We’ve been waiting. We’ve been watching. We’ve been reading the tweets. We’ve been following the FB posts. Finally, a few much-buzzed-about restaurants will be opening their doors this week. (One even decided to open tonight—a day early. Surprise!) We confess that we can’t keep up with every new restaurant in Texas (can you imagine?), but if you love to eat out and follow food, you need to know about these notable openings. Bon appétit.

Tagged: Hard Eight Pit Bar-B-Q, Tim Love, Tyson Cole, Uchi Houston

Little did I know when I wrote the following words nearly four years ago—“Please, patronize Wild Blue before it’s too late”—that my greatest fear would come true. One of the true stalwarts of Texas Barbecue–Wild Blue B.B.Q., located in the near-Brownsville city of Los Fresnos—will shut its doors on February 4. Wild Blue was included in Texas Monthly’s June 2008 story on the top fifty barbecue joints in Texas and participated in both of our barbecue festivals, in 2010 and 2011. Owner/pitmaster Abraham Avila said in a story in the Brownsville Herald that business was just too spotty in his out-of-the-way location.

I remember distinctly the day I ate at Wild Blue, on my road trip through the Valley in 2008, for our top-fifty story. In a word, its barbecue blew me away. In spite of not being done on a traditional pit, it was deeply smoky, tender, and had a rub that wasn’t like anything else I had come across before. After I decided (instantly) that it was worthy of our list, I started talking with the young owner, Abraham Avila. That blew me away again. The guy had about, oh, a hundred cookbooks and food magazines lying around the joint. It turned out he was whip smart and a trained chef to boot. We must have talked for thirty minutes or more about the New York food scene (he keeps up with it), chefs we admired, and, oh yes, the future of barbecue in Texas.

He admitted to me then that his true dream was to open a serious restaurant, but that barbecue seemed like a better bet in the Rio Grande Valley. He told the newspaper he’s hoping to open a restaurant (maybe his dream place) and will revive Wild Blue if he finds a good spot. Abraham, all your friends here wish you well and are keeping our fingers crossed. You people in the Valley, head over and have a brisket plate while you still can!

Here is what I wrote about Wild Blue in June 2008:  “Food is my life,” says young owner-pitmaster Abraham Avila, who fusses over every detail, from the brisket-seasoning rub (paprika, brown sugar, ancho chile, cumin, oregano, coriander, and kosher salt) and the satiny sweet-potato flan to the blend of apple and pecan woods in the smoker. But business is slow, as South Padre—bound tourists zoom by, hell-bent for bad tacos. Please, patronize Wild Blue before it’s too late. 31230 Texas Hwy. 100, 956-233-8185.” Breakfast Mon–Sat 7–9. Lunch Mon–Sat 11–3. Dinner Sun–Tue 5–9, Fri & Sat 5–10.  (Hours and photograph from Wild Blue’s website.)

Tagged: Abraham Avila, Brownsville, Los Fresnos, Rio Grande Valley, Texas Monthly BBQ Festival, Wild Blue B.B.Q.

There’s nothing like a bandwagon. No sooner did Food & Wine and Bon Appétit fall all over themselves to give Austin a whole lotta love than StarChefs.com (an online magazine for chefs and culinary insiders) decided to hold one of its four national awards ceremonies in Austin this year.  Their editorial board scoured the landscape for the top talent in Texas’ capital city (and in San Antonio, too) and recently announced more than a dozen winners in nine categories.

As a result, in February, a gaggle of the hottest chefs in Austin and San Antonio are going to be in one place at one time, offering samples of their best bites. And there will be some choice wine and cocktail sips too.

Here’s what you need to know: The tasting will be held on Tuesday, February 21, from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Driskill Hotel. Tickets are $85 for regular admission, $125 for VIP, and can be purchased online at starchefs.com/tickets or by calling 212-966-7575.

So, is StarChefs.com on the mark as far as their choices go? In my humble opinion, absolutely. They considered around 60 candidates (which they found through talking to local media and doing their own research, followed up by in-person tastings and interviews).

