille has been making wines since the Middle Ages and has a long list of accolades.  We tasted more raspberry than strawberry on this one and there was an almost spiceness to it.  Of the two roses, this was my favorite and one that the group preferred.

For a little French sophistication, a change of pace from the norm and for a different spin on your summer wines, I recommend giving these a try.  A future column will be the red wines of Bordeaux and I suspect I’ll have a new stable of well priced, well balanced wines to share.

Party Like A Rock Star: A Night With Charles Smith

So, if you had a huge opening of your new wine tasting room and world headquarters scheduled the next day in Walla Walla complete with lots of pre-event hype and only had one hour to get from the airport to the ribbon cutting, would you risk attending a party in Dallas the night prior?  Charles Smith would.  Why?  Because he made a promise to his friend, Pioneer Wine Company Owner Greg Kassanoff, and he doesn’t break promises. 

My first encounter with Charles and his breath-taking wife, Ginevra Casa, the maker of Secco sparkling, happened during last year’s Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla.  A group of bloggers were invited to his pre-party, which was held at the site of his new wine tasting room in a former auto shop.  As we walked in the door, we were handed plastic cups of his Boom Boom Syrah and were greeted by the sight of Burlesque dancers.  Did I mention they were wearing flaming pasties?  Yup, not exactly what I expected for Walla Walla.  I actually turned 41 that night and credit Charles for throwing me one hell of a birthday party.

Charles is a controversial guy with a rock star manager background who is one talented winemaker.  He’s non-conventional, from the Sammy Hagar flowing locks to the “no holds barred way” that he does business to the way that he markets his wines taking cues from how the music industry markets.  He told me that he’s about staying true to his brand.  He’s the largest wine maker/business owner in Washington and just wants to make wines that reflect his rocker sensibility.  In his words, “It’s just booze.  Drink it.” 

I had the chance to try the K Vintners 06 Guido, which was an 80/20 blend of Sangiovese and Syrah.  It was smooth with some earthiness, tobacco, cherry and leather.  We were then in for a big treat – the unveiling (and sorry folks you can’t get it in Texas yet) of the Charles Smith Cabernet 08, the first Cab bottling from the Stone Ridge Vineyard site.  It was big and concentrated with hints of cedar, cherry, bramble, mocha and spice.  We then moved to the K Vintners El Jefe Chamberlin 08, which was a 75/25 tempranillo and cabernet sauvignon blend with lots of spice, blackberry and smoke.  

I’m glad to report that Charles did make it to his grand opening and naturally it was a rocking success.

Kid In A Candy Store: Serendipity Portfolio Tasting

Occasionally I get the opportunity to truly be a big kid in a “candy store.”  In the wine world, these opportunities are known as portfolio tastings, where a distributor displays all of its wines for sale to a particular market.  For me, it’s like receiving the Barbie Townhouse that I got when I was seven.  That was one fabulous Christmas.  Spoiler alert: Incidentally this was the same year I learned about the reality of Santa.  While putting together the aforementioned Barbie Townhouse, my father let out a stream of words that I never heard from him before, and still have not heard since.  This caused me to leave my bed to investigate.  I have to say that since I have become a parent and dealt with “some assembly required.” I totally understand the reason for his outburst.

Last week, I arrived at the Palomar Hotel for Serendipity Wine Imports Texas Tour of 2011.  There before me were approximately 250 wines that I could taste.  Yes, 250 wines.  Absolutely overwhelming.  When I go to these I always try to peruse all the information in advance so I can make informed decisions.  My checklist usually starts out simple – am I familiar with the wines, are they new to Texas, what is the buzz from the other folks attending and what just looks interesting?  I try to hit those first.  Then, I start the reconnaissance portion of the mission by asking the folks who are pouring – if I was to try one or two of your wines, which ones do you recommend?  You avoid kissing a lot of frogs this way.  But, you also miss out on the opportunity at times to try new vintages – but did I mention there were 250 wines?

