OLD Eats DO NOT USE

When I was out in Napa Valley, I went to a tasting at Spring Mountain Vineyard (left) for the whole Spring Mountain District appellation.

While there, I found out that the vertical tasting of the winery's big, voluptuous Elivette Bordeaux blend has been rescheduled at The Rosewood Mansion Restaurant. Mark May 3 at 7 p.m. on your calendars.

Spring Mountain winemaker Jac Cole and Mansion sommelier Michael Flynn will lead the tasting with a five-course menu developed by executive chef John Tesar. There's also a price break this time around: It's $175 a person plus tax and gratuity. Call 214-443-4747 for reservations.

BTW, does that winery facade look familiar?

Continue reading "Spring Mountain Elivette vertical reset for May" »

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Oh. My. Gosh.
On March 8, seven Hill Country wineries will serve wine samples paired with beef short ribs from area restaurants. It's to promote the new Texas Wine Road 290 wine trail. And Texas beef, of course.
Even better --- it's free, although some of the wineries might have a charge for wine tasting.
The seven wineries are scatered along a 45-mile stretch, so there's not much driving to do once you get started.
The wineries and the restaurants: Becker Vineyard (Texas Food & Wine Gourmet); Bell Mountain Wine Tasting Room (Bonterra); Chisholm Trail Winery (Cotton Gin); Fredericksburg Winery (Hannah’s Restaurant); Texas Hills Vineyard (Silver K); Torre di Pietra (Navajo Grill); and Woodrose Winery (Woodrose Winery Kitchen).
If you're coming from Dallas, organizers suggest starting at Texas Hills Vineyard (1 mile east of Hwy 281/290 on RR 2766). For details, call the winery: 830-868-2321.
Each winery will have ribs for 150, so don't dawdle.

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Allegrini, Veronese IGT, Palazzo della Torre 2004, $19.49-$24.99

Wine has been a part of the Allegrini family for generations. Their vineyard, Palazzo della Torre, is a beautifully terraced home to the corvina, rondinella and sangiovese grapes used to make this gorgeous wine.

Part of the wine is made as usual, grapes straight to the fermenter, while a smaller portion of grapes are dried for three months then added to the fermented wine and refermented to add richness and flavor, a process called ripasso.

Layered red and black fruits with an intriguing breath of licorice are packaged in a rich, full-bodied wine that’s perfect for grilled meats or sausage. Widely available at wine stores.

Rebecca Murphy

Looking for more great wines? Check out our Dallas Morning News Wine Competition wine database for the best available.

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At entry-level prices - around $10 a bottle - several wines of Nicolas Catena have earned Robert Parker's "best buy" designation. At the fine-wine end of the spectrum, his 2004 Nicolas Catena Zapata snared a near-perfect 98 from the wine guru.

Just about any way you size them up, whether novice or a connoisseur, the wines of Argentina's Bodega Catena Zapata are worth a look, a taste and, maybe, an investment. Sigel's Elite hosts a tasting 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday. It's free, but RSVP to Mike Friend at the store or 214-635-3162. If you'd like to know more, check out the winery's impressive rundown of endorsements.

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These fuzzy guys from Dallas - Centennial's James Moll (left) and David Saunders - were among the locals sampling and ultimately bidding on the unique lots at the Premiere Napa Valley barrel auction at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone on Saturday in St. Helena.

But wait: recognize that profile over Moll's shoulder? That's Denny Crane or Capt. Kirk, depending on your orientation. Actor William Shatner was among the hundreds of enthusiasts sampling the wines, including the 2006 Silver Oak Vineyards Napa Valley cab, prior to auction.

(The lot was snagged by The Wine House in Los Angeles. If you want a rundown of the event, check out Alder Yarrow's account on vinography. He tasted all 191 wines. Don't it make your white teeth blue?)

Shatner wasn't the only celeb I ran into on my Napa Valley sojourn. And can you say "foie gras dog biscuits" really fast?

Continue reading "Denny Crane samples the Silver Oak" »

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When a tour for wine writers took me to the exclusive caves and cellars of Vineyard 29 (home of the sought-after Aida Zinfandel), who should be there to greet us, but a familiar face from Dallas.

Dan Ha (pictured) served as the sommelier at Nana in Dallas, and many remember when he spent time in Abacus' kitchen. "I've been out here for three years," says Ha, the winery's director of hospitality. He left Dallas to come to Budo, "but when they changed the concept, it was my time to go. I was introduced to Chuck (McMinn)," he says "and the rest is history."

McMinn owns the winery, whose vineyards hug the slope above Highway 29, the main drag through St. Helena. Vineyard 29 also owns the Aida vineyard about 2 miles north. The winery will make only 7,000 cases of wine this year, and in Dallas, you can find it on the lists at Abacus, the Rosewood Mansion Restaurant, Dean Fearing's, Hibiscus, York Street and Aurora. The Vineyard 29 Cru Cabernet Sauvignon is also available retail at select Centennials, PoGo's and State Street Spirits.

If you want to taste at the winery, you have call ahead for an appointment. But there's a two-year wait, Ha says, to get on the mailing list to buy the wines direct.

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Seven Hills, Red Mountain, Klipsun Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, $33.99

Klipsun Vineyard is on Red Mountain in eastern Washington, one of the state’s smallest official wine regions. Owners Patricia and David Gelles sell grapes to a selection of the state’s finest wineries, including Seven Hills.

Here, winemaker Casey McClellan has presided over the transformation of carefully tended, beautifully ripe grapes into a heady potion of concentrated blackberry and blueberry flavors spiced with a bit of vanilla and clove and juxtaposed with vivid acidity and polished tannins. Try it with a roast lamb or mushroom risotto.

Available at Farpointe Cellar.

Rebecca Murphy

Looking for more great cabs? Check out our Dallas Morning News Wine Competition wine database for the best available.

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Flavors From Afar is doing another wine-and-chocolate pairing class, 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday. Four wines will be poured with an array of Italian sweets and chocolates. First, you'll match according to conventional wisdom, then you'll will mix and match what you think goes best.

I've done this before at FFA classes, and it's a great way to learn to trust your palate. Plus, wine and chocolate are a challenge to match, and you'll come away with a better understanding of what works and what fights. No expertise needed; your tastebuds and fellow tasters will guide you.

It's $25; you can go online and register. Or call at 214-696-2327. FFA is at 6712 Snider Plaza, right next door to the newly reopened Doughmonkey retail outlet (but it closes at 5 p.m.).

For more winning wines, check out our Dallas Morning News Wine Competition wine database.

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I'm here in California wine country for a writing symposium, and before getting down to business, I was eagerly anticipating taking in the view from Hawkeye Mountain. This Kendall-Jackson property allows a panoramic perspective that takes in a scenic arc starting with Mendocino County to the north and west, to Geyser Peak, Black Mountain and Mount St. Helena, sweeping south and west again to Napa, Santa Rosa, and on out toward the far west, to Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley and finally the Sonoma Coastal Range. What a view. What a view.

Instead, Kendall-Jackson PR guy and former LA Times photographer George Rose (left) could only hold up his book, The Art of Terroir, and point through a fog as dense as meringue to everything we couldn't see. You'll be able to see the the view, however, and blow-ups of other equally breathtaking photos from the book, as well as taste K-J's high-end Highland Estates wines on March 6 at The Nasher. I wrote about the coming event a few weeks ago, so this is just a reminder. Come and see all I didn't get to. It's 5 to 8 p.m.; free, but call 707-525-6554 or e-mail to RSVP before Monday.

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Sigel's has three excellent tastings coming up:

Tuesday, 6:30 to 8 p.m.: Glenfiddich Single-Malt Scotch Tasting
Glenfiddich rep Sharon Owen will lead a tasting that illustrates the aging process of the best-selling single-malt Scotch in the world, progressing from 12-year-old to 30-year-old; $25. Sigel's Elite, 3209 Fitzhugh at Cole; 214-635-3162.

Thursday, 5 to 7 p.m.: Partida Tequila Tasting and Bottle Signing
Sophia Partida, head of the family company that makes these superb estate-grown tequilas, will be on hand to show and tell why they deserve to be sipped (which they most surely do); $25. Sigel's Elite, 3209 Fitzhugh at Cole; 214-635-3162.

Thursday, 5 to 7 p.m.: Grateful Palate Australian Wines
Robert Parker loves the Australian wines that Dan Philips searches out and brings to America. They're usually big, full, rich, teeth-blackening wines, and even the entry-level Paringa ($10) is an exceptional buy. Two Grateful Palate reps, Joe Eckrich and Neil Deininger, lead a tasting through some of the current releases; free, but RSVP. Sigel's Addison, 15033 Inwood, south of Belt Line; 972-387-9873.

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One of these days, Italian wine producers hope it will be as common to say, "I'm looking for an Italian talento," as it is to say, "I'm interested in a Spanish cava." That's the new term for Italian sparkling wine made using the champagne method, or methode champenoise, a term that's forbidden by the European Union. (You know, protecting the Champagne region.) Italians currently say that such sparkling wines are made in the metodo classico, but that's never really caught on.

That was one of the messages of Mezzacorona winemaker Lucio Matricardi, who breezed through town last week, bringing his company's Rotari Talento Brut and other wines to sample. He's passionate about letting the fruitiness of the chardonnay, which makes up 90 percent of the talento, shine through. Its round, fruity character makes this more approachable than a lot of sparklers, yet it was also crisp and balanced. The aroma reminded me of apple dumplings - and the wine is a good buy at $12 to $13.

We think of Mezzacorona as a mass-market wine, but Matricardi (who grew up in Italy and has Ph.D. from UC Davis) reminded attendees that 1,500 farmers grow grapes for Mezzacorona's wines, and that the average vineyard covers less than 1 hectare (2.47 acres), adding, "I shake your hands 1,500 times for the growers, who thank you guys."

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There are good wines, great wines, and then there are legendary wines -- the ones even a devoted oenophile may never get to taste. Over on Slate.com, Mike Steinberger writes about one such "iconic Bordeaux," the 1947 Cheval Blanc:

In the animated hit Ratatouille, feared critic Anton Ego visits Gusteau's, the restaurant in which the movie is set, and orders a bottle of 1947 Château Cheval Blanc to go with his meal. In a film full of delicious insider moments for foodies, this is a wink to the wine lovers. That's because the '47 Cheval is probably the most celebrated wine of the 20th century. It is the wine every grape nut wants to experience before he dies, a wine that even the most jaded aficionados will travel thousands of miles to taste. Curious to know more about this iconic Bordeaux, I spent some time last year exploring how and why it acquired its exalted reputation.