OK, it’s time to cut to the chase. Who won?

In the chefs category, it’s David Bull, Congress; Ned Elliott, Foreign & Domestic; Aaron Franklin, Franklin Barbecue; Bryce Gilmore, Barley Swine; Rene Ortiz, La Condesa; Paul Qui, Uchiko; Quealy Watson, The Monterey, in San Antonio; Andrew Wiseheart, Contigo.

In the pastry chefs category, it’s Plinio Sandalio, Carillon; Philip Speer, Uchiko. In the sustainability chef category, it’s Michael Sohocki, Restaurant Gwendolyn, in San Antonio. In the hotel chef category, it’s Josh Watkins, Carillon. In the artisan category, it’s John Bates and Brandon Martinez, Noble Pig. In the restaurateurs category, Tyson Cole, the Uchi group; Jason Dady, Bin 555, Tre Trattoria, Two Bros. BBQ Market, all in San Antonio. In the sommelier category, it’s June Rodil, Congress. In the mixologist category, it’s Jeret Peña, The Esquire, in San Antonio.

The host chef is  Jonathan Gelman, Driskill Grill. (By the way, the photograph is from a StarChefs.com  gala held in New York last year.)

Tagged: Aaron Franklin, Andrew Wiseheart, austin, Barley Swine, Bin 555, Bon Appetit, Brandon Martinez, Bryce Gilmore, Carillon, Congress, Contigo, David Bull, driskill grill, Food & Wine, Foreign & Domestic, Franklin Barbecue, Jason Dady, Jeret Pena, John Bates, Johnathan Gelman, Josh Watkins, June Rodil, la condesa, Michael Sohocki, Ned Elliott, Noble Pig, Paul Qui, Philip Speer, Plinio Sandalio, Quealy Watson, Rene Ortiz, Restaurant Gwendolyn, san antonio, StarChefs.com, the Monterey, Tre Trattoria, Two Bros. BBQ Market, Tyson Cole, uchi, uchiko

It’s a rare thing to find a winery producing purely natural wines. But to Lewis Dickson of La Cruz de Comal Wines in Startzville (near Canyon Lake), there’s really no other way to do it. Dickson, with the help of notable California winemaker Tony Coturri, uses small batch harvests of Hill Country grapes and ferments them with all natural native yeast strains to let the wine develop naturally. The result is really something special. In the next few months I’ll discuss one of Dickson’s red table wine, “En Parejas,” but today, I’m featuring a selection from June Rodil, the wine and beverage director for Congress Restaurant and 2nd Bar and Kitchen in Austin. Rodil has also managed the wine and beverage lists of the Driskill Hotel, Uchi and Uchiko. She is the 2009 winner of the Best Texas Sommelier awarded by the Texas Sommelier Conference and recently received a spot as one of the Best New Sommeliers for 2011 by Wine and Spirits magazine.

In addition to having an amazingly sensitive palate and a keen awareness for wines all over the world, Rodil is also pretty eloquent. So this month, I’m going to let her reveal her selection for Texas Wine of the Month in her own words:

JUNE RODIL: The Dickson winery is close to my heart; it was on the first wine list I ever worked with at the Driskill Grill and currently has made it’s way to the Congress menu.

Having had the pleasure to taste the Petard Blanc from vintage to vintage, I can say that it’s ever improving. This project honors the state of Texas as a young wine growing region by finding a grape that works well with it’s natural climate and gives opportunity to create a unique wine identity rather than forcing the formula of other successful wine regions. Blanc du bois, the only varietal in this wine, is a special white grape that can withstand the sometimes unbearable Texas heat and still maintain fresh, clean minerality, and high-toned citrus and stone fruits; and, in a quite charming way, makes for a great, refreshing quaffer against said heat.

I love that winery owner, Lewis Dickson, in collaboration with Tony Coturri, didn’t force (in fact nothing is forced: natural yeast, estate grown grapes, unfined/unfiltered, etc.) a commercialized international varietal like cabernet sauvignon or chardonnay that just doesn’t quite work with the seasons here. I believe the grape first came from Florida and somehow developed from the muscadine grape.

