Dallas Wine Chick

Stemware: Does it Make a Difference?

As some of you know, I am a big fan of using the right stemware with my wines.  It wasn’t always that way.  I originally thought that buying expensive glasses was the biggest marketing scam known to man.  How much of a difference could specialty glasses make? I had these pretty Royal Doulton crystal glasses that I received for my wedding.  Not only were they more attractive, but they happened to match my china – and after all, I did grow up in the South.  Then, I went to a Riedel wine tasting and my perspective quickly changed.

Recently, I was provided with two lead-free glasses from Eisch, a third-generation glass making family in Europe.  The glasses are known for being breathable and claim to aerate the wine in your glass in a fraction of the time that it would take to do so in a decanter while making your wine more complex and better balanced.   The Superior Red Wine Sensis Plus glass retails for $30.00 and the Superior Red Wine Classic glass retails for $22.50. 

Over a few days, we tasted two red wines – the 04 Sojourn Cabernet and the 05 Groom Barossa Valley Shiraz.  These are bigger wines that needed some more time in a decanter to develop.  Our taste test included my wedding crystal, Royal Doulton Ascot, which was apparently discontinued many years ago; the two Eisch glasses and our Riedel Vinum Extreme Cabernet glasses.

I learned a few things – friends do not let friends drink out of wedding crystal.  Both wines were absolutely awful – tasting almost medicinal and overly tannic.  Seriously beyond bad.  If you came to my house in the early days of my marriage and I served you wine, I owe you a big apology.

The Eisch glasses were interesting. Because we had two – the one with Sensis Plus and the classic glass – we spent some time comparing them.  I found that the SensisPlus glass made a noticeable difference.  On the Sojourn, I was able to distinguish the layers of the wine – truffle, blackberries, liquorice, but I struggled with finding balance in the blend.  With the Groom, I thought the flavors definitely came through more – cocoa, currant, cherry.

I did find that my Riedel glassthat retails around the same price as the Eisch glass still remained the king of my household.  The wines were brighter, had more complexity and layers.  The earthiness of both wines was more muted and you were able to better taste the balance of the wines.

However, if you are still drinking out of your wedding crystal, I highly suggest grabbing either a Riedel or Eisch glass and conducting your own taste test.  I won’t even ask that you thank me when you discover the difference.

Esteemed Women Winemakers in the House: Heidi Barrett & Carol Shelton

Last week, I was invited by Greg Kassanoff, owner of Pioneer Wine Company, to its annual portfolio tasting, a traveling road show held in Houston, Austin and Dallas.  Seventy one exhibitors representing unique small production wines gathered at the Palomar Hotel to pour hundreds of wines Pioneer is bringing to the Dallas market.  As a consumer, imagine a “speed dating” scenario where you are given one glass and hundreds of wines to sample.  Needless to say, you had to use the dump buckets to survive.

Much to my surprise I also found two iconic women wine makers in attendance.  Carol Shelton, winemaker for Carol Shelton Wines, is often named the most awarded winemaker in the United States with numerous Winemaker of the Year designations.  I always love talking to women winemakers like Merry Edwards or Carol because they stumbled into wine making versus pursuing it as their first career choice.  In Carol’s case, she entered UC Davis to be a poet.  Merry was going to be a biologist.  But the grapes came calling…
 

Carol Shelton and my friend, Susan Hartman

Carol Shelton formed her winery in 2000.  Focusing on Zinfandel only, Carol chooses vineyards with unique terroirs and put her poetry to use with the naming – 05 Wild Thing Zin, 05 Karma Zin, 06 Monga Zin and my favorite, the 06 Rocky Reserve, which was balanced with big blackberry flavor and chocolate notes.

I did a little happy dance when I saw that La Sirena was exhibiting, but did a double take when I saw Heidi and Remi Barrett pouring the wines.  Heidi is a Napa Valley icon, the former wine maker for Dalla Valle Vineyards and Screaming Eagle and was named by Robert Parker as “The First Lady of Wine.”  In addition to her La Sirena wines, she is the winemaker for Amuse Bouche, Paradigm, Au Sommet, among others.

Remi and Heidi Barrett

I had the chance to talk with Heidi and Remi briefly and asked about the Texas market for La Sirena wines, which is booming.  I had the chance to taste all of Heidi’s wines – the 08 Moscato Azul, Napa Valley, which was full of honeysuckle and fruit; the 05 Syrah Napa Valley, which was a traditional Syrah with berry and graphite; the 05 Syrah Santa Ynez, which tasted of chocolate covered cherries and currant; the 07 Pirate TreasuRed Blend, which was full of blackberry jam.  Finally, we got to the 06 Cabernet Sauvignon.  Wow!  Black cherry, cassis, chocolate, French oak.  The quintessential Cabernet with a big price to go with it.  However, based on some of the more expensive, “slap you in the face” cabs that I’ve tasted, this is worth the $150 price point.