For more winning wines, check out our Dallas Morning News Wine Competition wine database.

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Yes, Charlie Palmer at The Joule is all the buzz, and even more so now that Drew Hendricks has earned the coveted master sommelier designation. But Charlie Palmer as bargain-wine-list destination?

The words come from wine director Hendricks' own lips. The wine list prices at Charlie Palmer are roughly the same as the standard retail prices at his New Vintage wine shop next door, plus $25 to $35. In a town where many places think nothing of marking up the wine prices 3.5 and 4 times wholesale, that's incredible.

"We're selling a lot of wine because the pricing is so generous," says Hendricks. I'll bet.

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I was going to save this for the Feb. 27 Taste section, but there may not be any slots left by then. Alfonso Cevola, Glazer's Italian Wine Guy, is doing a three-class series about Italian wines at the Italian Club loosely based on his blog, On the Trail in Italy. It's geared for advanced beginners and intermediates who want to delve a little deeper into Italian wines. He says the series is a warm-up for more in-depth classes later in the year. (I can safely say there's no end to this one's passion for Italian wine, as he's the Significant Other to whom I sometimes refer.)

Part 1 (Feb. 27) covers northern Italy: Piedmont, Liguria, Valle d’Aoste, Lombardy and the Valtellina, Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto and Friuli
Part 2 (March 12) hits the central region: Tuscany, Umbria, Abruzzo, Marche, Lazio and Molise
Part 3 (March 26) heads south: Campania, Basilicata, Apulia, Calabria, Sardegna and Sicily

Classes start at 5:45 p.m.; cost is $45 for Italian Club members, $60 for nonmembers. That's for the series. Register online, or call 214-794-0978. The Italian Club is at 14865 Inwood Road.

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Still in Valentine's mode here. Tick tock.

Kim Pierce reports that Ficklin Vineyards' Chocolate Passport and Raspberry Passport wines are so sweet and yummy they could double as dessert toppings.

Read more about Passport wines here, and find out who carries them in Dallas.

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Twenty Bench, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, $16.94-$21.99

To make a Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon of this quality and price requires the insider knowledge of someone like winery owner and viticulturist Jim Regusci, who along with the company marketing team of James Harder and Jim Gill started Nine North Wine Company to search out great grapes or juice looking searching for a home.

From the rich and robust school of wine with layered black fruit and dash of anise sustained by savory acidity and unruffled tannins, Twenty Bench is equally at home with your best grilled steak or juicy burger.

Available at Goody Goody Liquor, Majestic Liquor Stores, Market Street and Whole Foods Market in Plano.

Rebecca Murphy

Looking for more great cabs? Check out our Dallas Morning News Wine Competition wine database for the best available.

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Word just in: Drew Hendricks, sommelier at Charlie Palmer, just earned his master sommelier credential from the Court of Master Sommeliers.

That makes three in the state. Nos. 1 and 2 are Guy Stout (Glazer's) and Barbara Werley (Pappas Bros. Steakhouse).

Way to go, Drew!

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Wines From Spain, a division of the Trade Commission of Spain has released the 2008 Far From Ordinary Wine Guide.

Not just any puff promotoional piece, it's tour of the country's 67 Denominations of Origin with master sommelier/master of wine Doug Frost. It covers history and varietal information and includes tasting notes on 180 wines. Very cool for free at www.winesfromspainusa.com.

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Maybe you already know this little tidbit: Wal-Mart is selling a California wine for $2.97a bottle. If you can believe the blogosphere on this one (and I think you probably can), the Oak Leaf Vineyards brand made in Ripon, Calif., is actually Gallo's way of dealing with a glut of grapes, not unlike Charles Shaw's two-buck-chuck of several years ago.

One of our spies found it on the shelves at the Wal-Mart Super Center on Garland Avenue in Garland. You can get California cab, a pinot grigio-chardonnay blend, chardonnay or merlot. Anybody had the chutzpah to buy one of these and taste it?

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The Spring Mountain Vineyard wine dinner slated for Saturday at the Rosewood Mansion Restauarant is going to be rescheduled at a later date, I'm told by the winery. No other details at this time.

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Home team American Airlines, based in Fort Worth, just scored two nifty awards for its wine service. At the Business Travel Show in London earlier this week, it earned Cellars in the Sky 2007 awards for Best Business Class Wine Cellar and Best Business Class Fortified or Sweet Wine for its La Plaza Vieja, Medium Golden, Emilio Lustau.

Business Traveller Magazine and Wine & Spirit Magazine hold the competition, which recognizes first-class and business-class wines and wine programs on long-distance flights. Twenty-six airlines competed, and the wines all were blind-tasted. Kudos to local expert Diane Teitelbaum, American's wine consultant who puts together the AA wine program.

The award for the best program in first class went to Quantas. For the story and complete results, go to Business Traveller.

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There's a lot of wine writing in the blogosphere, and I admit a fondness for one wine blogger, maybe because (full disclosure) he's the Significant Other I sometimes blather about.

Inspired by a recent visit by Stefano Illuminati, he did an entry the other day on the smell of one Illuminati wine. It's an engaging read with a pleasant twist at the end.

Someone else must think he's kinda good at this, too. He earned a fellowship to the upcoming 2008 Symposium for Professional Wine Writers at Meadowood Napa Valley. His blog is called On the Wine Trail in Italy.

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Sigel's just sent an e-blast on two hot 2005 Bordeaux featured in an upcoming Wine Spectator . These won't be in its stores long:

Château Puygueraud Côtes de Francs 2005 $19.99
“Shows lovely black currant, floral and black licorice notes. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a tight bead of fruit and mineral throughout. Long finish. “ 92 - The Wine Spectator Advance (3/31/08)

Château Caronne-Ste.-Gemme Haut-Médoc 2005 $17.99
“Offers raisin and dried fruit, with very ripe fruit aromas and coffee and oak undertones. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long finish. It’s pumped up, but I like the flamboyant character.” 91 - The Wine Spectator Advance (3/31/08)

Want more wine finds? Check out our database from the Dallas Morning News Wine Competition.

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Adelmo Banchetti, who owns Adelmo's Ristorante, decided at the last minute he had to host a Fat Tuesday wine dinner. So he's put together six courses plus six wines for the occasion; it starts at 6:30 p.m.

The menu includes crab cakes in lobster sauce with a Podere Il Caio Grechetto from Umbria, as well as Charlie's chicken, Italian sausage baked parmigiana and lamb chop Milanese with Placido de la Vega Reserva Tempranillo from Navarra, Spain. And much more. It's $69 a person (plus tax and gratuity); for reservations, call 214-559-0325.

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I got what had to be the last seat in the house for last night's sold-out Illuminati wine dinner at Jimmy's Food Store. I wanted to attend because I had met Stefano Illuminati, last night's guest winemaker, when I visited the vineyards and winery in the Abruzzo region of Italy several years ago.

One of the easiest-drinking, most food-friendly wines I've ever encountered, the Riparosso was one of six featured over the course of the evening. Moreover, they were paired with cuisine from the region, prepared by another Abruzzo native, chef Massimo Ramundi, who's just started his own catering company.

After the antipasti plates were cleared and all the white wines had been tasted, the crowd waited. And waited. Tick, tick, tick. Where was the food?

Continue reading "Illuminati dinner at Jimmy's: new meaning for s-l-o-w food" »

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Three of us Eatsians got a preview peek at the new Stoneleigh Hotel and its Bolla Modern Italian restaurant today. The occasion was a media luncheon for the 2008 Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival, which will happen the second weekend of April.

Bolla is supposed to open in about a month, we heard, though the hotel itself won't be welcoming guests until at least March. There's still a lot of work to be done, inside and out, but we can report that the Stoneleigh is coming along nicely. The sleek, elegant interiors and eye-catching lighting all complement the hotel's well-preserved historic architecture. Later, there will be a new luxury spa opening on the lower level, too.

Bolla is situated in what used to be the old Lion's Den, which is now light-filled, contemporary and pretty much unrecognizable after its makeover. The luncheon crowd was treated to a four-course meal, with wines provided by Fall Creek Vineyards; Winn Meat Co. and Central Market also were sponsors.

Architectural rendering of the Bolla dining room, courtesy of the Stoneleigh Hotel

Continue reading "Previewing Bolla and the new Stoneleigh" »

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Wine drinkers love BYOB. It gives them a chance to match personally selected or favorite wines to a meal - or just bring a bottle purchased at retail, which is usually less than half what wine lists charge (and why the Wine Therapist has a dog in this hunt).

In its most recent newsletter, the Wine Therapist monthly wine group members (head cases in need of serious and ongoing (wine) therapy) came up with what they think are the best.

This is one of the best lists I've seen, to which I would add S&D Oyster Co., which charges a $2.50 set-up fee. My favorites from their picks are Food From Galilee (Lebanese) in Snider Plaza and Amici Signature Italian (upscale, chef-owned) in old downtown Carrollton and Kebab-N-Kurry on North Central.

Read on for the Wine Therapist faves, and you tell me who we've missed - or if you have a fave and why.

Continue reading "The best BYOBs, say Wine Therapist clients" »

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The folks at Off the Vine...Into the Glass hold one upscale tasting every month, and tonight is it for January. They'll be tasting eight wines, including three 2004 Napa cabs (it was a very good year): Midsummer Cellars, Sage Vineyards and Sauvage. It's from 7 to 9 p.m. at Into the Glass, 322 S. Main St., in historic old Grapevine. Cost is $50 a person, but you've got to have a reservation: 817-442-1969.

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Sigel's is cleaning house to make room for the 2005 vintage of Burgundies, whose prices are being pushed up by a weak dollar and strong demand. So Sigel's is pricing selected bottles of older vintages, including those from 1999, at what you might call fire sale prices. Out with the old. In with the new.

There's nothing wrong with the older vintages, by the way (and because this is Burgundy, some should have only improved with age). They've been stored at Sigel's Black Hole Warehouse since they were released, sez Sigel's (and I believe 'em), so they should be in perfect condition. They've been shipped to Sigel's Elite on Fitzhugh at Cole, and I've copied a partial list of what's available. No, I haven't proofed it for errors. I've got to say, though, that I doubt they're marking down an $1800 bottle of wine to $64.99. That's probably a typo.

Continue reading "Sigel's 'perfect storm' for Burgundy lovers" »

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Terroir may not be the first thought that comes to mind with a wine company that produces millions of bottles of wine each year. Nevertheless, Kendall-Jackson Winery's book, The Art of Terroir, is a lovely valentine in pictures and prose depicting its best coastal California vineyards in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Santa Barbara and Monterey counties.