My tasting notes: medium straw color, fresh pear and stone fruits, a dollop of orange sherbrt, salty zest, a touch of fresh grass, and a clean, fresh finish.

There’s something jazzy in this wine, which is suiting considering “petard” means “firecracker” in French. Dare I say, perhaps an element of what could be Texas Terroir? There’s a fun and interesting play between forward fruit and savory tones. The slight plushness, or weightiness stands well with shellfish, bold sushi preparations, and pastas.

It’s definitely not an everyday bottle of wine. Because of it’s extremely natural sensibilities, there’s generally a good amount of sediment, so I recommend standing the bottle upright until in falls to the bottom and then decanting. Also, it’s at a higher pricing tier than what I would consider your “daily juice.”  (I guess that’s why it’s a wine of the month, no?) If you’re in the mood to eat in rather than dining out, you can find it in Austin at The Austin Wine Merchant for approximately $38.

Got a sweet tooth? Try the Apres (“after” in French) which is the dessert wine version from the same grape. It’s a close second for me as wine of the month. It tastes like pineapple-upside-down cake—delicious! (Approximately $35 retail.)

Winery: La Cruz de Comal Wines

Retail Price: ~$38

Availability: Select retail outlets and restaurants throughout the state. See winery website for a list.

Modeled on the Manhattan Cocktail Classic, the first ever San Antonio Cocktail Conference is ginning up for next weekend, with four days of drink seminars, guided tastings, and cocktail parties. You can get a buzz just reading the program, which is amazing both in its scope and in the talent they’ve managed to lure to San Antonio.

It takes place at the downtown Sheraton Gunter Hotel (mostly), from Jan. 26 to 29, with a total of 27 classes, 31 presenters, 5 parties, 1 contest, and 1 yoga class (love the yoga part).

Obviously, I can only scratch the surface of  what’s covered, but the one seminar I (as a foodie) wouldn’t miss is “The Science of Flavor: How Biology, Genetics and Psychology Affect Your Perception of Flavor in Cocktails.” I mean, I’ve always been curious to know why some people love tequila and it makes others gag (even without doing a dozen shots).

Then, there is everybody’s favorite, “Making Cocktails in the Home,” or how to prepare world-class drinks for parties and by the pool, with a 25-page booklet of techniques and recipes (aka no more margarita mix).

And I love this one: “How It All Started in Texas: Tito Beveridge” (best name for a vodka baron ever), in which the founder of Tito’s Handmade Vodka tells how he started the first legal distillery in Texas, using nineteen credit cards.

And it wouldn’t be a Texas cocktail conference without “The Thinking Man’s Margarita,” an exploration of the Caipirinha and other peasant-style cocktails, and “The Rise of Spicy Cocktails,” all about the perfection of heat and alcohol’s impact on “spice.” Happily, it involves a tasting of the Tanteo Jalapeño Margarita.

Seriously, this is a very impressive-sounding undertaking, both scholarly and fun. The impetus behind it is Mark Bohanan, chef-owner of Bohanan’s Prime Steaks & Seafood, where the gala opening night soiree will take place. Also, Bohanan’s Courtyard will be open all day Friday and Saturday from noon to 7  serving $5 cocktails.

Get all the details at sacocktailconference.com. Most sessions are $30, some $50 and $60. Or an all-event pass is $275. Proceeds benefit HeartGift San Antonio.

Tagged: Bohanan's, cocktails, HeartGift San Antonio, Manhattan Cocktail Classic, margarita, Mark Bohanan, mixology, San Antonio Cocktail Conference

Texas Tequila? Well, they make everything else in Texas including beer, wine, bourbon and vodka. Why not have a Texas tequila? At least that’s what Tom Nall, owner and CEO of Republic Tequila thought when he decided to take on the idea of a Texas tequila in 2008.

NOTE: By law, tequila can only be made in Mexico from blue agave plants raised in the state of Jalisco (and a few surrounding counties) in order to be called tequila. Republic Tequila is completely produced in Mexico, but the business operation is rooted in Austin.

