Dallas Wine Chick

Mollydooker: The Story Behind the Story

When I received the invitation to attend a Mollydooker tasting, blending and dinner exercise with Sparky Marquis, I was a little star-struck.  As a marketing person by day, I have long admired the winery’s efforts to connect with other “Mollydookers”, or left-handed people, and build a brand that was unique, fun and appealing.  Krissy Miller, marketing guru at Mollydooker, and I have communicated for a long-time on Twitter and I was excited to meet the voice behind the social media effort for the wine label, so I asked her to meet aside from the tasting.  We made a plan for lunch and the request was Mexican food.  I offered to pick her up and she told me there’d be some others folks attending and they’d meet me at Gloria’s.  Naively, I didn’t ask who else would be coming and assumed it would be a larger team of PR and marketing folks from Mollydooker and maybe a few folks from the Texas distributor. 

I was wrong.  When I arrived at the restaurant I noticed a team of three people in branded Mollydooker shirts bearing bottles of their top labels.  As I got closer, I realized that aside from Krissy, none other than Sparky Marquis, co-owner and winemaker (along with his wife Sarah) and his mum, Janet were joining us.   I was immediately greeted with a left-handed shake by the team. 

We began our lunch by tasting the 2010 Enchanted Path, Carnival of Love and the Velvet Glove.  I am a huge fan of the Velvet Glove which is harder to find since a forklift dropped a crate of it containing 462 cases in July of this year.  Mollydooker lost one third of its inventory — almost all of its U.S. allocation — of this almost $200 a bottle wine.  But instead of “crying over spilled wine” and the profits lost, they approached it as an opportunity and five days later called the local TV stations and newspaper to see if anyone had an interest in the $1 million loss of wine.  The story immediately went global.  In a note of irony and a bit of luck, the insurance company had upgraded Mollydooker’s insurance status six days prior to the accident because of the care they took in storing their wine in three separate tracks vs. one.  And judging from the comments Sparky made during the lunch, I think it may become harder to obtain the remaining Velvet Glove inventory as Sparky Marquis himself has expressed a commitment to drink as much of this wine as he can.  

Sparky, who is known for his time at Fox Creek, Henry’s Drive, Parson’s Flat and Marquis Phillips, began to tell me their story with fun interjections from Janet.  I had assumed Mollydooker was backed with big marketing dollars and lots of money however the true story is that Mollydooker was almost a story of failure, but that changed due to the perseverance of just four people and a miracle or three thrown into the mix.

Mollydooker was founded with an investment of $1,000 in 2005.  In March of 2006, Sparky and Sarah realized money was running low and let their grape growers know they could only afford to pay $200 a ton for grapes.  They encouraged their suppliers to sell to someone who could afford to pay but every last grape grower who could afford to stay did.  As Janet put it, “they had more faith in us than we had in ourselves.”

They were nearing the wine blending and bottling stage and received a call from their financial and legal advisors requesting a meeting.  Mollydooker was down to its last $17 and the advisors were worried they would be in default based upon the payments still due.  Because Sparky and Sarah believed in paying their invoices on time they realized they had about two weeks for a miracle.  A couple of days late that miracle arrived.  A gentleman, who  Sparky had impressed at a local networking luncheon a few weeks prior,  came to the winery and asked him if there was anything that he needed.  Sparky proudly said everything was fine.  The businessman asked the question again and said he was leaving for China for a month and wanted to make sure Mollydooker was around when he returned.  At that point, Sparky broke down and told him the truth. Without asking for a business plan, the businessman asked what Mollydooker needed to survive the month.  A check was written on the spot for $300K.  The blending continued during the month and the label was named a few days later after a brainstorm between Sparky, Sarah, mum and his father.   