On March 6, the winery brings photos from the book to Dallas, hosting a reception and a tasting of its Highland Estates wines at the Nasher Sculpture Center.

Far from the ubiquitous wines most people associate with the K-J label, these are single-vineyard, small-production reds. I was tasting them today with George Rose, who did the book's photography, and K-J winemaster Randy Ullom over lunch at Al Biernat's.

Continue reading "'Art of Terroir' reception at the Nasher" »

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The press release for this event got in too late for tomorrow's Taste section, but it's a unique and different wine dinner that pairs Napa's Long Meadow Ranch wines with its organic and sustainably-raised olive oil, produce and grass-fed beef on a menu devised by Abacus chef Kent Rathbun.

Christopher Hall, son of owners Ted and Laddie Hall, will be on hand for the Abacus dinner and has been instrumental in developing the family's organic vegetable gardens. He's also Long Meadows' national sales director. Ted and Laddie, by the way, both lived in La Porte, Texas, near Houston for a time growing up.

This promises to be in interesting evening for slow-foodies as much as wine-lovers. It takes place Jan.21 at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $95 a person plus tax plus 20 percent gratuity. Abacus is at 4511 McKinney. To make reservations, call Donna Tanner at 469-867-3681 or e-mail her at donnat@abacus-restaurant.com.

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In Friday's On the Town – our weekly guide to things to do around Dallas – writer Nancy Moore lists five of her favorite places to sip a margarita. She says, "Listing all the margarita watering holes in the Dallas area could be as tricky as counting the stars in the North Texas sky. So we've rounded up a short list of a few old faithful places and profiled their house margaritas." Her picks: Enchilada's, Monica's, Mi Cocina (whose cocktail she dubs her "fav-o-rita"), Matt's Rancho Martinez and – the home of the frozen margarita machine – Mariano's Hacienda.

What's your favorite spot and why?

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Paul DiCarlo at Jimmy's Food Store says that Ruffino has just dropped the price on three of their best-selling wines: Fonte a Sole Sangiovese-Merlot, Libaio Chardonnay and Lumina Pinot Grigio, which will all be open for tasting Saturday noon to 3 p.m.

DiCarlo also says to come by and register for a drawing during that time for a Francis Francis! X5 espresso machine designed by Italian architect Luca Trazzi that has a retail value of $649. The drawing will take place right after the tasting, and you don't have to be present to win.

Jimmy's is at Bryan and Fitzhugh.

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Even if you don't buy a thing, you can still have fun tasting a selection of Argentinean wines Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. at the new City Cafe Gourmet Food & Wine To Go, part of the City Cafe troika on Lovers Lane just west of the tollway. The point is a sale: Get a 10 percent discount on any six bottles from Argentina. And yes, you can mix and match. The tasting part is free, of course.

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'Had to LOL when local wine rep John Bratcher sent this excerpt from a Dave Barry calendar:

"After wine is bottled, it's transported to the Pretentious Phrase Room, where professional wine snots think of ways to make fermented grape juice sound more complex than nuclear physics. At one winery I sampled a Pinot Noir (from the French words "pinot," meaning "type of," and "noir" meaning "wine"). And they handed me a sheet describing the wine as having "classical Burgundian aromas of earth, bark, and mushrooms; dried leaves, cherries; hints of spice and French oak"; and flavors of "blackberry, allspice, cloves, and vanilla, with nuances of toast." Yes! Nuances of toast! I bet they exchanged high fives in the Pretentious Phrase Room when they came up with that one!"

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Even as I post this, the seats are filling up for the "Eight Italians" wine dinner at Jimmy's Food Store on Jan. 16. Each of the eight Italian winemakers and proprietors, whose wines are imported by Vias, will be on hand to open and discuss one of their wines, from Matteo Bisol, whose family makes Bisol proseccos, to Thomas Faure Romanelli of Tuscany's Riseccoli. (He's the grandson of Florentine artist Romano Romanelli.)

The event will be longer than usual and include a five-course meal; registration is at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $99 plus tax per person; it's a pre-pay event. Call now - 214-823-6180 or e-mail paul@jimmysfoodstore.com - to get signed up.

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First there was City Cafe (1985). Then there was City Cafe To Go next door. Now there's City Cafe Gourmet & Wine To Go next door to that.

Probably the owners should flop the name and call it City Cafe Wine & Gourmet, as wine takes up the greater part of the store. It's a nice, compact selection of mostly under $20 bottles from smaller producers, such as locally imported Lorca 2006 Fantasia from Argentina made from the torrontes grape. But there's more.

Continue reading "City Cafe: And then there were three" »

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The Dallas Arboretum offers "Fireside Wine Flights" at the DeGolyer Garden Cafe each weekend in January.

Starting Jan. 4, new wine selections will be offered Fridays through Sundays, 3 to 5 p.m. Price is $42.95 per person, which includes parking and admission. A special cafe menu also will be offered.

The Arboretum is located at 8525 Garland Rd. in Dallas. Call 214-515-6500 for more information, or see the Arboretum's website.

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Both the Wine Spectator and the Wine Advocate's Robert Parker have gushed enthusiastically over the 2005 Bordeaux vintage, calling it one of the best in years. Now Sigel's is honoring the vintage with a dinner Jan. 17 at the Rosewood Mansion Restaurant that includes several of the area's premier producers and/or winemakers, including Jean-Charles Cazes of Lynch-Bages, Lillian Barton-Sartorius of Leoville-Barton and Jean-Guillaume Prats of Cos d'Estournel.

But those are only the honored guests. The real stars will be the seven 2005s plus seven more library Bordeaux that attendees will taste paired with a menu devised by executive chef John Tesar.

Continue reading "2005 vintage fete du Bordeaux" »

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Everybody is gearing up for New Year's. Get in practice with one of these tastings:
FREE FOR ALL: Brut uncorks several sparklers so you can taste before you buy, 5 to 7 p.m. Fridays; free. 5330 E. Mockingbird Lane (Palomar Hotel); 214-827-2788.
SIPPIN' SATURDAY: La Buena Vida Vineyards will have live entertainment to go with tastings, ranging from $6.50 to $9, Saturday 2 to 5 p.m. 416 E. College St., Grapevine; 817-481-9563.
POP THE CORK: Tivoli Wines offers samples of sparklers, from bargain-priced to luxe, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday; free. 62 Main St., Colleyville; 817-581-9463.
And of course, don't overlook our tasting panel's recommendations.

Photo by Evans Caglage

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Click here for drink recipes -- everything from homemade almond liqueur to Mexican coffee. Cheers!

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Paul and Merrill Bonarrigo, the affable proprietors of Messina Hof winery in Bryan, have written Vineyard Cuisine, with favorite recipes and wine pairing-tips. Get a recipe from Vineyard Cuisine here.

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Why wait until New Year's? Check out the Taste wine panel's picks for sparkling wines under $20.
Remember: Shop for others.

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Tito's Handmade Vodka is a Texas success story, produced at Austin's first legal distillery. ('Won't ask how many illigal ones there might be.)

Using corn rather than wheat or potatoes, creator Tito Beveridge distills it six times; furthermore, it's micro-distilled in an old-fsahioned pot still. The turning point for the artisanal vodka was winning double-gold at the 2001 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Meet the maker and taste his down-home vodka Wednesday from 2 to 4 p.m. at Sigel's Addison, 15003 Inwood Road; RSVP at 972-387-9873. It's free.

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You may look high and low for George Dickel No. 8. But you're not likely to find any till after the first of the year. Tennessee's only other whiskey producer besides Jack Daniels tried to compensate for a glut in the 1990s and failed to accurately predict an uptick in demand, according to an Associated Press story in The New York Times.

The distillery stopped production from 1999 to 2003, trying to reduce inventory. Because No. 8 requires fives' aging, that means no inventory - zip, nada - till 2008. By the way, the story notes that George Dickel Whisky No. 8 omits the "e" because its founder "felt his brand had more in common with the finest smooth Scotch whiskies than the more rough-hewn American spirits."

No. 8 lovers will have to console themselves with Dickel's new Cascade Hollow Batch, aged less than three years. Or, horrors, choose another brand. Any whisk(e)y lovers have a better suggestion?

Posted by Kim Pierce at 9:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Sorry to talk hard booze before lunchtime, gang, but I have a pressing question: Where's the best place in Dallas to buy top-shelf bourbon at a good price?

In the last couple weeks, both The New York Times and LA Times have written stories about bourbon's ascendance in popular culture, and included tasting panels offering suggestions in the articles. So, a few of us from the paper are getting together tonight to conduct our own tasting. I've yet to pick up my contribution. I'm looking for a place that has breadth of selection but isn't the highest-ticket alcohol boutique in town. Any thoughts?

Posted by Bill Addison at 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

Where there are grapes, so also there often are olive trees, especially in the Mediterranean. Many wine estates bottle their own oil, but it often never makes it to The States because it falls 'twist and 'tween importers. Wine importers aren't set up to market olive oils, and food importers often don't want to take on a small-lot, single item.

Chateau Wine Market's Amier Taherzadeh has made the process easier locally by importing bottles of the artisanal olive oil along with the wines of four estates. For the food-and-wine geek that you love, it's a killer gift combination.

Continue reading "Single-estate Italian wine and olive oil" »

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If you missed out on the recent sold-out wine dinner at Jimmy's Food Store with Giulio Galli, he's doing an encore performance Thursday at Positano for chef Antonio Avona's annual wild game dinner. Different menu, to be sure, but you'll get the same expert patter that makes Galli - an Italian by birth and a Texan by marriage - so engaging. I wrote about a tasting with him at Cafe Capri in Las Colinas.

The format is slightly different: Seatings take place between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Galli will greet each table, as well as talk generally about the wines. It's $75 a person (plus tax and gratuity). Positano is at 18111 Preston at Frankford. Call 972-407-9180 to reserve.

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Find out which wines the Taste wine panel chose for holiday giving.

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If the name Steven Kent doesn’t immediately ring a bell, that’s because the full name of Livermore’s Steven Kent Winery owner is Steven Kent Mirassou. He’s a sixth-generation California winemaker, although his family sold the Mirassou name to Gallo years ago. He's an elusive guy on the Web - no bio on the Web site - but he made some interesting comments about changing weather in California recently on the NBC affiliate in San Francisco.

In 1996, his father started Steven Kent to make cabernet sauvignon, and today it produces about 7,000 cases, mostly cab. Besides the fact that David McMillan will be preparing the menu, the dinner’s notable because Steven Kent wines are rarely sold outside the winery or a couple of wine clubs.

The dinner is at 6:30 p.m. Thursday; $75 (plus tax and gratuity). 62 Main, Colleyville; 817-605-0858.