While I didn’t get to try the majority of the wines offered, I can say that the snapshot of those I did try bodes well for Texans in terms of bringing small production, interesting varietals and wines from around the globe to our neck of the woods.

Can’t Drive 55!

This was the photo that I got from my lead footed husband as he made the solo drive from the Portland Airport to join me on a tour through Prosser, Red Mountain and Yakima.  I was lucky enough to have one of the top experts, Margot, and her husband, Dave,  show us Washington “wine o’clock” style.

You see, John didn’t join me until after #wbc10 was over. He’s a bourbon boy from the South and while he has a strong appreciation of wine and a collection that reinforces that point, seven days of wine tasting would render him to a state where he would want to poke his eyes out with a fork.  For the sake of our marriage and my enjoyment of the experience, he arrived late on Sunday. 

Unfortunately he missed out on some wonderful experiences.  Our first stop was family-owned L’Ecole. The name, L’Ecole Nº 41 is French for “the school”.  The winery is located in district 41 in historic Frenchtown, a small community outside of Walla Walla that was named for the many French Canadians that settled there in the early 1800s. 

We arrived at the converted schoolhouse that serves as the tasting room and were greeted by Jamie, a fun new friend who hosted us for a fantastic vertical tasting of library wines.  We began with a refreshing glass of the 08 Estate Luminesce ($19) that I loved, but alas, it was completely sold out.  We then tasted the 99, 03 and 07 Apogee from Pepper Bridge Vineyard and the 03 and 07 Estate Perigee from Seven Hills Vineyard.  I personally loved the Apogee – especially the earlier vintages that tasted of earthiness, black cherry, cassis and notes of chocolate.  The evolution in the glass was noteworthy and I left with a case of my own to taste test in the future.

Our next stop was to Va Piano Vineyards to meet Winemaker Justin Wylie.  Its motto: “Chi va piano, va sano e va lontano.” The translation is “He who goes slowly, goes safely and goes far” – an old Italian saying and the winery’s approach to living. This recommendation came from Greg Kassanoff, who owns Pioneer Wine here in Dallas.  We started with two Brunos Blend I and VI wines, one Sauvignon Blanc and one red blend as well as the Semillon.  Father Bruno Segatta, who Justin met during his time at Gonzaga University, is an artist and selfless priest.  Father Segatta inspired Justin to give back to the community. When the Bruno blends are sold out, Va Piano donates a portion of the proceeds to a charity of Father Bruno’s choice.  We tried two Syrah’s – the 07 Syrah and 08 Estate Syrah, which were inky black, spicy and fabulous.  But it was the 07 Cabernet that made me a card carrying member of Va Piano’s wine club.  At $38 a bottle, it rivaled some of Napa’s heavy hitters currently in my cellar.  Let’s just say that I cancelled my Far Niente membership because I liked it that much (the rule in my house is that if I add a wine club, I must cancel a wine club – actually my husband made up this rule after one particular Visa bill).

The next day, we made a brief stop at Airfield Wines where my favorite wine was the Aviator ( $30). It was a big Bordeaux style blend and since my cousin is in process of finalizing his clearance to be a fighter pilot, I loved the history of the winery.

The next day we headed to visit Alexandria Nicole Cellars.  Because Margot and Dave were wine club members, we were given VIP treatment and access to the back room, where we tried more than 16 wines on their tasting list – we even showed restraint as they have 21 varietals.  My favorites included the 07 Jet Black Syrah, 09 Rousanne, 08 Quarry Butte (ah Quarry Butte…), 07 Cabernet and 08 Crawford Viognier.  We also had the chance to sample some older vintages – the 03 and 05 cabernets and merlots from Alexandria Nicole’s enomatics system.  Again, the evolution in the glass and the changes over a two-year period were notable.

Then it was time for lunch.  I was excited to finally meet Scott who has been a long-time friend on Twitter, but I wasn’t prepared for the red carpet that was rolled out by my new Washington friends.  We went to eat at Tuscany and were met by Coop, Sara and Kevin.  Coop brought a bottle of his not yet released 08 Pinot Gris and it paired perfectly with the delicious food.

Mark your calendars for the debut of Cooper Wine Company’s Red Mountain grand opening on Sept. 11.  If his Bordeaux-style reds rival the Pinot Gris, you won’t be sorry. 