Sparky and Sarah knew they would run out of money again soon, so they tried to think about the one avenue where they could get out publicity about their wines in the biggest way.  Enter Robert Parker.  Sarah was sure that Robert was also “a Mollydooker” (or left hander) from a prior meeting.  The team analyzed several photos, but couldn’t be sure.   Robert usually doesn’t take random appointments and is booked for months ahead so after much debate they sent him an overnight package of wine on a wing and a prayer.  Surprisingly, Parker bit and Sarah was right about him actually being left-handed.  He gave them two dates in a two month period to come visit him.  They chose the first one on June 10 as they knew they’d run out of cash by the second.  Maxing out their credit cards, they booked two flights to Baltimore.  Upon arriving in the States and knowing this was their last shot, they were disheartened to hear that Parker had suffered an injury, was hospitalized and might not be able to make the tasting.  But miracles happened again and Parker rallied.  He literally hobbled to the Oregon Grill on that date refusing to take his pain medicine, so he could properly taste the wine.

He invited them to stay for lunch after the tasting and suggested that the Mollydooker Violinist would be perfect with soft shell crab.  He ordered some and Sarah immediately ate it like you would eat traditional crab. Parker first stared, asked her what she was doing and then taught her the etiquette of eating soft shell crab.  At the end of the lunch he made an offhand comment that he’d try, but couldn’t guarantee, to fit them in his Best Value Wine Guide as it had been delayed for ten days at the printers.

Sparky and Sarah had no idea had no idea what the Best Value Wine Issue even was or how quickly their lives would change.  On July 1, they received a phone call at 3 a.m.  The Mollydooker Boxer was rated the best value wine in the world under $20.  The Mollydooker Two Left Feet, named in honor of Sparky’s inability to dance, was named second best value.  The Mollydooker Maitre’ D was named fourth best value and the Violinist was named the top white.  The winery sold out of its existing inventory in America in 19 days.  But they still had no money, only purchase orders, and had to convince the bank to lend them the money to get the shipments to their customers.  With this success, they immediately paid back the angel investor, growers, and creditors and gave the staff bonuses and raises.

A little while later, Parker reviewed Mollydooker’s two new wines, The Carnival of Love and Enchanted Path, and gave them 99 and 96 point reviews.  A wine that no one had ever tasted sold out in five days and by September they were cash flow positive.  When a year later a vineyard that met their requirements came up for sale, they jumped at the chance and acquired the label’s first real asset and that became the home of Mollydooker.

Is it a charmed life, miracles or luck?  I’ve heard that you make your own luck and I am a big believer in karma.  When hard working, talented, generous, hospitable, charitable and kind people set out on a path — especially with an infectious enthusiasm — I’d like to think the world wants them to succeed.  When I asked about their success, Sparky answered that he doesn’t think about things that way, the family is just having the time of their lives and doing what they love.  The simple premise behind making Mollydooker wines is to take the time to do things right and the results will follow.  Sparky wants the wines to taste two times more expensive than the list price to give his customers a value and make the wines accessible.  And, the founders believe in miracles and know those miracles became the pathway to their success.

I learned much about the family during my conversations and thought it would be fun to talk about the top things you don’t know about Sparky, Mum and Mollydooker:

• Never ever try to pay for lunch for Sparky.  During a vacation in the early years of their marriage, Sarah and Sparky took a vacation they could not afford while they were working in Tasmania.  Staying in the wood cutters bungalow and driving their rusted Ford Falcon, they splurged and went to a nice dinner with no alcohol because it was too expensive.  There, they met two couples that bought them a glass of port.  Serendipitously, they kept running into the same couples who asked them to lunch.  At this point they were staying in a youth hostel with cold showers.  When Sparky finally admitted to one of the couples that they couldn’t afford to join them, the man said, “I built my business so I can take people to lunch and pay for it.”  That lesson rang true and became part of Sparky’s creed.   
• Go-karting is very important and a family enterprise.  Sparky, his daughter and his son all hold titles for their age groups.  Holly, his daughter, holds the 12-year-old record.  Luke, his son, who is 15, has two state titles, is the Australia junior champion and was recently offered one of four professional go-kart racing positions in the country.  Sparky holds the #2 over 40 position and the #2 20-year-old position in the state (don’t ask).  Another fun fact is that Sparky was en route to the track to race the day the broken container news went global.  What usually is a one-hour drive took four because he kept pulling over to do media interviews.
• The Velvet Glove was the last wine from Mollydooker to have a cork.  As of 2010, the new releases are all screw tops.
• Each year mum finds a favorite wine and if you are lucky enough to tour with her, she draws the wine from her jug as a part of your tour.  The Gigglepot Cabernet was last year’s favorite and the inventory of 240 cases was severely depleted as they bottled only 142 cases.  Go mum!
• There is an open invitation every Monday for wine enthusiasts to have lunch with the family.  Four hours is the minimum that you’ll taste, and some folks have stayed for ten.  Mum suggested the best time to see the harvest and all of the activity is March or April.
• The Mollydooker shake became a marketing tool after a trip to Hawaii.  The number one wine writer in the state was at the same restaurant and watched Sparky shake the bottles.  Her comment to her dining companion was that man knows nothing about wine.  Later, she was introduced and commented, “I hope you aren’t Sparky Marquis”.  The Mollydooker shake was born on the spot.
• I never have met anyone that could handle spicy food and fresh jalapenos the way that I can.  I have met my match in Sparky.
• Ninety percent of the wine that Mollydooker makes comes to America and this is the only country where they hold dinners to show appreciation. 

Nine Walks, Craggy Range, Casillero del Diablo & Montecillo Reviews

When you have a blog that is your passion and a job that is your paycheck, it is no surprise which one becomes the priority.  Since the end of August through October, I have been traveling to Stockholm, which didn’t leave me much time to try some of the review wine that was sent my way.

When some friends, Peter and Jen, invited us over for a night of cards, great food and wine, I knew there would be a group of wine lovers who would be able to give me lots of good feedback on wines from a number of regions.  Thus, we popped open the corks and began to taste.

We first tried the Nine Walks Sauvignon Blanc.  It had tropical and citrus notes combined with some herbalness.  It was a very crisp wine and at $11 a bottle, tasted much more expensive than its list price.

We then tried several wines from New Zealand’s Craggy Range, a vineyard that I was already familiar with for its Te Kahu label.  The first wine was the 2010 Te Muna Road Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc.  Lots of green in this wine — but complexity came from hints of vanilla.  The 2010 Kidnappers Vineyard Chardonnay, which was made in an Old-World style without lots of oak, had notes of lemon, almond and some depth. Hands down the favorite was the 09 Te Kahu Gimblett Gravels Vineyard.  A Bordeaux blend of merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and malbec, it was a great red with notes of blackberry, deep fruit, sandalwood and tobacco. 

We then moved to Chilean wines and tried the full line from Casillero del Diablo, the flagship line of wines from Concha y Toro. The story behind these wines is fun.  At the end of the 19^th century Don Melchor de Concha y Toro, a successful businessman and vineyard owner, discovered his wines had been stolen from the “casillero” (cellar) under his house.  To keep folks from stealing more, he created a rumor that his cellar was haunted by the devil.  These wines are also affordably priced at $12.  We tried several including the 10 chardonnay, 10 pinot noir, 09 syrah, 10 merlot, 10 carmenere and 10 malbec.  The group favorites were the more traditional Chilean wines including the carmenere with its notes of plum, chocolate, oak and spiciness and the malbec with blackberry and mocha notes.

We then delved into Spanish wine.  The first one was the 07 Montecillo Crianza Tinto. This was nice with notes of dark blackberry, vanilla and smoke.  The second wine was the 03 Montecillo Rioja Reserva.  This was a rich cherry, spice, vanilla and dark fruit that I really enjoyed.