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The Lifehacker blog is all about finding better ways to get through life easily. This week, one of their best posts is Top 10 food and drink hacks, including such things as how to cut an onion without crying and how to chill a Coke in two minutes. My favorite? This video on how to open a beer with just a piece of paper. Check it out!

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Here's a wine tasting Saturday that missed getting into the Taste section today:

Farpointe Cellar will feature wines from the Wine Spectator's Top 100 in its weekly wine tasting, Friday 4 to 11 p.m. and Saturday 1 to 11 p.m. Choose from two five-wine flights; $15 per flight. Southlake: 721 E. Southlake Blvd.; 817-416-7500. Frisco: Legacy at State Highway 121; 214-618-9886.

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Inwood Estates Vineyards and City Cafe team to present the launch of a new wine society with a dinner and preview party. The dinner features the three Inwood Estates wines plus Gruet Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine from New Mexico.

Menu selections include a java-cured elk chop with root vegetable gratin, braised fennel bottoms, and cranberry compote. Dessert will be a Valrhona dark chocolate lava cake with chocolate-sambucca sauce and cinnamon gelato. For the complete menu, go the Inwood Estates Web site.

You needn't be a member of the Fine Wine & Dine Society to attend. It's at 7 p.m. Dec. 4 at City Cafe, 5757 W. Lovers Lane, just east of the tollway. Cost is $80 (gratuity not included) per person. Call 214-351-2233 for reservations.

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The Flying Saucer hosts a tasting of seven Belgian beers with Brad Batson of Belukus Marketing to provide the commentary. Beers include Malheur Brut and Dark Brut; Lefebvre Blanche de Bruxelles, Liefmans Goudenband, Frambozen and Lucifer; and De Koninck Ale.

Festivities start at 7 p.m. Monday; it's $30 for U.F.O.Club members, $35 for non. The Flying Saucer is at 14999 Montfort Drive in Addison.

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Back in the summer, I had dinner with Giulio Galli, the charming wine director for Blavod imports, and got to taste a number of his wines that will be featured at Wednesday's wine dinner at Jimmy's. Galli is Italian by birth, San Antonian by marriage. So on the one hand, he understands the Old World sensibility about making wine, but lives, day in day out, in the real world of American wine-drinking.

I blogged about a couple of the wines, including the rose sparkler that's in the dinner's lineup. And I've got a tasting note in the hopper for Taste about the Baroncini Il Santo, a traditonal holiday wine. Others to taste Wednesday, all from Baroncini: Orvieto, Chianti, Morellino di Scansano, Vino Nobile and Brunello. Also Super-Tuscan Petra Quercegobbe.

The DiCarlo brothers are pairing these wines with a feast that includes an antipasti buffet, pasta with rapini sausage, lamb shank with vegetables, and some of their sister's fab desserts. Nothing like a hearty dinner to fortify you for the holidays.

It's happening Wednesday at 7 p.m. (check in 6:30 p.m.) at Jimmy's Food Store, 4910 Bryan at Fitzhugh. Make your reservation at paul@jimmysfoodstore.com.

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The Flying Saucer in Addison unveils its Turkey of the Year Glass Wednesday at 7 p.m. And this year's honor goes to none other than Michael Vick, the Atlanta Falcons quarterback who reported to jail early Monday ahead of his Dec. 10 sentencing for his role in a dog-fighting conspiracy.

The beer glasses have become an annual tradition at Flying Saucers across the country, and once they go on sale - for a "nominal" price the PR firm can't disclose - they go quickly. The Flying Saucer is at 14999 Montfort Drive in Addison. And, hey, the one in For Worth is doing this, too.

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It's not too late to sign up for the vintage Armagnac seminar with Alain Royer at Sigel's Elite on Saturday. An expert on Cognac and Armagnac, Cognac-maker Royer created Chateau Lafite Rothschild's own as well as the De Fussigny series of Cognac.

I went to a Slow Food meeting where he spoke a few months ago, and his stories are as fascinating as his spirits. He also scolded us for swirling our Armagnac, so don't do it if you go. On Saturday, he'll talk about the estate of Chateau du Busca, whose Cognac he revived, and the same Verveine du Velay liqueurs made with herbal essences and honey. The tastings and seminar are free.

The first session is full. The second session is from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. and the third session is from 4 to 5 p.m. Call for reservations: 214-635-3162. Sigel's Elite is at 3209 N. Fitzhugh at Cole.

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Beaujolais Nouveau -- a light, fruity red wine released from French wineries on the third Thursday of November -- will be the star Friday evening at the 24th Annual Beaujolais Wine Festival.

The event, held at the World Trade Center, is organized by the French-American Chamber of Commerce D/FW and sponsored by an array of area restaurants and other businesses. Former WFAA-TV-Channel 8 weather guru Troy Dungan, a local oenophile of note, will serve as master of ceremonies.

Tickets are $55 per person in advance, $60 at the door. Call 972-241-0111 or register online at www.faccdallas.com

Beaujolais Nouveau: So young to be out on its own. (Chicago Tribune file photo)

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If there's a wine lover on your holiday gift list, a very special wine lover, who's got a wee bit of tasting experience under his or her palate, Off the Vine in Grapevine has three terrific-sounding gift sets embedded with some top-flight wines.

These are six-bottle sets of wines in the 90-plus range on the Robert Parker or Wine Spectator scales, so you don't have to second-guess. And in the best tradition of fear-of-loss selling, quantities are limited, so when they're gone, they're gone. The prices are about 10 percent off retail if you assembled the bottles yourself. (Some really are sold out at the winery.)

Continue reading "Wine-tasting sets to wow from Off the Vine" »

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This is not exactly breaking news, but the Wine Therapist on Lovers Lane has closed. Back in September. Hmmm, since we didn't notice till I overheard someone talking about it the other day at the gym, kinda tells you something.

Not to despair. The Skillman location is alive and thriving, and the therapist is in. Owner Phillip Nikpour says the Lovers Lane spot just never caught on like the one in Lakewood, so he cut his losses to concentrate on the primary location. The Wine Therapist has always been a great spot to discover new, interesting and not-so-expensive wines. Plus, it's a great hangout. Got a wine spot that you really like?

Posted by Kim Pierce at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Vin Classic Wines in Plano hosts a free tasting, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. tonight, but you need to RSVP at 214-635-3162 or e-mail Mike Friend or Robin Ross.

Jan Krupps, who owns Krupps Brothers Estates, Veraison Vineyards and Stagecoach Vineyard, will be leading a tasting through his current releases.

Felix Forte, a cheese expert with the French cheese firm Fromi, leads a tasting of French artisanal cheeses that include Pyramides (Loire Valley), Gaperon (Auvergne), Petit Jurrasic (Jura), Langres (Champagne), Gres des Vosges (Alsace),
Petit Livarot (Normandy), Fromage de Savoie, Delice d'Argental (Burgundy) and Fromage de Clarines (Savoie).

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Kim McPherson is one of Texas' most talented winemakers. Although he made wine for Cap*Rock for years, it was the wines he produced under his own label (making the wine where he could wedge in and do so) that turned heads.

Now he's gotten the financial backing to build his own McPherson Cellars winery, and it's going in the old Coca Cola bottling plant in Lubbock. The front door of his wife's winery and tasting room, La Diosa Cellars, faces the back door of the old-new facility.

The bare bones of the operation should be up and running just after the first of the year. A snazzy tasting room and party facility are scheduled to follow. Lubbock par-tay, anyone?

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You can read the obit in today's paper. I just wanted to add some context for new-timers who havent a clue who Al was, plus relate a story from early DMN clips.

Al Moulin, along with Tony LaBarba and Victor Wdowiak, were wine guys who in the '60s and '70s brought the message of wine to the wilderness that was Dallas, hitting their stride in the '80s, as the city's restaurant scene boomed and lots of people wanted to get beyond ordering Piesporter or Mateus.

What many folks didn't know was that Al set up the first all-American wine cellar at the White House, during the Johnson administration in 1965. But he had to agree to keep it hush-hush, according to his daughter, Mercedes Moulin Meier, because the country was still feeling sentimental about the Kennedys, who definitely did not have American wines in their cellar.

Continue reading "Remembering Al Moulin" »

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Jimmy's is having a pre-inventory wine sale this Saturday and Sunday: 20 percent off all wines. Don't bother calling and asking them to hold something for you. Get yourself up and get over there: they're opening at 8 a.m. Saturday for the sale. Remember, though -- no wine sales until noon on Sunday.

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You there, Chateau Margaux, you get to come, and you get to pour one wine that's scored 90 or higher in the Wine Spectator. That's one wine, got it? And hey, that goes for you, too, Gaja, Opus One and Dom Perignon.

With that strict critieria, 259 wineries and estates got invited to cram into two ballrooms at the Marriott Marquis in New York for the Wine Spectator's New York Wine Experience international tasting, which started last night and continues tonight. On Thursday, the crowds were as thick as a mosh pit, and the heat beating down from the lights cranked up the crush.

What a range you get with the 90-plus profiles, from Dr. Loosen, with his brilliant sweet-crisp 2005 Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Beerenauslese Long Gold Cap, to Clarendon Hills' drop-dead, Old World gorgeous Australian 2004 Astralis. And that's a syrah, thank you, not a shiraz.

But wait, in this heady group were three producers with Texas ties.

Continue reading "Texans at the New York Wine Experience" »

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Hugh and Pam Hamilton, who own Hugh Hamilton Wines down under, were in town yesterday to show their new vintages, and we met up at The Fish, the swank sushi-and-more spot in West Village next to Cork. Theirs was no ordinary wine producer visit - it will end with a flogging - which I'll explain in a minute.

In the ongoing quest for wines that go with sushi or sashimi, add Hugh Hamilton Verdelho (pronounced ver-day-ho or ver-dello), an Australian take on a Portuguese varietal. In Hugh's hands, this unwooded white has a fresh citrus-tropical entry that turns almost lime on the palate with palate-cleansing crispness and a soft, almond finish.

But here's the catch - or the one that almost got away: The extremely small-production wine is available only at The Fish. They're both worth checking out (miso black cod: drooler city).

Continue reading "A sushi wine at The Fish" »

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Paula's Texas Orange and Paula's Texas Lemon are two wickedly wonderful citrus liqueurs. They are quite nice on their own, but Quintessential Chocolates Company of Fredericksburg goes Paula one better by using the Texas Orange as the filling in dark chocolate candies.
Here's where to order Paula's Texas Orange chocolates. They're $6.50 plus shipping for a box of six pieces (a convenient size for filling a Christmas stocking).
Quintessential Chocolates also makes chocolates filled with various wines and spirits, including some Texas wines.

