Dallas Wine Chick

Beating a Path Toward Wines Off the Beaten Path

Several months ago I had the opportunity to meet Hunter Hammett, sommelier for the Pyramid Restaurant & Bar at the Fairmont Hotel when we were seated at the same table during the NY/Texas Gridiron challenge.  Hunter impressed me with his passion for wine, his knowledge of wine, and his commitment to giving lesser known grapes their due. A few months passed and my intrigue about putting together a tasting for “wines off the beaten path” did not wane, so last week I grabbed a group of wine loving friends and we ventured to the Fairmont.  It’s always exciting when you look over a list of wines and have to research the grapes, the vineyards and the geography just so you can have some baseline knowledge.  It’s what makes wine geeks tick and I was anticipating this tasting like a kid waiting for Christmas. 

We started with the white wine line-up.  Our first pour was the 08 Txomin Etxaniz, Hondarribi Zuri, Getariako Txakolina.  It was bright in the glass with citrus and pear flavors.  There was almost a fizz to it making it a great patio wine on a hot Texas day.  This was one of my favorites of the tasting.  The second wine was the 09 Tollo, Pecorino, Terre di Chieti from Italy, which was described as one of the group as “the non-Chardonnay Chardonnay lover’s wine.”  It coated your mouth and had almost a honeysuckle taste to it with lots of nutmeg and pear flavors, but with minerality that made it really interesting versus being overwhelmed with oak.

The third wine was the 07 Ottella di Lodovico Montresor, Trebbiano di Lugana, which had some chalkiness due to its terrior with citrus, lemon and floral notes.  I could see this wine pairing well with fish, but it wasn’t something that I would drink on its own if I were looking for a crisp glass of white on a hot summer day. I did, however, enjoy the drama associated with this wine.  Apparently the experts and wine books cannot agree on what grape this truly is as recent studies have debated if it is actually Verdicchio Bianco vs. Trebbianco.

We then moved into the line-up of reds.  Our first wine was also from the same region as the aperitif that began the tasting.  The 08 Gorrondona, Hondarribi Beltz, Aldape Vineyard, Bizkaiko Txakolina was earthy with almost a silt taste. It was a tart fizzy wine.  You could taste the red fruits and it paired well with the goat cheese on the lovely cheese tray provided by Chef Andre Natera.   I am a big fan of Heitz reds, so I was eagerly anticipating trying the 07 Heitz, Grignolino, Napa Valley.  What a change from the big, bold flavors that I was used to in Heitz wines.  This was much more subtle with orange notes, rose petals and berries. 

The final wine was a Texas wine.  The 09 Sandstone, VII, Touriga Nacional, Mason County, Texas, was my least favorite. Granted, it was better than many of the Texas wines that I have tasted, but Hunter mentioned that he decanted this wine three hours before we got there.  It was still tannic and needed more time.  I tasted port, berries and jam and an almost tarlike essence.  I want to support these wines based on my geography and advocate the “Go Local” movement through my position on the steering committee of Chefs for Farmers, but our Texas wine producers must raise the bar to make wines that invite an even competition.  This week I’m going to a Texas Hill Country Wineries Road Show tasting and I hope to find a few “diamonds in the rough” when these wines are previewed for the press.

When we were wrapping up, Hunter told me about an Albarino that he just secured that is produced from vines that are over 200 years old. It’s on my “must try” list and I know that I’m going to be back to continue my “off the beaten path” education.  It’s much more fun doing it this way than reading a wine book to research a region.

Photos courtesy of James Freeman

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.

Don Henley. Kermit the Frog. Emmitt Smith. Dan Kosta. Women Wine Makers. James Mariani: Melanie’s Week of Rock Stars

This week was a week of opportunity that is truly hard to do justice with words. On Saturday, my husband and I headed to the Hilton Anatole in Dallas for my child’s school fund raiser. Don Henley was the entertainment for the benefit (he has children that attend the school). Because we were seeing a legend and it was Open That Bottle Night (www.openthatbottlenight.com), hotel wine was not going to do. So, operation “sneak in several bottles for the table” was launched. I donned my red cocktail dress and slung a not so attractive bag over my shoulder, which did include a cute little clutch inside. My excuse: the school was having a wine pull and I needed something to bring all the wine home. Judging from the empty bottles on the table and the full bottles of hotel wine, I believe I made the right choice.

There was an electric charge in the room of 1,400 people as Don Henley hit the stage. He played the favorites – Dirty Laundry, All She Wants to Do Is Dance, New York Minute and Sunset Grill. Then he decided to have some fun – everything from Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” to Kermit the Frog’s “It’s Not Easy Being Green.” In a nutshell, he was awesome.

I did not meet Don Henley that evening, but Dan Kosta from Kosta Browne Wines was in town because he donated a very generous auction package that raised close to $25,000 for the school. Boosted by the great wine we were drinking at the table, I walked up and introduced myself by eloquently saying, “I know there are many stars here tonight, but you are the rock star that I wanted to meet.” Good – Melanie – really smooth. Thankfully – we had a nice chat about Kosta Browne Wines, his generous donation and coming to visit my next trip to California.

Another big ticket item was two packages of two tickets to all the events surrounding Emmitt Smith’s induction into the Football Hall of Fame, which went for $50,000 each. (P.S. Emmitt announced that he and his wife, Pat, are expecting at the gala).

Sunday night brought me to the Les Dames d’Escoffier 2010 Raiser Grazer, Silent Auction & Cork Pull to meet six fabulous Napa/Sonoma women wine makers. I had the opportunity to chat briefly with Dolores Cakebread, Kathryn Hall, Joy Sterling, Janet Trefethen and Amelia Ceja. I was blown away by their openness, warmth and engagement with the Dallas wine community. And, of course, the wines were amazing.

Yesterday, Alfonso Cevola (@italianwineguy on Twitter), invited Dallasites to Jimmy’s Market (an old Dallas Italian market with a great Italian wine selection) to meet James Mariani, co-CEO of Banfi. Of the eight wines tasted, the 00 Banfi ExcelsuS Sant’Antimo blew me away – especially for a year not considered to be great. Dark in color, the Merlot/Cabernet blend tasted of chocolate, cassis and dark cherries. While the other wines were younger, this wine showed how age softens the tannins and improves the wine’s balance.

While I didn’t get to meet Alfonso due to a late flight, James was a delightful person and while the room was packed, took the time to talk about his wines, his philosophy and went above and beyond for all of us by offering to help my husband and me (or my readers) plan a dream wine trip to Tuscany.

I’m thinking I may have to take him up on that offer. Who’s with me?