After dinner, the wine shipping boxes became the most coveted thing with the under 7 group proving that imagination can still win over iPads, Play Stations, iTouch and all the other latest technology.  Seemed an appropriate nod from the kiddos — especially with many of the wines tried made from an Old World-style.

Celebrating Regional Wine Week with an Aged Texan

In honor of the fourth annual Regional Wine Week, which is scheduled from Oct. 9 to Oct. 15 this year, I wanted to write about a Texas wine that I picked up two years ago from Calais Winery in Dallas.  Regional Wine Week is scheduled to profile wines from “The Other 47” states that aren’t California, Washington or Oregon.

Back in September of 09 when I tasted the Calais, I wondered how it would age.  I am glad to report that this wine really evolved with time in the bottle.  In the spirit of full disclosure, I know Ben and his wife, Melynn, from the wine business and due to our almost daily class workouts at Equinox in Dallas.   They are delightful people.

Calais bills itself the French winery of Texas and it definitely uses an Old World method of wine production.  This wine is named after Commerce Street in Dallas, the location of Calais’ tasting room, and is an 85 percent cabernet sauvignon and a 15 percent syrah blend.  I tasted blackberry, currant, cherry and sandalwood with hints of mocha.  I enjoyed this wine and was glad to see time in the bottle equaled a more complex and well rounded glass of wine.

Bailey’s Prime Plus Hosts Scholium Project

Check out my first guest blog post on Crave DFW, one of our city’s best food sites talking about the Scholium Project wine dinner at Bailey’s Prime Plus.

Tara Winery: A Southern Respite in East Texas

We had an opportunity to spend a weekend with our dear friends, Doug and Alyce, at their Lake house in East Texas last month.  While there I had the chance to spend some time with Patrick and Susan Pierce, the winemakers and owners of  Tara Vineyard & Winery the oldest winery in Henderson County.

As you drive up to the grounds, a stately 1880’s antebellum house once owned by former Dallas Cowboy Owner Clint Murchison, looks over the vines and made me think of Scarlett O’Hara’s house in Gone with the Wind.  The house was relocated from downtown Athens and serves as a respite as the Tara Inn.  The winery is also adjacent to the Cellar Door restaurant, which I did not try, but heard great reviews.  

Susan Holding “The Hill of Tara“

I loved the story about how Tara came to be.  It was the name of Patrick and Susan’s sailboat.  The name comes from Irish folklore and stands for “a view from afar”.  The name originally came from a book discovered in a used book store in Berkeley, The Hill of Tara. 

While Tara makes 14 wines, we only tried a few produced in East Texas on the 7-acre estate while my six-year old and her friends played the drums, danced and sang “California Girls”.  It was quite the musical revue.   My favorite Tara wine was one that I had tried before from my friend, James.  It is a white blend of Texas grapes, the Texas Blanc de Bois.  It’s a fruity wine with tropical notes and vanilla on the end and is priced under $18.  The Stagecoach Red, priced at $18.50, was termed “barbeque wine” and I see how it would be a good match.

If you are visiting East Texas, Tara is definitely worth a trip – for the food, the wines, the conversation and the live music events.  I think this is a good winery to watch with lots of future potential.

Food/Wine Matches Made in Heaven: The Mustard Surprise

A long-awaited gathering of our wine club took place this month with a fun theme – food/wine matches made in heaven.  Ok, technically that wasn’t the theme, but when it worked, it was a good description.  We were all assigned food pairings to bring and the wine was taken care of by the couple hosting the party.  Because my husband was out of town and I don’t cook, I begged for ingredients that required little to no assembly.  So, I came bearing foie gras pate, a baguette and black truffle butter.

The format was to pair two wines with variations of one food.  Our first pairing was an Old World Chablis (08 Isabelle et Denis Pommier Chablis) and a traditional oaked chardonnay (09 Neyers Carneros) with  smoked and fresh mozzarella.  Hands down the smoked mozzarella went best with the Neyers and we all couldn’t come to an agreement about the Chablis pairing due to the citrus/mineral notes.