Posted by Cathy Barber at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Looking for a gift for the budding oenophile on your holiday list? Try the three-DVD box set of Uncorked! Wine Made Simple ($49.95), a six-episode series featuring Ted Allen, the culinary expert from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.

Viewers will learn the essentials of wine selection, meet industry personalities and join the host on tours of the California wine country and key regions of France. The set also includes 15 bonus features such as cooking demos and wine pairings.

Uncorked! is available at major retailers and through Amazon.com.

Posted by Joyce Saenz Harris at 5:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jean-Baptiste Cristini, bouyant export manager for boutique Champagne producer Delamotte, dropped by Salum last week to shower a few writer types with his bubbly. Not literally, of course. Not at these prices. (Vintage bottles are upwards of $150.) He brought out some rare vintages that are virutally unavailable as well as the entry-level brut non-vintage, which is, to the rest of us, quite an elegant under-$50 champagne.

All the chardonnay and pinot noir grapes come from Grand Cru vineyards - Grand Cru is the top tier - and the house is situated in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, in the heart of the chardonnay country, Cotes des Blancs, from which all the great houses draw their chardonnay.

The Delamotte brut is 50 percent chardonnay, 30 percent pinot noir and 20 percent pinot meunier. "In our non-vintage, we're focusing on a very fresh style," says Cristini, who was born in South Africa, but left at the age of 16 to live in Burgundy. Although it's non-vintage, most of the chardonnay is from 2004.

The result is a crisp, toasty, white peach-pear nose that opens, upon sipping, to a creamy texture, fine bubbles and coconut-vanilla undercurrent tickled by wet stone. An easy toast, with a pedigree of elegance, to be sure.

When asked whether his company is seeing any climate changes that some people might link to global warming, Cristini says only, "We've started to plant in Dover [England]." That's where the terroir of Champagne extends under the English Channel, although heretofore most of the region has been too cold for grape-growing. Nothing like planning ahead for a house that's been around since 1760.

Delamotte brut nonvintage is $48.99 at Pogo's.

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What a wonderful sight at the State Fair: a wine pavilion (back side of the Cotton Bowl) complete with tastings from select local wineries. It was a great opportunity to taste CrossRoads Winery's CSM, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, syrah and mourvedre, poured by winemaker John Otis.

Back in April, wine writer Wes Marshall mentioned how good this Frisco winery's red blend was, and I have to agree: It made for a rich, ripe, round mouthful with soft tannins, good on its own or ready for red meat, like braised lamb. Check it out: 4 tickets for a 2-ounce taste.

It's about time the fair recognized Texas' growing wine industry, the same way you can get a heads-up on Texas food products in the Food & Fiber Pavilion. Very cool to see that Aye Chihuahua! has added rubs to its barbecue sauce line. Personally, this is where I buy stocking stuffers for Christmas, like salt-water taffy, flavored pecans and jerky (Dr Pepper flavor this year).

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James McCartney, Diageo's master of whiskey, comes to the Sigel's in Addison to lead a tasting about the best way to drink Johnnie Walker Gold Label: frozen.

Here's what Sigel's says in its PR material: Freezing the whiskey for at least 24 hours enhances the soft notes and makes it smoother. When it warms in your mouth, it releases its flavors with great intensity.

Sounds interesting. The tasting is from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday. The address is 15003 Inwood Road.

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Wednesday marks the soft opening of Goody Goody Liquors in Little Elm. No big deal, except that this is a store to rival the best of the newbies in North Texas, according to our spy on the go. "It's like the Epcot of wine," with wine sections arranged by country and region in a way that makes you feel as if you're entering that part of the world, complete with murals. Extremely well done, sez he. It's at 103 State Highway 423, which is the main drag through the Colony linking State Highway 121 and U.S. 380. This is on the way to my dad's place in Aubrey; I'll be there soon.

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A few nights ago, I was at beer and spirits importer Mark Monfrey's house with a group of Slow Foodies to taste with French spirits-maker Alaine Royer. As he poured his Chateau du Busca Armagnacs, he noticed some of us reflexively swirling our glasses, wine-style, a no-no.

For this, we earned a short lecture. "Avoid swirling spirits," he said. "If you swirl, it pushes the alcohol up." Meaning it releases too much of the alcohol vapors. Sure enough, this produced a nasal smack-down that obscured the subtle aromas. Instead, he said, "Put your nose very slowly up to it [the glass]." And yes, inhale. Slowly. (Several of the Armagnacs were gold medalists at the 2007 San Francisco Spirits competition.)

While others waxed rhapsodic about the Armagnacs, Cognac and Burgundian brandy, I was most intriqued by the Verviene de Velay liqueurs made with herb essences and honey. The jaune (yellow) contained 32 essences, and smelled and tasted of verbena, camomile, anise, coriander and thyme with a distinct lavender note on the finish. (A shout-out to Mary Kimbrough for detecting that.) The vert (green) had more emphasis on the green herbs, like thyme and verbena, for a richer, more complex bouquet. Both were just luscious.

Serve them, Alain said, icy cold from the freezer, like limoncello. Boy, does that sound good. They'll be at Sigel's as soon as the truck arrives. A selection of the Armagnacs are already at Sigel's, and at Pogo's.

Posted by Kim Pierce at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

You're invited to join beer-lovers around the world in raising a toast to English writer Michael Jackson , as well as raise money to fight Parkinson's disease, which contributed to his death on Aug. 30. The National Toast takes place locally at 8 p.m. Sunday at the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium in Addison, honoring the memory of the critic who has probably done more to improve beer's stature in the world than anyone else. He was 65 when died of Parkinson's and diabetes. No crying in your beer, now. The Flying Saucer is at 14999 Montfort.

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You might think of the State Fair as being more of a biergarten kind of place -- but lovers of the grape will also have a place to gather during October, which is Texas Wine Month.

The State Fair of Texas Wine Garden will let fairgoers explore the world of Lone Star winemakers. The state has 135 wineries and 210 commercial vineyards in operation, according to the Texas Department of Agriculture, which is presenting the wine garden with sponsorship by Kroger.

There will be scheduled tastings throughout the Fair, which starts today and goes through Oct. 21. Experts will answer questions and conduct "Wine 101" classes for those who want to learn more.

You can find the Texas Wine Garden on Nimitz Drive, across the street from the Creative Arts Building.

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One of Napa Valley's premier wineries is Opus One, a cab-based Bordeaux-style blend that debuted in 1978 as a joint venture for Robert Mondavi and the Baron Philippe de Rothschild.

So for North Texas oenophiles, it's big news that Bijoux will be debuting the 2004 Opus One wines in Dallas.

Chef-owner Scott Gottlich and his wife, sommelier Gina Gottlich, have planned a wine dinner for Oct. 17, with a vertical tasting of the Opus One wines. Each of the four courses in this meal will be paired with an Opus One vintage from 2001, 2002, 2003 and finally the debut of 2004. Guests also will attend a pre-dinner reception at 6:30 p.m., with caviar and hors d’oeuvres accompanied by a 1995 vintage Krug Champagne.

Chef Gottlich's menu has a first course of toro (Japanese belly tuna) and foie gras, followed by squab with ravioli, then an entrée featuring Kobe beef and lobster, with bittersweet chocolate cranberry cake for dessert.

The event is $500 per person. For reservations, call 214-350-6100.

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Next month's issue of Decanter magazine (November) looks at the carbon imprint of wineries. But even before it hits the newsstands comes this tout from Cono Sur Vineyards & Wineries, some of whose vineyards are located way, way, way down in southern Chile.

The winery is the first in the world to achieve global CarbonNeutral delivery status in accordance with the CarbonNeutral Co., which evaluates CO2 emissions from shipping and helps companies achieve a zero balance through offsets. One of those for Cono Sur is support of a wind-energy project in Turkey.

Cono Sur wines are available locally. I can't wait to see how the rest of the wineries shake out.

Posted by Kim Pierce at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dallas' first champagne boutique pops the cork.

Photo: Courney Perry

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There’s a good reason for party hoppers to check out the Cape’s late-night Afterburn Party tonight. A part of the proceeds from bar sales (from midnight to closing) will benefit Love for Children Inc., which seeks to help children with debilitating illnesses.

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SushiSamba’s Sambatini (bartender-created drink) for September is Emerald Forest, made with Bacardi Coco, mango, lime and pineapple juices, Midori and more. $11 for a 4-ounce serving.

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We ran into Zin Zen Wine Bistro 's Luetta Probst at Jimmy's Food Store Monday night, enjoying an Italian wine dinner put on by Tricana Imports and scoping out new wines for her McKinney wine bar. Everything was going just swimmingly till we got to the Soletta Dolce Valle, a limited-production moscato from Sardinia (only 325 cases made). One sip, and Ms. Probst exclaimed, "That's a diabetic coma in a glass! I'm ready to drive home now."

I really enjoyed it - fresh and not cloyingly sweet like some dessert wines. But I confess a complete weakness for the Savese Pichierri Terrarosa Primitivo di Manduria, a red wine from Puglia that's like Love Potion No. 9 to me. The intense, concentrated plummy, red fruit aromas and flavors are infused with a distinctly earthy quality that may be the result of the wine's spending time in earthenware amphorae before it goes into oak. Oh, lip-smacking yum.

Both wines are for sale at Jimmy's.

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The Friday wine tastings at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Irving have quite a following. This week, gain insights from sommelier James Tidwell and certified wine educator and chef de cuisine Katie Natale while you taste biodynamic wines from around the world, with an appetizer walk-around. (Biodynamics is a holistic approach to grape-growing.) It's from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday; $40 (plus tax and gratuity). Four Seasons Resort and Club, 4150 N. MacArthur Blvd., Irving; 972-717-2420.

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New Age, Mendoza, San Rafael, White Wine nonvintage, $9.49

Meant for warm-weather sipping with friends, this is a nonserious wine produced by a serious winery. It is made with sauvignon blanc and malvasia grapes, so floral, herbal, spicy, peachy aromas and flavors abound. The winemaker keeps the wine slightly sweet and fizzy with less than 10 percent alcohol by stopping the fermentation. That helps it go down easily, especially in sultry weather. Try it on the rocks with a twist of lemon or a wedge of lime. Available at Central Market and Corner Wines in Plano.

Rebecca Murphy

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Instead of driving out to the far north Frisco location of Crossroads Winery, you can taste a selection of the wines between 4 and 7 p.m. today and tomorrow at Kegs & Barrels in Plano. Winery owner John Otis will be there pouring the wine today. Selections include the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Vintner's Blend Red and Vintner's Blend White. Ausitn wine writer Wes Marshall has praised the young winery's efforts. Kegs & Barrels is at 1905 W. 15th St. in Plano.

