Dallas Wine Chick

Love Affairs, Piropos and Free Wine

In honor of Valentine’s Day and putting poetry into action, I have teamed up with Tapeña wines.  It’s time to be creative and talk about your love affair – this time with the grape. 

The most creative Piropo will win a four-pack of wines, a Spanish-themed cookbook and some other fun material.  What is a Piropo you may ask?  Translated literally it is a “flirtatious or poetic compliment to a woman.”  Things like, “If beauty were a sin, you’d never be forgiven” or “So many curves, and me without brakes” (shudder).  But, that’s been so done.  I want to see how clever and unique you can voice your appreciation for wine.

Tapeña—the wine with the little fork on the label—is a blend of tradition, camaraderie and gathering close friends.  I had the chance to partner with them a few years ago on an event so if you want to know more about the  wine.

For more info about Tapeña, check out their website, Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/tapenawines or Twitter @tapenawine.  They also have a reward program, for those of you who become fans, where you can get more free stuff.

 The fine print – you must be 21 years or older to enter, and that by entering you verify you are over 21.  The contest will close on January 31 and you can enter here.  Looking forward to seeing your poetry in motion.

Two Corks and a Bottle: A Do It Yourself Neighborhood Wine Bar

Courtesy of John Buquoi

I’ve always fanaticized about being a wine maker and working on “making magic in a bottle”.  That is until I tried blending from the barrel with a wine maker or two and realized what skills are required to make that magic happen.

John Ley (left) and Elwyn Hull (far right), Winemakers

I attended the grand opening of Two Corks And A Bottle, a new wine bar in uptown where you can choose from 30 varietals of grapes from around the world and make 30 bottles of a personal vintage by yourself or with a group of friends.  The friendly staff provides enough direction to make sure your prized grapes result in the wine you hoped with a custom label to prove it.  Hey, the holidays are around the corner…

If making two and a half cases of wine isn’t in your plan or budget, wines are available by the glass or 5 tastes for $5.  Of those that I tried, my favorite was the Italian Amaroso and the Sweet Harmony ice wine was a nice change of pace.  There were also Cosmo Wine Cocktails and Mojito Wine Cocktails in a bottle, but I decided to stick with the vino.  A wine club — one or two bottles monthly — with a six month membership is also available.

Courtesy of John Buquoi

Two Corks and a Bottle is a nice little neighborhood wine bar filling a gap in the Quadrangle area.  It is open every day but Monday and has live music on Saturdays.

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais and Burgers: Yin and Yang

The day after I got back from the Wine Blogger’s Conference I quickly prepared for the Burgers with a side of Beaujolais #GDandBurgers event.  As many of you know, I do not cook.  Ever.  So, when the itinerary called for burger preparation and my husband was out of town, I called in the big guns — my friend, Jennifer Schuder. 

Jennifer prepared a fabulous turkey burger with a fried egg perched on top of the patty.  It was absolutely to die for.  I also learned that Beaujolais wines match pretty well with burgers.  Other participants followed along with burger recipes by Chef Bob Waggoner that matched each wine.   To follow some of the chat that evening, check out www.winetwits.com and clink on the link.

We tried three Georges Duboeuf wines that night. 

• Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages 09 – this was the least complex of the wines offered and the least favorite of the group.  I tasted berry and currant and some spice on the end.  This wine went well with our cheese plate.  $9.99
• Georges Duboeuf Brouilly 09 – lots of plum, currant and other stone fruit. The more this developed in my glass, the more I liked it.  This was the most divisive wine of the group.  $13.99
• Georges Duboeuf Julienas Chateau des Capitans 09 – This was the favorite and the most complex wine tried.  Floral notes, mocha, vanilla, big berry and spiciness.  $17.99

This was a great event to really get a feel for the diversity of wines from Beaujolais.  And, I now know what wine will work splendidly the next time my husband fires up burgers on the grill.

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.

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.

Wines.com, Texas Wineries, D Magazine … and me?

Buy 6 or more bottles of bourbon and get 1/2 off shipping with code “dallas37″

This month is a big month for the Dallas Wine Chick.  It’s the one-year anniversary of this little blog and with over 9,500 page views, about 3,100 Twitter followers and almost 600 fans on Facebook, you all have exceeded my expectations for success and created this amazing wine community.

You’ll see a link above to my first advertiser, Wine Chateau, a great online retailer of fine wines, who offers you a shipping discount with the link above.  Thank you Wine Chateau for your support of Dallas Wine Chick.