We left Tuscany and I had the chance to experience Fidelitas Wines in Red Mountain.  We originally planned to visit several wineries on Red Mountain, but were drawn in by Charlie Hoppes’ big red wines at Fidelitas Wines along with the hospitality of Marilyn and Cindy.  Let’s just say that another case of wine now has a home in Dallas that includes the 07 Red Mountain Cabernet Franc ($40), the 07 Jaguar red ($20), 2007 Champoux Vineyard Cabernet  ($60) and 07 Red Mountain Red ($50).   

P.S. Here is a photo of the not debuted yet packaging…

Our last and final stop was Sean Gilbert at Gilbert Cellars in Yakima where we tasted an array of reds, whites and a Rose’ of Mourvedre paired with cheeses, olives and Marcona almonds.  While I enjoyed every one of his wines, it was the 07 Cabernet Sauvignon ($28) and 07 Cabernet Franc ($32) that will be joining us in Dallas once the Texas heat has diminished.

Sean also talked us out of our dinner selection and sent us to an unmarked sports bar with a hunter complete with a scoped rifle as the signage.  Thankfully we trusted him and enjoyed a great dinner with a bottle of Gilbert Cellars’ Malbec.  We ended the evening hanging out with Margot and Dave in their room where we told stories and toasted a wonderful trip with a few special favorite wines.

Desert Wind Winery – A Five Star Experience

After #WBC10, my husband, John, and I were invited to stay at Desert Wind Winery in Prosser, WA, with Margot, her husband, Dave, Barbara and her boyfriend, Jason.  Margot told me what a beautiful place the winery was and that we were in for a treat.  We usually take family vacations to an amazing resort in Punta Mita, Mexico, so I just expected a pleasant winery stay.  Let’s just say that sans beach this was a comparable five-star experience. 

Courtesy of Desert Wind Winery

Desert Wind Owners Greg and Amber Fries served as exemplary hosts from the moment we arrived and greeted us with a refreshing glass of Sauvignon Blanc on the spacious patio.  We had some time to relax in a fabulous, fully-stocked suite that had everything one could need from bottles of wine to munchies to luxurious bath products (and I love luxurious bath products). 

Just when I didn’t think it could get any better, we started our food/wine experience. We began with a tour of the winery and had the opportunity to barrel taste the 08 Petite Verdot, 08 Barbera and 08 Tempranillo. I was impressed that Greg was so willing to go off the beaten path of the varietals to  see what wines would blossom with his talent.

Chef Frank Magana and Darren Dewalt from Picazo 7 Seventeen treated us to a multi-course dinner paired with Desert Wind and Duck Pond wines (Greg is also the wine maker).  The food parade started with Dungeness Crab Cakes with Chipotle Aioli Firecracker Prawns, Patatas Bravas, various wonderful cheeses, Marcona Almonds and Olives, paired with Desert Wind’s 2008 Sauvignon Blanc and  2009 Viognier.  My foodie and chef hobbyist husband was absolutely in heaven.  I innocently asked Chef Magana exactly how many course were coming and realized some restraint from the appetizers would be necessary in order to stay the course.

The good news is that you too can enjoy Mojave by Picazo at Desert Wind, which is open noon – 3 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays.  But back to this meal, this glorious meal….

Our first course was Prosciutto-wrapped Mixed Field Greens with Ancho Chile Vinaigrette, paired with 2009 Dry Rose’ and 2008 Semillon. If you read this column regularly, you know I’m not the biggest fan of Rose and I’m allergic to pork, so I choose the Semillon and had a special menu adaptation.

We moved on to the Basil-Stuffed Salmon with Tempranillo Pan Sauce, Blue Prawns & Trumpet Mushrooms with Cream paired with a 2008 Tempranillo and 2006 Duck Pond Cellars ‘St. Jory’ Pinot Noir, one of the many library wines we tried. Loved, loved, loved this course.

And then came the beef – the filet of Beef Tenderloin Ruah Sauce, Black Truffle Risotto followed by Grilled Lamb Chops with Ruah-Garlic Marinade was delightful. The meats and sauce paired perfectly with a vertical of Desert Wind Ruah wines from 04, 05, 06 and 08.  Sublime.

I was glad to have run that morning (even though I got lost like an idiot) because the dessert plate … well, it rocked.  It was a trio of Espresso Crème Brulee, a Chocolate Crème Brulee and then a Gorgonzola Truffle.  It’s been a few weeks now and I still fantasize about that darn truffle matched with a 04 Duck Pond Port.

When I returned from my run the next morning, there was a food basket waiting for us with yogurt, fresh fruit, baked goods, coffee and other assorted goodies that we enjoyed on our balcony.