Our next pairing was my favorite – fabulous yellowtail and tuna sushi along with blinis and caviar matched with  Iron Horse Sparkling and 10 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.  I liked them both, but was surprised how versatile the sauvignon blanc was with the sushi. 

The next pairing was a surprise to us all.  We tried sausage (veggie and Italian) paired with Dijon mustard and then just crackers with mustard coupled with 08 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Pinot Blanc and the 07 Chianti Castilla.  Who would have thought that my second favorite pairing would be Dijon mustard and crackers? 

We followed with black bean burgers with a sour cream/lime sauce with onion rings paired with 10 Les Plautiers Du Haut Brion White Bordeaux and the same Chianti.  The onion ring paired well with the white, not the red.  The black bean burgers, which were fantastic on their own, were even heartier with the chianti.

We then matched a guacamole and tenderloin with chimicurri sauce with a 05 Samuels Gorge Syrah and the 05 Abel Rioja.  I personally liked the tenderloin and rioja pairing better, but it was interesting to see what flavors the guacamole brought out in both wines.

Next, we paired a simple grilled piece of baguette with black truffle butter with a 05 Chauvernet Chopin Nuis St Georges fer Cru Burgundy.  This was a classic example of the symphony in your mouth that happens with the right food and wine pairing.  Divine.

Our last pairing was a foie gras with a 05 Chateau La Tour Blanche Donation Osiris.  Bliss on a cracker and another example of a food/wine match that had to be made in heaven.

Chain Reaction: WineQuest Begins – Decent Wine at A Chain?

This is the official launch of a series of columns meant to answer a very important question: can you get a decent glass of wine at a chain restaurant?  As the mom of a five and a half year old, I am always looking for a dinner place that balances my desire to eat something healthy with Morgan’s desire to get food that she wants.  I’m lucky because she loves salmon sashimi, but that comes with a price tag and isn’t something we can have daily.  And if I find a place with good food, fair prices and I can get a decent glass of wine, you have my complete attention and loyalty.

Enter Cafe-Express.  I know, I know – this isn’t truly a chain - but it does have 18 locations and I wanted to begin this series on a high note.  I sat down recently with Greg Martin, the food and beverage manager, who talked about the wine program and I’ll let you in on a secret.  You can get a ¼ bottle pour of a selection of wines not seen on your grocery store aisle for $6.  Yes, $6 and it goes down to $5 during happy hour.  The wine by the glass a great deal and there was a nice range of wines - Chalone Cabernet, The Next Riesling, Sterling Sauvignon Blanc, Monstrall Cabernet and Acrobat Pinot Gris - on my visit.  And, you can buy the bottle and take it home.

Throw in the fact that Café Express’ menu is centered around fresh and good food for everyday dining using quality products and tested recipes, and you’ve got a great option for a meal with wine that won’t break the bank.

Public Transportation That I Can Get Behind: A Conversation with Red Car Wines

Buy 6 or more bottles of Italian wine and get 50% off shipping with code “dallas13″

Paul from Red Car; me, my husband, John

I recently sat down with Paul Sequeira, director of viticulture and sales for Red Car Wine.  He was at Lakewood Country Club for a wine dinner planned by Tony Zaranti, clubhouse manager, who always does a great job in finding “off the beaten path” wineries. 

Red Car wine traces its roots to show business.  The winery founders, Carroll Kemp and Mark Estrin, worked in Hollywood and shared a love for wine.  You’ll see that influence reflected in some of the naming of their wines.  The winery was founded in 2000 with the name meant as a tribute to the red electric trolley cars that operated in Los Angeles until the 1960’s. 

We started with the 08 Red Car “Trolley Car” Pinot Noir from Sonoma.  The wine had big stone fruit, floral notes, licorice and an earthiness to it.  It was made in the Burgundian style and was blended beautifully. 