Recently I had my first wine-related speaking opportunity for EFactor, a local networking group.  Alex Andrawes, the CEO of wines.com and a friend on Twitter, asked me to join a panel session with some esteemed names in the wine business.  So I found myself on a panel with two Texas winemakers — Dan Gatlin from Inwood Estates and Dave Duchman from Duchman Family Wines as well as two personal friends – Andrew Chalk, D Magazine producer for Side Dish and Lindsay Woodard, owner of Retour Wines in Oregon.  About 55 people gathered at Cork Wine Bar to taste wine, hear the discussion and network.

I first introduced myself as the “accidental blogger.”  For those of you who know the story of starting Dallas Wine Chick, I just wanted to share my passion and experience of wine with others.  I started first on Twitter and when I reached a certain following; I thought about starting the blog.  To my shock, it happened.

The discussion was interesting.  We were asked as a panel to discuss the wine industry in Dallas.  Dan talked about how Dallas remains a challenge for him and other markets like Houston are much more supportive of Texas wines.  I talked about how Texas wine – especially in Dallas – needs an image overhaul to occur before consumers can support it.  In my discussions with other winemakers, including Lindsay who was there to debut her wonderful Retour Pinots in Dallas, the market is definitely supporting wines from other regions.

Andrew voiced the frustration of the room when asked about challenges with wine and restaurants.  Because consumers are better educated and know the retail price of many wines, paying triple mark-up is a detriment.  He believes that if restaurants were to even double the price of retail wine, they would immediately see higher sales because people would be willing to buy more wine.  I wasn’t asked this question, which was probably a good thing, but my pet peeve is “cookie cutter” wine lists that have been purchased by a distributor.  If many restaurants would take the same care with wine lists as they do with their food, consumers would have a better experience.

We talked a lot of about social media.  Lindsay doesn’t use social media today because her customers aren’t using Twitter and Facebook.  Dan has an Inwood Estates Facebook page, but it doesn’t seem to be populated often.  Dave has his marketing department handle their social media efforts and they are active.  Andrew uses a blog, but not Facebook or Twitter for business.  So, that leaves me and Alex as the poster children of the power of social media.

There was also some general discussion about the three-tier system and I think many of those in the room were surprised to hear about how wine gets from the winemaker to your home.

All in all, it’s the type of panel discussion that brought together many perspectives – winemaker, wine writers, wine retails.  We just needed a distributor to get a holistic view of the wine business.

As we wrapped up the Q&A, one audience member asked if it was still possible to get outside funding for the wine business.  Dan responded with a well-known, but sadly true quote – “If you want to make a small fortune in the wine business, be prepared to invest a large fortune.”

Kindred Spirits Unite!

Happy New Year to everyone!  I hope you had a great time and good wine to ring in 2011.

Back in November, I read my friend Bruce’s East Dallas Times article about how Jon Whitaker, the owner of local wine shop, Kindred Spirits had secured one of the highly rated Charles Smith Royal City Syrahs.  Charles Smith is known for throwing some great parties, including one with burlesque dancers with flaming pasties at the Wine Blogger’s Conference in 2010.  But I digress, that is another story for another time, with you over wine.  This bottle received a perfect 100 score from the Wine Enthusiast and a 98 from Robert Parker.  Six bottles made it to the Dallas area – five were sold at ridiculously inflated prices to a select list of customers who were “lucky” enough to be on the list in the first place.  Instead of taking the same approach as his brethren in the area, Jon conducted a drawing to see who would purchase the wine at its retail price.

I respected this unusual approach so I reached out to him.  We met at his store at Mockingbird and Abrams one chilly Wednesday afternoon and instantly was greeted by his vivacious, not to mention utterly charming ten-year-old son, Chris.  It turns out that the TABC will let the oldest child work in the family business.  After watching he and Jon interact, I was impressed at how well he knew the store and the products that they offered.  Jon has an interesting wine/spirits distribution, operations and sales background.  He put himself through Baylor and then took a sales rep job after school in a territory so bad that he joked about Schlitz Malt Liquor keeping him alive because his clients knew no one else would bring it in.  He then successfully worked in hospital administration until his hospitals were acquired by a larger chain.  That’s when he decided to get back in the business and acquired Kindred Spirits.

It had been a few years since I had been in Kindred Spirits and I remember the wine selection being pretty pedestrian and predictable – your basic grocery store fare.  Whitaker has definitely made the selection interesting with everything from Grange to an “off the beaten path” selection of wines under $15.  He highlighted one in particular, the 09 Oveja Negra Cabernet Franc Carmenere Reserva from Chile.  Since I received a flip cam from Santa this year, I recorded his thoughts on why he liked this wine.  After trying to get it to download for almost two hours, I give my concession to the great technology gods and my apologies to Jon for sticking a camera in his face.  Update: You can see the video on the Dallas Wine Chick page on Facebook.