If you are looking for a great winery and gourmet food married with a five-star resort experience that is centrally located near several great wineries in Prosser, I highly recommend checking out the hospitality of Amber and Greg.  It will certainly be an experience that you will always remember and I’m certainly looking forward to my return.

Senseless Women with Wine: The Goosecross Experience

Goosecross Cellars

Our day began with the magic words, “would you like grapefruit juice for breakfast?”  Why yes, we certainly would!  And a wonderful glass of 08 Goosecross Sauvignon Blanc was served by the lovely Nancy (known as @vinifera in the world of Twitter) as we gathered around an outdoor table with a spectacular view of the vineyard.  The wine had nice notes of honey, grapefruit, pear and citrus – it was delightful and $23. I’ll take that for breakfast any day.   

Goosecross Cellars began in 1985 and is truly a family affair.  Our group of ten was greeted by Geoff Gorsuch, Winemaker & Vice President with a pretty on target comment, “What group are you with? Women tasting wine without sense?”  We shortened it to Senseless Women With Wine.  Geoff, I can tell you my husband would more than agree with that statement and usually after he sees the credit card damage from a Napa/Sonoma excursion.

Our group quickly came to a consensus about the 08 Viognier that made red wine lovers buy white.  Full of nectarine, floral, honeydew and apricot notes, it was a fantastic Texas summer porch wine that made me wish for Summer.  Naturally, my wish came to fruition as it hit 80 and now I can’t get my wines shipped.  But, for $32 it was definitely one of the universal group favorites and chances are it will be served if you drink wine at our houses this summer.

Next up was the 07 chardonnay that had notes of green apple, vanilla, citrus and a creamy finish.  It was priced at $34 and I actually saw it on the order form of one of my exclusively red drinking friends.

We jumped over to red wines and started with the 07 Napa Valley Syrah, which retails for $36. This was a great syrah representation with lots of cherry, smoke and spiciness.  Our next wine was the merlot which tasted of cocoa, black cherry and vanilla at $42.  The 04 Howell Mountain Cabernet had plum, cherry, cedar and something I couldn’t place that turned out to be anise.  At $69, I’d put this up against the many $100 plus cabs that we tasted over the weekend.

The grand finale came as we were checking out and were poured a taste of the ÆROS 2006 Napa Valley Estate Meritage, only the second release in 24 years.  Let’s just say that this was well worth the wait.  Excellence doesn’t come cheap and this wine is priced at $142.  But, wow!  It was rich and seductive.  Big fruit, smoke, stone fruit and ripe raspberry made this well balanced wine the winner in the bunch.  But honestly, with the hospitality, great wine and Colleen’s adorable puppy that we couldn’t get enough of, you can’t go wrong with Goosecross as a must see winery.

A Night of Cleavage Creek Wines

Earlier this week  I wrote about a breast cancer survivor who is participating in the Dallas Three-Day.  As a follow up to that I thought this column should be about a winery that supports the fight against breast cancer.  

Budge Brown was married to his wife, Arlene, for 48 years.  When she lost her battle with breast cancer in 2005, he launched Cleavage Creek wines to wage an attack on breast cancer.   The label of each bottle of Cleavage Creek features the image of an actual breast cancer survivor whose story is told on the Cleavage Creek website.   Ten percent of gross  sales are donated to cutting edge research in the fight against breast cancer.  

Because I’ve been pretty active in the fight against breast cancer through my work with Susan G. Komen for the Cure and having watched the battles that my friends and family have faced with breast cancer, I am passionate about the Cleavage Creek cause.  This week I thought it was a great time to invite some friends over to taste the wines provided to me by Cleavage Creek. 

Two of my closest girlfriends and I gathered at my house with three sets of Riedel glasses at our disposal.  I loved the story, I loved my correspondence with the winery on Twitter and I really wanted to love the wines.  I held my breath and started opening bottles.

 First we tried the 08 Secret White, which retails for $18.  Fermented in stainless steel, I loved the apricot, pineapple, honey and tropical fruit with great acidity. This wine got rave results from the group, one of who is not a fan of white wine.  This bottle quickly disappeared.

The 08 Tracy Hills Reserve Chardonnay had a floral essence and smelled like butterscotch to me.  I also got citrus and honeydew.  It’s aged for eight months in new French oak and retails for $18. For Chardonnay lovers, it’s a traditional Chardonnay.

Our last wine was the 07 Tracy Hills Merlot Shiraz was described as “wine you can eat with a spoon.”  We got big raspberry and blackberry tastes and a smooth finish.  A very enjoyable wine and a great deal at $18.

So Budge – as a mom, sister and daughter I thank you for dedicating your life to honoring your wife and doing so much for a world without breast cancer.  As a wine blogger, I hold my glass up to you and thank you for making some good wines.  Cheers!