Sometimes you run into some old friends. I was thrilled to finally meet Mitch Bakich from Donati Vineyards and taste his new vintage of Claret, which was a delightful big red blend.  I hosted some of his former co-workers a few years ago when they came to Dallas and set up some events for them to gain Dallas exposure.  We ended the day with a party at my house.  At one point we figured they were lost as there was a long delay in them getting from the wine bar to my casa.  I later found out they had “committed a random act of wine” by stopping a neighbor and gifting him with a leftover bottle of vino.  My kind of people.

I also was thrilled to run into Ginger Dollins from Domaine Serene, one of my favorite Pinot producers from Oregon.   The full line up of Pinots (06 Evenstad Reserve, 07 Yamhill Cuvee) and one Syrah (07 Rockblock SoNo) were delightful and topped my favorite list.  The Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Grace Reserve was elegant, silky and filled with rich stone fruit.  This wine rocked.

Some of my other favorites included:

• Blue Rock 06 Cabernet Alexander Valley.  Big fruit, cherry, licorice – this wine continued to evolve in the glass.  The name Blue Rock comes from the soils where the vineyards are planted on top of rock.
• Blue Rock 05 Syrah.  Full of vanilla, currant and blackberry.  Sadly, this is the last vintage since I heard several times over the course of this event that syrah doesn’t sell.  That’s a damn shame as this is a great wine.
• Monmartre Brut Sparkling, which just debuted in Texas last month, is a fresh light sparking that is perfect for an aperitif from Montmartre, the heart of Paris.
• Bonny Doon 06 Le Cigare Volant.  This earthy Rhone blend is full of ripe fruit, but with almost a rosemary herbal nose to it.  A nice and well balanced wine.  And, one of my favorites folks on Twitter @megmaker works here, so I was very excited to try the wine.
• Bonny Doon 09 Ca’ del Solo Muscat. This one is delightful but hard to describe as it is a dry Muscat, with the floral nose you would expect, but with a crispness you don’t.

On my way out, I was given a secret handshake from my friend, Eddie Eaken from Veritas, and led to another table.  Behold was a decanter and I had the chance to taste the 06 Poderi Aldo Conterno Colonnello Bussia, Barolo DOCG, Italy.  It was a symphony of flavors in a glass – cherry, earth, herbs, licorice — and it kept me smiling the whole way home.  While I probably only sampled less than 20 percent of the wines featured, I can tell you I am looking forward to continuing my Serendipity research.

The Envelope Please: Cotes du Coeur Unveils Wine & Food Pairings

Last week I had the chance to attend the chef announcement party for the 20^th annual Cotes du Coeur International Fine Wine Auction and Celebrity Chef Dinner.  The event raises money for the American Heart Association’s fight against heart disease and is scheduled for April 9^th at the Hilton Anatole. A few days prior the event, I received an email that the location was being moved to the Addison Conference Center due to the increase in the amount of attendees expected.

Chef Richard Chamberlain served in an emcee role as he ran through the chef line-up paired with some wonderful wines.  He seemed surprised to receive the Cowboys Quarterback Award from Chairman John L. Adams for his tireless work on behalf of the Cotes du Coeur. 

The menu and associated wines are listed below and I have so many personal favorites including Gemstone, Realm, Ceja, Terra Valentine, Jordan and Peju that I’d be here all day talking about them. 

If you want to meet great winemakers, support a cause that impacts all of us and enjoy food from the best chefs in town, I’ll see you on April 9.

Côtes du Coeur: Fine Wine Can Help Your Heart

I recently had the opportunity to attend the kick-off party of Côtes du Coeur, a series of wine and celebrity-chef food events that lead up to an annual black-tie fine wine auction and celebrity dinner benefiting the American Heart Association.   

Since I developed a passion for wine, I have wanted to get involved in this organization. The fact that my younger brother developed a heart condition in his teens, makes the AHA’s goal of improving cardiac health for all Americans while reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease and strokes by 20 percent, resonate even more for me.