He gave me a bottle to taste and I found that it had evolved drastically from day one to day two.  Wow – today it was mellow and silky with hints of spice and blackberry with a great mouth feel.  Today it had great balance and an almost velvet mouth feel.  At less than $10, it is a good buy on day one, but a great buy on day two.

Kindred Spirits is definitely worth the trip and I’m excited to check out some of his recommendations like the La Joya Merlot or the Cycles Gladiator Pinot Noir.  It’s nice to have a family owned wine shop with someone in it for the love of offering all of his customers a fair shot at the best products that he can bring to the market.

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 …

Sacre Bleu: Where Are You?

I’ve gotten to know Galen Struwe from Sacre Bleu Wines through Twitter.  A few months ago he called me with victory in his voice to let me know something really big was coming to Texas.  Galen had discovered some really good Chilean juice from the Maule Valley – Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon – and was bottling his wine to debut in Central Market, a high end grocery store chain with several stores in Texas.  He asked me if I’d be willing to taste and review the wines.  I told him of course I was happy to do so.

And then I waited.  And waited.  Life moved on and it was a busy summer.  Finally an unmarked, unbranded box arrived at my office with a bottle of Cabernet and a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.  I put them in our Eurocave and was on the road for the paying gig so it took me a few weeks to open the first wine.  My husband and I tried the Sauvignon Blanc first.

It was crisp with grapefruit and nice acidity.  My husband was pretty shocked to discover the $9.99 price tag and asked that we pick up more at Central Market because it really is a good summer wine.  We didn’t try the Cabernet for another 30 days (also priced at $9.99).   When we  did opened that bottle, we found our next pizza or party wine.  I tasted currant, cherry and a little mint on the nose.  There was a little of a jolly rancher finish, but it was a great wine for entertaining a large crowd.

After talking to Galen and getting the go ahead that the wines were in the stores, I went on my own journey to find them this past weekend.  After getting a blank stare from the Central Market designated foodie in the wine department and being told the wines were not there, I reached out to Galen.  Apparently, Texas’ antiquated tiered distribution system reared its ugly head.  The wine is still not in Central Market stores, but I’d recommend seeking it out when it debuts – after all, you always need a new pizza or pool wine.

Smelling An Illegal Subject on the Nose: Not Another Sauvignon Blanc Tasting

Much to my (pleasant) surprise I was recently asked to attend a wine committee tasting at Lakewood Country Club.  You see, this was somewhat of a breaking through the glass ceiling moment for me because while I have been described as having a set of cahoona’s, they are not god given and the wine committee has traditionally been male oriented.  Tony Zaranti, club house manager and director of our  awesome wine program at Lakewood Country Club, has single-handedly upgraded our selections, introduced the use of wine lockers for members and brought some of the top winemakers to Dallas for tasting dinners with Chef William Koval.  Koval, once the youngest executive chef for the Ritz Carlton and the man responsible for the five star rating for the Adolphus’ French Room, has a menu that transcends what you may think country club food looks like.  It’s daring, it’s savory and rivals what you could get at any five-star restaurant in Dallas, but at a fraction of the price.  Anyway, back to the committee tasting.

Tony brought several of us together that day for a blind tasting of 18 Sauvignon Blanc wines.  The  ultimate challenge was to agree upon and select a new wine for the “by the glass” wine list.  When I walked in there were 18 wines in brown bags, each with a number.  We had two flights of five and two flights of four.  The wines came from California, South Africa and New Zealand.  We had spit cups and dump buckets nearby, which is pretty much the only way to survive these tastings with ones wits intact.

If you live in Texas, you probably, by default, like Sauvignon Blanc.  When the temperatures top 100 degrees, it is a great pool wine – crisp and refreshing.  It’s always a fine line when you are trying to choose a value wine that will appeal to a large number of people – many of them women who like big, buttery chardonnays.  After wading through lots of grapefruit, lemon grass and even one that vaguely smelled like a certain illegal drug, I am proud to report we chose a wine off the beaten path – the Indaba Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa. 

This wine was crisp and had grass (not the pot kind) and citrus notes with some peppery finish.   It’s going to be great with seafood dishes and I look forward to  pairing it with some of Chef Koval’s wonderful dishes.

I also am pleased to report that I was asked back for the next tasting, which is high-end Cabernet Sauvignon.