Having retired to a Colorado ranch following a successful career in the food marketing industry—he’s the brains behind Wick Fowler’s 2 Alarm chili you see in just about every grocery store around—Nall wasn’t exactly seeking out a 2nd career in spirits, but when he was introduced to the idea of Republic Tequila from a few business colleagues, he couldn’t walk away. Especially once he met Ken MacKenzie, an expert in tequila from California who had spent a number of years in Mexico learning the art of tequila production and carving out a niche as a consultant to Mexican tequila companies who wanted to bring their spirits to the United States.

MacKenzie was eager to oversee the making of his own tequila from start to finish and a partnership with Nall was the ideal way to make that happen. The two traveled through Guadalajara looking for different distilleries who could be a base for production.

To put this in perspective, there are thousands of agave farms around Jalisco. The agave from these farms is purchased and often grown exclusively for different tequila makers large and small. The harvested agave is then sent to hundreds of different distilleries to begin tequila production. There are more than 100 distilleries making more than 900 brands of tequila in Mexico. Because there are only so many distilleries, multiple brands of tequila come from the same location.

After surveying a number of different distilleries and meeting with different agave farmers, Nall and MacKenzie stumbled on a master distiller named Sebastian Melendrez at La Quemada distillery. Melendrez was formerly the master distiller for Herradura, Nall’s favorite tequila, and his entire operation was based on producing 100% organic agave tequila. (A very time intensive and expensive endeavor that requires the fields to be certified that there are no herbicides or pesticides, and the distillery itself has to be certified to prove that there are no foreign cleaning agents, yeasts or accelerants.)

Nall immediately honed in on the unique rarity of a distillery like this.

“For us, this was the point of difference that I knew could set us apart from any other tequila in the States,” says Nall. “You have to have a point of difference that separates you from the other guys. The quality of the tequila that comes from this distillery is worlds apart from large production facilities.”

A fourth-generation agave grower, Melendrez harvests his agave at a maturity of 8 to 12 years and steams his harvest in traditional brick ovens for up to 72 hours before cooling and shredding the agave to extract the juice. The juice is then fermented with a natural strain of organic yeast for up to 8 days.

“We could easily add accelerates to the fermentation process like many other large production companies do, but it’s not natural. There’s nothing wrong with doing it, but we are bringing an artisan quality to our tequila by using completely natural methods,” says MacKenzie. “Some larger brands have to accelerate their process, they have a certain quantity to produce. But in the end it’s the difference between cooking with a microwave instead of cooking with a conventional oven. We believe the flavor comes through in the final product.”

The spirit is then distilled twice. Only twice.

“You see all sorts of labels on bottles that say the spirit has been distilled three times or four times, but that added heat just takes away from the key ingredient, the agave,” says MacKenzie. “If you distill it more than twice, you start to get the equivalent of nonfat milk in the final product, it just doesn’t have any complexity.”

Once the tequila has been distilled, it is then rested for 3-5 days before it is bottled. This lets it aerate and take on a smoother quality that you can immediately distinguish in the “plata” or silver version of Republic Tequila. The production also includes a portion of the spirits aged in organic Jack Daniels oak barrels for 8 months for the Reposado—with smooth, vanilla notes—and 20 months for the Añejo —with nutty, smoky flavors.

The idea is that you can drink any one of these tequilas on its own, as opposed to blending it up in a sugary-sweet margarita. (Though you can certainly do that too.)

“Unfortunately, Americans have a phobia about tequila because we drank bad tequila when we were young and regretted it the next day,” says MacKenzie. “But that’s not how it is in Mexico. With Republic Tequila, we’re trying to show that tequila is an epicurean product, almost more so than Cognac because of all the flavor characteristics brought out by agave that’s more than ten years old. Think about the terroir that melds into the plant over that time, and the great care we take to make it.”

Indeed, as MacKenzie suggests, there’s a lot more to tequila than that one ounce shot (or two) your friends pressured you into in college, and when you sample each of tequilas from Republic, you can taste the difference.