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GermanDeli.com in Southlake just sent over a basket of elderflower syrup. This did not excite me all that much until I read the release and determined that I could put a photo of George Clooney on the blog. So that's good.

Here's the deal. George Clooney likes the elderflower cocktail and wanted to serve it in Las Vegas at a party for the opening of Ocean's 13 during the CineVegas film festival. He wanted to serve 800 of them, to be exact. GermanDeli did the math and shipped the syrup just in time for the party.

Here's the recipe if you want to try it:

D'arbo Elderflower Cocktail: In a shaker, combine 1 cup tonic water, 1/2 cup Ciroc vodka, 1/4 cup D'arbo Elderflower Syrup, 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1 stalk of lemon grass, finely sliced, plus 3 or 4 ice cubes. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a stick of lemon grass.

The syrup is currently on sale for $15.99 for a 500-ml bottle.

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Tuscan winery Castello di Gabbiano is teaming with Arts Fighting Cancer to present Gabbiano Nights, four Thursdays of free outdoor movies starting at 8 p.m. at Lee Park, 3333 Turtle Creek Blvd.

Bring a blanket or short lawn chairs, food and drink, and enjoy these Italian-connected classics under the stars. Sample Gabbiano wines, too, if you're over 21; free.

Here's the schedule:

Sept. 6: Roman Holiday

Sept. 13: Cinema Paradiso

Sept. 20: Moonstruck with a live cooking demonstration featuring chef Claud Mann from TBS' Dinner and a Movie

Sept. 27: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Talk about something for everybody.

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The James Beard Foundation is celebrating 20 years of fabulous foodie-ness with 20 simultaneous food festivals across the country. Dallas will host one of the events Sept. 28 and 29. Patrick O'Connell of the Inn at Little Washington, in Washington, Va., is the featured guest of the dinner at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 28. The fundraiser benefits the foundation and Dallas Farmers Market Friends and will feature creations by chefs Anthony Bombaci of Nana, Kent Rathbun of Abacus and Jasper's, Julia Lopez and Dunia Borga of La Duni, and Brian Olenjack of Olenjack's Grille; $225. Hilton Anatole Hotel, 2201 Stemmons Freeway.

If you can't swing the dinner, don't feel left out. Plan instead to attend the free festival at Williams-Sonoma at NorthPark Center (Central Expressway at Northwest Highway). Activities include tastings, demonstrations and a cookbook signing by Mr. O'Connell, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 29. 214-485-7300. Read more about the Dallas Beard Foundation events here.

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The New York Times reports this morning that a man in Greece saved "his life, his house and possibly his neighborhood" by fighting one of the fires with wine after water ran out. He poured 200 liters in all on the flames using a hand-pumped crop sprayer. Talk about quick thinking.

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In observation of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts' 100th anniversary, the Fairmont Dallas will present a menu of six new cocktails, "inspired by the brand's legendary hotels around the world."

Moet & Chandon champagne and Moet's Cuvee du Centenaire blend Grand Marnier are used in the French 100 cocktail and in the Cien Sonrisas, an amber margarita. Other centennial drink specials at the Fairmont include the Cosmo 2K, the Fairmont Plunge, the Very Sexy and the XO Rocks.

The new drinks will be available only at the Fairmont, starting in September and through the end of 2007.

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This week, Jimmy's Food Store teams with Campania Pizza for a wine-and-pizza Saturday tasting session. The wines include a primativo (one of my favorite Italian grapes) and a negroamaro from Puglia. The tasting is free, from noon to 3 p.m. Jimmy's is at 4901 Bryan at Fitzhugh.

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Champagne, we know. It’s France’s premier sparkling-wine region, and only sparkling wines made there may be called Champagne. Considerably less familiar, Franciacorta is Italy’s premier sparkling-wine region, nestled in the foothills of the Alps.

Contadi Castaldi is one of the area’s top producers, using methode champenoise to make its sparkling wines (the way they’re made in Champagne). Yet, in typical Italian fashion, these sparklers are not treated exclusively as sparkling wines. They also are served like still wines in regular wine glasses.

Pour the Contadi Castaldi Franciacorta Brut ($25) into a champagne flute, and it festoons the wine with bubbles. Serve it in a wine glass, and the action quiets, except in your mouth. I prefer the former, but then, I’m not Italian. Either way, toasty aromas of straw and earth that flirt with apple and citrus become broad and round when rolled on the palate. The friendly, nonvintage brut is made with chardonnay, pinot bianco and pinot nero (pinot noir).

Its sister wine, Contadi Castaldi’s 2001 Rosé ($30), is another sparkling find, with deep, rich berry fruit from pinot nero. But a wow moment occurs when it erupts on the finish mid-palate like a mushroom cloud of gossamer, cherry-cordial essence.

They’re both at Jimmy’s Food Store.

Kim Pierce

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J, Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir 2005, $28.39-$34.99

J Vineyards established its name with excellent sparkling wines made from pinot noir and chardonnay. So it should be no surprise that it also can make still wines such as this scrumptious pinot noir from Sonoma County’s prestigious Russian River Valley. Enticing spicy, cherry and raspberry aromas invite a sip of refined and layered cherry-vanilla flavors outlined with vibrant acidity and burnished tannins longing for the companionship of grilled salmon.

Available at Central Market, Goody Goody Liquor and Whole Foods Market.

Rebecca Murphy

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Give a shout out for D'Lynn Proctor from "Wine'tastic! in Dallas. He snagged the third-runner-up spot in the Texas' Best Sommelier competition at the third annual Texas Sommelier Conference, held Aug. 19-20 in Austin.

I can't emphasize enough how tough this competition is. Limited to 25 candidates, it requires mastery in tasting, service and theory. Finalists were evaluated by Master Sommeliers from around the country, many of whom led seminars at the conference, designed to help aspiring sommeliers earn their certification.

Continue reading "Almost Texas' best sommelier" »

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Lotus Lounge details here. Due date for McKinney Avenue nightspot: early September.

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Peter Mondavi Jr. -- son of Peter Sr., nephew of Robert -- dished about his family tree on a recent swing through Dallas. Read more about the Mondavi family saga here.

Peter's family actually owns the Charles Krug Winery. The 2004 Charles Krug Yountville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($26, widely available), the winery's lead wine, is indicative of changes at the winery. It shies away from California's big-red trend to achieve a more restrained and inviting balance. Aromas of blackberries and currants are nestled into distinct rose-petal tones that develop in your mouth with round, approachable tannins and a spicy finish.
Kim Pierce

Peter Mondavi photographed by Evans Caglage

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If you love to savor good tequila (slam-backers can skip this), make it point to drop by Sigel's Addison or Sigel's Elite after work Tuesday and sample Partida Tequilas with Sophia Patrida, head of the family company that makes these superb spirits. She basically takes a winemaking approach, starting with the blue agave as it's grown in the fields. Then she uses stainless steel tanks and modern techniques to exact the essence of the agave nectar. The result is a smooth, nuanced experience. It would be a sin to slam it down. She'll be pouring 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Addison (15003 Inwood Road) and 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Sigel's Elite (Cole at Fitzhugh).

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They're natural pardners, right? Let Texas' only Master Sommelier, Guy Stout, show you how these seemingly disparate forces can meet and meld with delicious results at a live taping of KLIF's "Taste of..." series with Dan Potter and chef Sharon Van Meter Tuesday. Cost is $40, and because the taping starts promptly at 6:30, you have to get there at 6. It's at the Milestone Culinary Center, 4531 McKinney. Call 214-217-2818 for your reservation.

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Maybe wine's not quite your thing. Two Texarkana women have come up with Wine Glace, a powdered mix for turning wine into frosty wine-a-ritas.

A 12-ounce package makes 24 ounces of wine-a-ritas. Wine Glacé is about $12 at Flavors From Afar, The Connoisseur in Plano, and some WineStyles stores including McKinney, North Richland Hills and Rowlett. Or check their web site.

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At the new Fearing's restaurant (due to open in one week, on Aug. 15) is a cool hideaway called the Rattlesnake Bar. Among the luxe touches by designer Bill Johnson: an antique mirror on the wall of the back bar and huge stitched panels of leather on the walls and ceiling.

The chandeliers are massed pieces of Italian glass shaped like horns. The entry arch, like others in the restaurant, is framed in huge pieces of honey-colored onyx, lit from within and resembling stained glass. The floors are "Jerusalem Gold" limestone, from the West Bank of Israel.

The bar itself has a parquet top made of 3,600 pieces of mesquite wood. The top rail is a faux rattlesnake, complete with head at one end and tail at the other.

"What I love about it is, you could be in Paris, London or New York," says chef/owner Dean Fearing. "This is a classic bar." It will also, he says, have its own bar-food menu.

Concept drawing of the Rattlesnake Bar, courtesy of Fearing's

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Jimmy's will play host to Tuscan winemaker Flippo Chia of Castello Romitorio Monday, Aug. 6, from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Circolo del Vino. It's a last-minute booking of a winemaker on a whirlwind tour.

Says the e-mail alert: "His father, Artist Sandro Chia, acquired the estate in 1984 and he transformed the land into vineyards, constructed a cellar and hired one of Italy's leading oenologists. The family's philosophy is the pursuit of excellence at any cost and the belief of quality over quantity. This had led the family to produce only D.O.C.G & D.O.C. wines on the estate. Filippo will be bringing 2 of his wines Romito del Romitorio ($45.99) and the Morellino di Scansano ($21.99)."

Oh, yeah: It's free. Jimmy's Food Store is at Bryan and Fitzhugh.

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As comfort food goes, chicken potpie is right up there, even if it often means the frozen kind. At Sigel's in Addison, deli manager Theresa Magee not only makes a mean chicken potpie, she ramps up the whole concept using duck. And what a duck potpie it is, starting with papery, flaky pastry. Inside, voluptuous white sauce with flickers of white wine and parmesan envelops so much duck that it's the first ingredient listed on the label. A few veggies, including corn, carrots, peas and green beans, round out Ms. Magee's recipe. The 8-inch pies are sold frozen, $8.99 for duck and $6.99 for chicken. They're also sold at the new Sigel's Elite on Fitzhugh at Cole.