The Big Bottle Party is the kick-off for the season and is thrown to collect large format bottle donations for the “Big Bottle Alley” section of the silent auction of the Gala.  As I pulled up to the lovely home of Pam and Gary Patsley, I knew there would be some treasures gathered.  I was met by AHA Volunteer Melissa Anderson, who I happen to know from the paying gig and from painful exercise classes at Equinox.  After choosing a 08 Cabernet from Groth Vineyard over the 07 Chardonnay, I went exploring or should I say, drooling….  Sea Smoke, Shafer, Dominus and Opus – all the U.S. greats were well represented as well as the major Italian and French labels – many at least 15 to 20 years old.

I hoped to spend a little time with Steve Ellis, the wine chair, but he was in process of judging the donated wines, so I agreed to hook up with him as the Gala moved closer.  The goal of the entire event is to raise funds for a worthwhile cause, and they do that well.  The spring Gala is the largest of its kind in the Southwest and is the number one Gala in the nation for the AHA. During its 19-year history, Côtes du Coeur has attracted more than 16,000 attendees and has raised more than $14 million. 

Judging from some of the bottles that I saw collected, Dallas collectors hungry for top-tier, bottle-aged treasures are going to keep that tradition going.

She’s leaving on Midnight Train to Saint-Emilion

I know you’ve heard the old saying, “Be careful what you wish for….”  About a month ago, I was lamenting the fact that review wines were stacking up in my kitchen and I posted on Facebook that I needed some tasting assistance.  Naturally, several people immediately jumped to help and the next thing I knew, Lea Cromer had arranged for our tasting to be held at Saint-Emilion Restaurant.com in Ft. Worth, TX for a nominal fee. 

First, I had to figure out how to get a bunch of folks from Dallas to Fort Worth without having to drive.  We were planning to drink 16 review wines and we were ready for some fun.  Sure, we could have paid for a driver, but since it was the midst of the holidays we didn’t want to spend the funds.  In most metropolitan cities, this would not be that big of a deal, but in Texas, public transportation is not an easy feat.

We found out the Trinity Railway Express would get us from point A to point B in less than an hour.  Seemed easy.  Notsomuch.  My friend, Julie, and I took a taxi from my house to the station and found it difficult to navigate with someone else driving.  Actually, that’s an understatement.  Do you remember the scene from National Lampoon’s European Vacation?  We had our Look kids.  There’s Big Ben.  There’s Parliament moments.  The real irony occurred when several of my friends tried to (gasp) drive their cars to the station and park.  That’s when we found out that the ample lot located next to the station is closed and they wanted three women driving separately to park 15 minutes away and walk… because that is safe and makes sense? 

I must admit.  Once we got on the train we planned to clandestinely pour some wines into coffee cups to toast the journey.  The train was so packed that was not a reality, but I know some of the conversations that we had definitely were not what the daily commuters were used to overhearing.  Once we hit Fort Worth, we piled (and I mean piled) into the taxi where we were finally en route to Saint-Emilion Restaurant, one of Fort Worth’s treasures.

In the past, I haven’t spent a great deal of time in Fort Worth outside of client business or the arts community, but I can’t put into words how lovely and hospitable the owner, Bernard Tronche, was to us. He truly rolled out the red carpet.

Bernard had arranged for the tasting wines to be properly chilled and stemware was waiting when we arrived.  Our aperitif was the Biltmore Estate Blanc de Blancs Methode Champenoise.  Made of chardonnay grapes, it was floral, had a touch of honey and some citrus notes.  A very nice sparkling for $24.99.

Once we had finished our sparkling, Bernard began to bring out lovely plates of cheeses, frog legs, escargots and freshly baked warm bread to complement the food.   There were arsenal meats, goat cheese rolled in spices, almonds, olives and an amazing bruschetta appetizer that I couldn’t stop eating. 