Republic Tequila exploded onto the Texas market in 2009 finding spots on retail, restaurant and bar shelves all across the state. And it’s also sold in six other states. You can easily spot it by the distinct Texas-shaped glass bottles. And if you ask bartender at anyone of the hip new bars in your town, they’ll likely come up with something creative to show off just how nice this tequila is. Houston Eaves of Austin’s Contigo restaurant, is a big Republic fan.

“I like how well made this tequila is,” says Eaves. “You can tell how much effort is put into making it. It’s light, smooth and has a great vegetal agave quality to it.”

As an experiment, Eaves played on the smooth characteristics of Republic’s Reposado and aged it for 25 days in a 4-liter oak barrel with vermouth (Cocchi Vermouth di Terino and Dolin Vermouth de Chambery Rouge) with the intent of making a tequila-based Manhattan. He released the aged spirit in the form of a “Republic of Contigo” cocktail last month and quickly sold out of the velvety smooth beverage in a matter of a couple of weeks.

“We didn’t have a lot to work with since it was just an experiment, but it was a great way to show people how great a tequila can be in a cocktail when you use ingredients to really make that spirit shine. Republic’s Reposado makes it really easy to do that.” says Eaves.

Republic of Contigo

3 ounces Republic Tequila Reposado/Vermouth blended and aged spirit (Or 2 ounces Republic Tequila, 1 ounce Sweet Vermouth – Cocchi Vermouth di Terino or Dolin Vermouth de Chambery Rouge

2 dashes Angostura bitters

Stir in mixing glass and serve up with a grapefruit twist.

- Jessica Dupuy

Tagged: Contigo, Houston Eaves, Jessica Dupuy, Ken MacKenzie, Republic Tequila, Tom Nall

There are two kinds of people in America: pie people and cake people. If you’re a pie person (as I proudly count myself), consider coming to the fourth annual “Peace Through Pie” Social this Saturday, Jan. 14, from 2 to 4:30 p.m., at the  Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church in Austin, at 1725 W. 11^th.

“Peace Through Pie” is the homiest community event you can imagine, with music and a pie contest (just regular folks entering, not chefs), a pie auction, and pie eating. It’s all in conjunction with the Martin Luther King Day celebration.

Gospel singing will be provided by the Bells of Joy and the Sweet Home Choir, and there will be jazz ensembles from Austin High School and O. Henry Middle School. Then there is the pie contest, with a whole slew of so-called celebrity judges (including yours truly), and the announcement of winners of a student essay contest on the topic “The Beauty of Brotherhood.” Fun will be had by all. Promise.

Couple of key details: The public events get started at 2, but if you want to enter the contest, bring your pie to the church between 10 and 11 that morning. If you want to donate a pie for the auction or for attendees to sample (that’s what people really come for, you know), deliver it between 1:30 and 2. Don’t bring it in late, because things get a little chaotic once the doors are thrown open. It’s all so Norman Rockwell, you’d think it was 1950. You gotta love it.  (Picture from Austin Chronicle. )

When it comes to wine experts in the state of Texas, there are a number of reputable individuals you could look to throughout the state. From restaurant sommeliers, wine buyers and importers and even wine journalists, if you’re looking for an answer to a question on wine, you can certainly find a reliable source to talk to. But when it comes to an expert for all experts; one who has not only studied wine for the better part of 50 years, but has also sold it, imported it, taught it and even grows his own grapes in the Hill Country, there’s only one person who fits the bill. His name is Guy Stout. And if you ever have the chance to share a bottle of wine with this affable teddy bear of a Texan, you’ll come away with a much better understanding about wine, a clearer picture on how to taste it, and probably a few good tall tales to boot.

Guy is one of only 160 Master Sommelier (MS) in the world. (The first of only six in the state of Texas.) He is also a Certified Wine Educator (CWE), Certified Spirits Specialist (CSS) and on the Executive Board of Directors of the Society of Wine Educators. He is a member of the Texas Sommelier Association.