Kim Pierce

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Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery, Sonoma County, Zinfandel 2005, $9.99-$14.99

Here’s the wine to have on hand for summer barbecue and grilling. Juicy black cherry, raspberry and blackberry flavors intertwined with a touch of vanilla and toast are enhanced with bright acidity and sleek tannins. Perhaps the nicest feature of this wine is that its alcohol level is 13.5 percent, not the currently fashionable 15 to 16 percent, which means you can enjoy it with food. Central Market, Mr. G’s, Spirits of Granbury, and Whole Foods Market Highland Park.

Rebecca Murphy

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Times Ten Cellars in Lakewood will mark its second birthday this Wednesday and plans to celebrate the old fashioned way: with hors d'oeuvres, desserts and wine specials.

Stop by from 5 to 9 p.m. and get half-price wine by the glass as well as select wines by the bottle at just $8 (take-home only).

Really love the vino lifestyle? The grape boutique is looking for volunteers to join them at their vineyard in Alpine, TX to help harvest during the first two weeks of September. How you spend your off hours there is up to you.

'Nuff said.

Photo by Courtney Perry: Times Ten owners (L to R) ...Rob Wilson , Chris Lawler, and Kert Platner.

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More about the new Brut champagne boutique here.

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Yes, there's a lot going on today. But in the rush, don't overlook this cool video of Blythe Beck, the naughty chef of Hector's on Henderson, making deviled eggs. Not just any deviled eggs. Blythe brings the bling with lobster and caviar. They're not on the regular menu, but she's serving them this week at the restaurant. They're just the thing with a nice summer rose, and we've got those too. Check it out.

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We are told (by a PR person, of course) that Tuesday is National Tequila Day.

Please, folks, a reality check. This is Texas -- land of the margarita and the mojito.

Every day is Tequila Day.

But while we're on the subject: Any nominations out there for the best margarita in Dallas?

Not the frozen kind, the mixed kind. On the rocks, and maybe with a salt rim.

You know the drill. Send 'em in, and we'll share. Cheers!

(Photo: Larry Crowe, AP)

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Brut, a champagne tasting room/lounge, has opened at Hotel Palomar. More here.

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The theme is Sicilian at Jimmy's wine tasting Saturday from noon to 3 p.m., and you can always count on the local Sicilians and Sicilian wannabes to bring a little something extra to the table. Like Joe Piccola's pasta con sarde, which he's making especially for the occasion. Also, Adelmo Banchetti (from Adelmo's) will be waving the Sicilian flag he brought back from Italy recently. Tricana Imports provides the Sicilian wines, and Dallas own Italian Wine Guy will be playing his Sicilian jew's harp. Tony Soprano, be very afraid. Jimmy's Food Store is at Bryan and Fitzhugh.

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Stranger things have happened. The Taste wine panel met last night to find some nice wines to go with takeout sushi. We plowed through more than a dozen assorted whites with minimal success. When we hit the two red wines, things really fell apart, and the next thing you know the panel was deep in discussion about the propriety of pairing western-style wines with Japanese cuisine.

I say, if it tastes good, do it. Some people just aren't sake fans.

For the record, Hey Mambo Sultry Red had a couple of fans and at least one adamant critic who definitely saw red over the very idea of red wine with sushi.

So what do you drink with sushi?

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Green Point, Victoria, Shiraz 2004, $17.99

Green Point is the Australian sister winery to Napa’s Domain Chandon. It is in the Yarra Valley, a cool-climate area about 45 minutes from Melbourne. This elegant red exhibits the hallmarks of a cool-climate syrah: rich black cherry and berry fruit with an herbal touch, balanced with bracing acidity and fine-grained tannins. It’s the ideal companion for a stuffed leg of lamb.

Available at Goody Goody, Grand Tastings, Sigel’s and Market Street.

Rebecca Murphy

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Midori, the maker of the melon-flavored liqueur, is bringing its "Dripping in Emeralds" tour to the Dallas area during the next four days. At each stop, guests can sample complimentary Emerald Martinis and try on an emerald and diamond necklace worth $350,000. Here are the venues:
Tonight -- Martini Park, 7200 Bishop Road, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m
Thursday -- Candleroom, 5039 Willis Ave., 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Friday -- Clear Ultra Lounge, 1313 Main St., 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Saturday -- Fuse, 1512 Commerce St., 9 p.m. to midnight

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Midori, the maker of the melon-flavored liqueur, is bringing its "Dripping in Emeralds" tour to the Dallas area during the next four days. At each stop, guests can sample complimentary Emerald Martinis and try on an emerald and diamond necklace worth $350,000. Here are the venues:
Tonight -- Martini Park, 7200 Bishop Road, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m
Thursday -- Candleroom, 5039 Willis Ave., 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Friday -- Clear Ultra Lounge, 1313 Main St., 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Saturday -- Fuse, 1512 Commerce St., 9 p.m. to midnight

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Sbragia Family Vineyards Home Ranch Dry Creek Valley 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, $22.99

As with winemaker Ed Sbragia's other wines, the aromas and flavors of this sauvignon blanc move out like ripples on a pond: a citrus note that softens into a lilylike layer on a mineral backbeat. The crisp entry gives way to round, lightly creamy fruit with a surprise flourish of boiled peanuts.

Sounds odd, tastes great.

But what's on top of this bottle may be as important as what's inside. Slice away the foil cap, and there's a glass stopper similar to one you might find on a decanter. Sealed by an acrylic O-ring, the new closure opens with a soft pop and snaps back in place easily. Available at Pogo's.

Kim Pierce

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La Cave Wine Warehouse is celebrating 30 years in business by offering a large portion of its wines at 30 percent off or more.

Some of the wines are extremely limited; others are not. Most are 750 milliliter bottles, but some are half-bottles, some are magnums and larger. And while most are red wines, some are white. Most also are dry wines, but a few are sweet, and some are sparkling or rosé.

Through Saturday, you can take your pick. Visit the store at 1931 Market Center Blvd. (at Turtle Creek Boulevard), No. 129; 214-747-9463. For the sale list, click here.

Taste staff

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When you check out Sigel's Elite, the new wine-and-rare-spirits shop at Fitzhugh and Cole, you'll see a familiar face: Mike Friend, a longtime area wine expert who gives the store plenty of street cred. You'll also find Allen Brothers meats (the kind that sizzle your wallet at high-end steakhouses) and cheese from vintage Parmigiano-Reggiano wheels (yes, these have dates on them) among other stuff. It's across the street from Salum.

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From noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jimmy's Food Store will pour samples of an Italian red wine called Sassetto. The wine, whose pedigree says "Italy" and not much more, sells for $4.99 a bottle, or $39.99 for a case. Word is it's a pretty good wine for the price. Stop in for a sample -- what have you got to lose? Jimmy's is at the corner of Bryan and Fitzhugh in East Dallas.

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Pata Negra, Valdepenas DO, Bodegas los Llanos, Gran Reserva 1998, $16.99
Most of us don’t get the opportunity to taste wines that have had time to age in the bottle, unless it’s a bottle that was stashed and forgotten. So here is a great and inexpensive opportunity to experience how wine changes in the bottle from primary fruit aromas and flavors to those a bit more savory with hints of caramel, leather and spice. In the mouth, it shows great finesse as all its components have become one. Savor this Spanish tempranillo with something red and smoky from the grill. Available at Central Market and Kegs ’N Cellar in Coppell.

Rebecca Murphy

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Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy’s great wines, and a good one is virtually impossible to find for less than $50.
That’s what makes the 2001 Castiglion Del Bosco Brunello di Montalcino, priced less than $30 at the Costco store in Plano, such a steal.
With velvet aromas of dark cherries, plums and baking sourdough, the fruit spills into your mouth with the restrained, old-world elegance of an upper-crust Tuscan. The tannins tug at your cheeks as the liquid rolls around, soft and balanced, reluctant to say goodbye.
In the ways Italians have of making things complicated, Brunello di Montalcino is a DOCG (Italy’s way of classifying regions and more to ensure wine quality) that includes an area near the hillside town of Montalcino in Tuscany. There is no such thing as a “brunello” grape. Instead, the word means “little brown one,” and the grape is a specific strain of sangiovese.
This particular estate, Castiglion Del Bosco, belongs to the Ferragamo fashion family.
And, in case you did not know, you needn’t have a Costco membership to buy it. As a spokeswoman for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission explains, alcoholic beverage sales in Texas “can’t be restricted only to members of the club.”
Kim Pierce

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No, Paul Pinnell is not retiring when he leaves his general manager spot at Nana in July. Far from it. Paul will be opening his own place this fall: Dali Wine Bar & Cellar at One Arts Plaza in downtown Dallas.

Taste readers are familiar with Paul's elegant and astute wine commentary; he's been part of our wine panel since it started last year. He's dedicated to uncovering excellent and affordable wines.

Dali's centerpiece will be a wine bar made of glass and recycled wine paraphernalia, and the patio will have a view of the downtown skyline. You can sip on site or buy a bottle to take home.

The food is described in a press release as "laid-back wine country meets the urban sophisticate." The chef is still TBA.

That's Paul Pinnell opening bottles for a wine panel tasting as chef Blythe Beck of Hector's on Henderson waits sort of patiently.

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Sam’s Club and Costco, one of the nation’s top wine retailers, aren’t keen to publicize this. But a little-known section in the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code permits anyone to buy beer or wine at their stores. That’s right: You don’t need a membership. As TABC spokesperson Carolyn Beck says, "Sales can’t be restricted only to members of the club." Yessss.

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Wes Marshall, our Austin wine guy, reports from his recent trip to New York, where he helped spread the word about Texas wine.

While in New York, I asked all the main wine and food magazine writers how they tasted their wines. As it turns out, most know exactly what they are drinking, even though when you see a label, you immediately start having expectations about how a wine will taste, sort of a wine placebo effect.

One magazine said their taste tests were blind, but the only part that was blind was the label. So when they tasted Texas wines, they knew they were tasting Texas wines. Expectations then lead to, “Well, it’s OK, for a Texas wine.”

And there were no ringers to improve the experimental design. (I’m dangerous. I have too many graduate hours in statistics.) So at the few places where they were willing to taste really blind, we mixed Texas wines with gold-standard wines from around the world. Each wine was in a brown paper bag, and none of us knew which was which. That’s called a double blind study. Now that’s rigorous.

Texas wines didn’t always win, but they won some and they were never tagged as substandard wine.

Continue reading "Brown bags and experimental design" »

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The Taste wine panel met Wednesday to plow through 18 roses. Rose has not had an easy go in Dallas. People here just don't seem to get it, until they drink it in France.

I can't help with the France thing, but here's a tip: Many of the roses, no matter what the style, paired well with blueberries and blue cheese. Go ahead, try it.

In case you missed it, check out the panel's picks to go with fried chicken here.