Paul talked about the approach of the winery and that “great wine is made in the vineyard” and how their wines are reflective of the “essence of place and time.”  I was surprised how Old World this wine tasted in comparison of some of the others.  But, then again, the Sonoma Coast produces some diverse flavors.

Our meal began with a Jerusalem Artichoke, Celery Root Bisque, Veal Shank with Croutons paired with the Red Car “Box Car” Chardonnay from Santa Maria.  I usually do not gravitate toward Chardonnay, but this was a perfect match with the bisque.  This wine had tropical fruits, apple, almond, hints of vanilla and a buttery flavor.

Our next course was the 07 Red Car “Aphorist” Reserve Pinot Noir from Sonoma Coast paired with Seared Sea Scallop, Braised Veggies, and Grana Cheese with Chicken Jus.  This was a full flavored Pinot, but it wasn’t heavy.  Lots of fruit and a little earthy.  Very nice and elegant.

We then moved to a few big boy Syrahs to go with a substantial meat dish.  The third course paired 07 Red Car “Tomorrowland” Syrah from Sonoma County with a Dry Aged Prime New York Strip with Bacon, Shallot, Thyme, Potato, Arugula, Roasted Beets and Coco Bean Syrah.  It was a powerful syrah, but wasn’t what I consider a “berry bomb.”  In fact, it was pretty light bodied with spice, pepper and earthiness.

The grand finale on dinner was the Goat Cheese Pana Cotta, Mini Coffee Cake and Orange Ice.  It was my intention to take one bite and push away the plate.  But, Chef William Koval had worked his magic and I was halfway through the dessert before I realized what I had done.  This was paired with a 06 Red Car “Speakeasy” Syrah.  This was a totally different style from the other syrah with notes of dark chocolate, tobacco and plum.

The goal of Red Car Wine is to transport folks back to another time and place and evoke nostalgia.  I must say that I was happy to remain in the present with this great food and wine experience.

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.

Dallas’ Most Interesting Wine List is at a National Hotel?

Last month I attended the Texas/New York Gridiron wine challenge had the opportunity to sit at a table with Hunter Hammett, sommelier for the Dallas Fairmont Hotel.  Surprisingly enough, our conversation shifted to wine and he told me about the Fairmont’s wine list which he had totally overhauled including a large number of Texas wines.  I was intrigued, so I asked Hunter if I could spend some time with him learning more about the list.

He’s an agreeable guy and very passionate about wine, so I found myself in the totally revamped Pyramid Restaurant & Bar at the Fairmont – with a tasteful local focus on Texas products and a rooftop garden.  I was handed the list, which received a Wine Spectator 2010 Award of Excellence, and like a kid in the candy store, I started perusing.  As Hunter hand-selected the 250 wines that are on the list, it was important find a variety of on and off “the beaten path” wines at any price that patrons would love.  I especially enjoyed the Underrated Reds and Underrated Whites sections that had a number of wines I have enjoyed in small little wine bars or across the country.  I never expected to see them at a restaurant in a national hotel.  You’ll also find grapes you’ve probably never heard of nor had the opportunity to try like Aligoté, at least in Texas, until now. 

Gruet was one of the selections on the Underrated Reds list and I mentioned that I had never tried its still wines.  In short notice, I had a glass of the 06 Gruet Pinot Noir Cuvee Gilbert in hand.  Hunter also had a large selection of wines that are positioned by varietal vs. region to encourage experimentation of all different types of grapes from around the world.

Of course, because this is Texas, you will find the usual big suspect Cabernets -we all know that restaurants have to carry these to please certain patrons.  Also, I believe that having some of the big steakhouse wines gives people the trust factor to try other wines that may not have considered otherwise.  

Wines that are sustainable, organic and environmentally farmed are given special consideration.  You’ll probably see a future focus on building out the French section of the list in 2011.  Hunter’s credo, like The Wine Century Club, is to broaden the wine drinking scope at every opportunity.  I, for one, look forward to my trip around the world with his wine list as my guide.