My favorites of the 16 wines that we reviewed:

Favorite Wines

• Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc 09.  At $13.99, we were pleasantly surprised with this wine.  Lots of citrus, but with a touch of pineapple that made it balanced. It was named by one of the attendees as her 2011 “lakehouse wine.”
• Blackstone Sonoma Reserve Rubric 07.  I had a bit of a bias against the Blackstone wines, but really enjoyed the Rubic.  Big notes of blackberry and a caramel smoothness made this a nice drinking experience. Priced at $22.  The Blackstone Sonoma Reserve Cabernet 07 also received some good table reviews.
• Caviste Carneros Pinot Noir 07.  Lea, who reps several wines with retailers, brought this one made by Acacia.  It had notes of licorice and a lavender note that I really liked.  Priced at $17.99.
• Albino Armani Corvara Pinot Grigio Valdadige 09. This was an interesting wine.  I tasted pears, peaches, honeydew and a touch of bubble gum.  Definitely one to be served as an aperitif.  Priced at $19.99
• Bodegas Osborne Tempra Tantrum Tempranillo/Cabernet 09.  Very fruity with blackberry notes.  We deemed this a great picnic wine at $11.99.
• Robert Mondavi Merlot Napa Valley 07.  Raspberries, blueberries and black tea made this a well balanced wine.  Priced  at $23.
• Dona Paula Estate Malbec 09.  Hands down – our favorite of the wines to be reviewed.  Velvety smooth and notes of cherry, herb and licorice.  Very nice.  The quote of the night occurred here – “I want to sleep with this.  I want to bathe with this.”

Right as the Dona Paula Malbec was poured, Bernard and crew came with the grand finale – a fantastic steak, pommes frites and grilled asparagus.  The meal was absolutely heavenly and I don’t think I left a bite.  Saint-Emilion opened in 1985 when Bernard, a transplant from France, decided that he wanted to open his own restaurant after working at restaurants in New York, New Orleans and Dallas.  Mark Hitri serves as the Chef de Cuisine and joined last September. 

Bernard and I enjoying the evening

We wrapped up the night with a few wines from our own collections.  The Summers Adrianna’s Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 07, the 00 Chateau Margaux Pavillon Rouge and the 05 Marquis Phillips S2.  This time we planned ahead and filled out “to go” cups before arriving at the station for the long ride ahead.

I can tell you one thing – the food at Saint-Emilion is worth the trip.  I will be back – and might even take the train again to do so …

The Best Kept Wine Secret in Dallas

I’m hoping that I’m not going to regret this post.  I came upon one of Dallas’ best kept wine secrets in November and I’m going to share it with you today.  First, let me give you some background.  Since I launched this blog in February, I’ve been lucky enough to connect with a small group of foodie, travel and wine writers.  Our modus operandi is to meet monthly bearing wine from our cellars or wines we have been sent to review and enjoy a good meal.  We often convene at a BYOB place, usually one that is pretty casual with good food, but little to no ”scene”.

That’s how I found myself on a Wednesday night at Urbano Cafe in East Dallas.  I’ve been there once before and enjoyed a delightful gourmet meal and was happily surprised that a place with such good food was BYOB.  But this particular dinner I discovered that there is something special that happens at Urbano Café’ on Wednesday nights.  You could tell that the place was full of regulars and the bottles on the table were plentiful.  We were catching up on my friend’s trips to exotic places and for once, I had stories to add about our time in Punta Mita, Mexico.  Then it happened –  Mitch, owner and host extraordinaire, came bearing a magnum of older Brunello that he had picked up at a discount next door at Jimmy’s Food Store (the best place to find Italian wine if you haven’t stumbled upon them yet and a fun place to grab a sandwich for lunch or dinner – see if you can find the back dining room). 

This set off a chain reaction.  Friends (after some time spent in close contact with your dining neighbors where you are all drinking wine friendship happens) started sharing the pride and joy brought from their cellars with others.  You could hear the chorus of “Here try this …” and then the story behind it.  Or “what do you think of this beauty?  We got the last two cases left in Dallas.”  It was an experience I had never had outside of wine country.  Paired with a great meal and Mitch’s hospitality, it was magical and totally represented what the experience of wine should be – sharing bottles of favorites with people who have an appreciation for the grape.  (Note: do not expect to arrive with a $10 bottle of grocery store wine and have the same experience).

I reluctantly left that night with many wines untried that I was offered, but knowing that I needed to drive home and work out early the next morning made me responsible.  I’m looking forward to the next Wednesday outing and am already trying to figure out which bottles to bring.