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Wine producer Sean Minor, who's just launching his 4 Bears label, has made it part of his marketing strategy to get his wines into every Southwest Airlines destination in the country. "Southwest is such a pleasure to fly, and I started realizing that the markets I wanted to hit in the first couple of years were their destinations."

While he's racking-up those segments, he's just introduced three wines to North Texas: his 2005 Dry Creek Valley Sauvignon Blanc, 2004 Central Coast Chardonnay and 2002 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. He made them, he says, to be "Monday through Thursday wines that are good enough to serve Friday night." With all of thee beauties coming in under $15 a bottle, he's succeeded in creating a balanced, accessible portfolio. They're at Central Market.

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White Knight, Clarksburg, Viognier 2005, $12.99

Viognier (pronounced vee-own-yay) can be a nightmare grape variety. By the time it’s ripe enough to show off its lovely fruit flavors, low acidity and high alcohol can make it downright tiresome. At its best, as in this wine from California, viognier is lush with floral aromas and juicy, peachy flavors with enough zing to keep the aromas and flavors bright and fresh. Enjoy with fried chicken. Available at Whole Foods Market.

Rebecca Murphy

Posted by Misty Bailey at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The crisp, delicately flavored Bohemian-style Summer Pils comes from the acclaimed St. Arnold Brewing Co. of Houston, the oldest craft brewery in Texas.

Light and refreshing, it has a sweet, malt flavor balanced by a clean, bitter hops finish.
The company conducted 20 trials before it hit on the ideal recipe, which uses German pils malt and two Central European noble hops varieties.

The stakes are high for this beer: Since Texas summers can seem interminable, the summer Pils has the longest sales period of all the brewery’s seasonal beers.

Continue reading "A brew for the Texas summer" »

Posted by Cathy Barber at 6:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I ran across a wine rep at Central Market on Saturday giving out samples of a red and a rose from Famega, one of my favorite Portuguese winemakers. He tells me that the two wines were made at CM's request, no doubt after CM's good experience with Famega's white: a light, crisp vinho verde with a hint of spritz that lit my palate a couple of years ago. The new red and rose aren't fruit bombs. Rather, they're made in the leaner, drier European style. Those in the know will recognize both as excellent, inexpensive food wines. The three wines sell for about $6 a bottle, making them something you can enjoy every day.

Posted by Kim Pierce at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dan Gatlin of Inwood Estates Vineyards shared this pic, taken Wednesday evening, of this year's chardonnay crop. The vineyard is on Inwood Road near Lovers Lane. Really. Right in the middle of Dallas.

Mr. Gatlin says the rain hasn't hurt the grapes at all. These grapes will go into the winery's Palomino-Chardonnay blend. The 2006 vintage will be released right before Christmas of this year, he says. Inwood Estates wines are sold in many restaurants and a handful of wine stores.

Posted by Cathy Barber at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Mr. Dallas talks about where to get a great martini here.

Posted by Mr. Dallas at 9:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Banfi, Toscana IGT, Le Rime Chardonnay-Pinot Grigio 2005

The old favorite, chardonnay, and the new favorite, pinot gris, are blended in this bright, light summer wine that will be equally at home at the pool, beside the grill or at the picnic table. Citrusy, with hints of melon and peaches, it would light up a pasta salad or Vietnamese spring roll. Widely available for $10-$12.

Rebecca Murphy

Posted by Misty Bailey at 3:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Rain has not dampened the spring crowds eager to shop the season's produce today. I spied one very small farmer selling blueberries and corn at the exit end of the shed. Also, it was great to see John Lucido's produce, home-made pasta and garden veggies, including boxes of long, pale green Italian cucuzza, a favored kind of squash. (Wanna know how to cook it? Go to the next page.) And while the Lemleys were doing a great business in tomatoes, I found the ones at Bettye's next door just as fragrant and beautiful. 'Picked up some gorgeous peaches, too.

As it happens, though, the market still has up the old signage in Shed No. 1, where most of the local produce is found. Farmers and farm merchants have to bring regionally grown stuff: farmers, their own, and merchants, theirs or theirs and others. Dealers may bring produce from anywhere, but some prominently display their Texas goods. Just ask if in doubt. (Hint: Cherries don't grow in Texas.)

Read on for John Lucido's cucuzza recipe.

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Continue reading "Dallas Farmers Market - Saturday briefly" »

Posted by Kim Pierce at 12:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Here's a great summer sparkler idea from that recent Piper-Heidsieck-Charles-Heidsieck Champagne dinner at Abacus: To keep your sparkling wine cold, add ice cubes made from the same sparkler. That way, when they melt, they won't dilute the wine. For that matter, this tip applies to any cold summer beverage - lemonade, iced tea, wine coolers - although it's kind of hard to imagine beer ice cubes. Champagne ice cubes, on the other hand - that's my kind of decadence.

Posted by Kim Pierce at 12:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Best Cellars, which led the way in bringing value-priced, accessible wines to consumers, has a new name: Crush Wine Shop. It's essentially the same concept, says a spokesperson, with some shuffling of investors behind the scene. Sure hope so.

Posted by Kim Pierce at 3:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Don Olegario, Rias Baixas, Albariño 2005, $20.99

Rias Baixas (ree-ahs bye-shush) is a Spanish wine region in the northwest just above Portugal. Here, Spain’s warm, dry climate is moderated by the rias, long fingers of the Atlantic Ocean that reach inland, where the grape variety albariño thrives. This regal, refreshing wine displaying mineral, citrus and peach aromas and flavors with bracing acidity is suitable as an aperitif with Marcona almonds, or at the dinner table with Vietnamese spring rolls or linguine with clams. Available at Central Market, Farpointe Cellar and Pogo’s.

Rebecca Murphy

Posted by Misty Bailey at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Wine and cheese. Yeah, yeah. This class is about beer and cheese and how to put the two together. You already know cheese maven Paula Lambert, who founded the Mozzarella Co., where the class will be held. You may not know Mark Monfrey, a behind-the-scenes kind of guy who imports excellent artisanal beers and spirits. He's also president of Slow Food's Dallas convivium. But the real mark of his devotion to good food and drink is this: He has not one, but two man-size grills bricked into his backyard deck. The class is Thursday, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. $50. At 2944 Elm, in Deep Ellum. Make reservations at 214-741-4072.

• Watch video, read more about Mozzarella Company's cheese and events

Posted by Kim Pierce at 5:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So here’s what really happens when you get a bunch of wine geeks together. Sure, there’s plenty of sipping and (less) spitting. But when the Taste tasting panel (suggestions for new name appreciated) set out this month to find the best wines to go with fried chicken, one bottle came up corked. We could not have been more excited, having recently read about this magical science thing wherein corked wine can be “rescued” by pouring it into a container with wadded-up plastic wrap. (I said, not so much spitting was happening, didn’t I?)
James Tidwell of the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas has looked into the problem of corked wine and he thought it might work, although he made clear such trickery would never occur at the Four Seasons.
Photographer Evans Caglage captured the action, such as it was. Alas, the trick didn't work. The wine stayed corky.
You’ll have to wait till the end of the month to find out which (non-corked) wines made the cut with the chicken.

Posted by Cathy Barber at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook has replaced The Joy of Cooking as my gift of choice to newbie types: newly married, newly moving away from home, etc. So when my daughter set up housekeeping in Austin for her spin at UT, naturally, I got her a copy. But wouldn't you know? One of her favorite recipes - for tabbouleh - was inexplicably omitted between my printing and hers. So I got the call for mom help - not with cooking , but to please fax the errant page.

Posted by Kim Pierce at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Oh, how I love the authentic thin-crust pizzas with prosciutto and fresh basil at Campania. And I just discovered that you can bring your own wine to the restaurant (even though I've been there a few times before)! Our wine panel has some good suggestions that pair well with pizza.

Posted by Misty Bailey at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Exposition Park Café makes the best Bloody Mary I’ve had since my brunch at the Boathouse in New York’s Central Park. But get the full-price version with dinner for the complete Bloody Mary experience. Speaking of brunch, the all-you-can-eat soul food spread at Expo Park Café is substantial, from crawfish and ribs to greens and mashed sweet potatoes. There’s a patio, and it's open LATE on the weekends!

Posted by Misty Bailey at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This one sounds like fun: A "burgers and Bordeaux" class with Master Sommelier Guy Stout of Houston (but originally a Dallas boy). Guy knows more about wine than any five other people you could name, but the main thing is, he makes it all seem like great fun. He'll be at the Central Market cooking school on June 28 from 6:30 to 9 p.m.; cost is $70. Call 214-361-5754 to register.

Posted by Cathy Barber at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When Alo from La Duni Family opens in late July, the bartenders will be doing their share of cooking - for beverages, that is. Alo owner Taco Borga says bartenders will be sauteing fruit on a small burner before mixing it into one of several drinks in the new restaurant's Fuego collection. The drinks aren't flamed, he says; it's the fruit that's "fired" to make a syrup. One summer refresher, Bombay Fire on Ice, swirls sauteed ginger, raspberry and cucumber with Bombay Saffire gin. Sounds good to me. Alo Cenaduria & Piqueos will be at Central and Knox-Henderson.

Posted by Kim Pierce at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Neil Empson and his wife, Maria, turned their love of Italian wines into a business in 1972. In addition to importing the wine of producers they have selected, they created their own brand, Bollini, to be able to provide high-quality wines at affordable prices. The Bollini Pinot Grigio, Trentino, D.O.C. 2005 ($15) is a light, refreshing wine-to-go with sprightly pear and citrus flavors dusted with a hint of mineral and buttressed with invigorating acidity. It’s a perfect foil for fried calamari. Available at Central Market, Farpointe Cellar and Wine Bar and Jimmy’s Food Store.
Rebecca Murphy

Posted by Cathy Barber at 2:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Twelve North Texas wineries are launching the Munson Wine Trail this weekend with tastings at McKinney's Art and Jazz festival, Saturday and Sunday in downtown McKinney. Wine tastings will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Coupon books are $30 and may be purchased in advance for $25 at all Munson Wine Trail participating wineries, or onsite both days. Bottles of wine from all participating wineries may be purchased at Landon Winery on the days of the festival.

BTW: The new wine trail's name honors Thomas Volney Munson (1843-1913), an internationally known horticulturist from Denison who developed more than 300 varieties of new regional grape varieties. Munson also saved the French wine industry in 1880 by introducing hardy Texas rootstock grafts to the vitis vinifera being destroyed by the pesty phylloxera root louse. In gratitude, the French government awarded Munson the Legion of Honor. Quel homme, quel héro!

Posted by Joyce Saenz Harris at 5:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)