Originally from Dallas, Stout grew up in the restaurant business, working in his family’s restaurant, the Steak Pit as a bus boy and moving up the ranks both in the kitchen and in the front of the house at this restaurant and eventually through a number of high end steak restaurants throughout Dallas. He eventually graduated from the Hilton Hotel School at the University of Houston and

And is currently the Corporate Director of Beverage Education for The Glazer’s Family of Companies, covering 12 states, which basically means he supports the “Glazer University” program to help educate the company’s sales and management teams as well as consulting on client wine lists for hotels, bars and restaurants. It requires him to travel extensively to wine regions all over the world to see and taste the latest trends and vintages in wine.

When it comes to Texas Wine, Guy integrally involved. He’s an active wine judge for a variety of national competitions; including the L.A. County Fair, Dallas Morning News, Jefferson Cup, Texas Open and the Houston Rodeo Wine Competition and is a member of the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association (TWGGA). He was a crucial getting the annual Texas Sommelier’s Conference (TEXSOM) off the ground seven years ago. But he’s also a grape grower himself.

I recently had a chance to chat with him about his experience with wine in Texas, how the perception of wine has changed in the state over the years, and his real opinions about where Texas wine is going.

TM: When did you first become interested in wine, seriously?

STOUT: Well, I started in restaurants as a bus boy, dish washer, prep cook, on the line, and then moved to front of house. I was once a bus boy at a really nice Dallas steak restaurant and one of my duties was to stock the wine cellar. I thought it was fascinating. I’d see all of these French wooden boxes of wine with beautiful labels burned into the crates. When I was growing up, every kid had a wood burning kit. And I used to love mine. But I’d never seen anything as intricate or as artistic as the labels on these French crates. That’s the first time I can remember being captivated by what wine was. I knew whatever was inside those boxed had been given great care. And I wanted to know more.

In the mid 70s, there was really no formal process or education foundation anywhere in the country at that time. I really just had to read books and talk to different sommeliers at the restaurants I worked at. I worked at Marty’s Wine shop in Dallas for a while and that was a real eye opener for me. They had super fine wines and spirits and all of these exotic beers. And I tried to take advantage of everything I could learn there.

TM: Once you learned of the different wine certification programs through the Court of Master Sommeliers and the Society of Wine Educators, what made you want to go for your Master Sommelier certification (which can take years to achieve) and your Certified Wine Educator certification?

STOUT: Since I’d pretty much learned everything on my own, I was eager to be a part of an organization that had some structure to wine education and service. I found that there’s really an incredible energy shared between this group of wine lovers and wine geeks. It’s fun to have a connection with these people all over the world.

It’s given me the confidence to know that I can stand toe to toe with just about any other wine enthusiast out there. It’s also made me want to help others who are interested in knowing more about wine.

The key to all of this is to know that wine knowledge does not equal wine snobbery. It’s not about being a wine snob, it’s about being knowledgable about wine. It’s diametrically opposed to snobbery.

What I like about the Court of Master Sommeliers is that they teach humility. Your sole purpose as a sommelier is to guide others in the wines they want to try. We want sommeliers who are bright and know what they’re talking about, but who are also humble and approachable about wine. We don’t have room for snobs.

TM: As a student and educator of wine, what are a few things you wish people understood better about wine, or appreciated more about wine?

STOUT: I think if people want to know more about wine, they should start with the fundamentals. They should study the basic grapes and know the regions they come from. Then build from there. You don’t have to know everything immediately. But if you have this as a foundation, you’ll learn bits and pieces as you try more wine.

If you’re really serious about knowing more about wine, then I would encourage you to take the Introductory Sommelier Course http://www.mastersommeliers.org/Pages.aspx/Courses-Schedules-Overview that’s offered every year in Dallas before the Texas Sommelier’s Conference http://texsom.com/ . You do have to take an exam at the end of it, but in a couple of days, you learn about the whole world of wine and you get to learn how to taste wine and calibrate your palate for how to decipher different things about wine.

I teach the Dallas course each year and it used to be just trade people that took this course, but I’m seeing more and more consumers coming in just to learn more about wine. I even think it’s a good idea to bring your spouse. Have them learn what you’re learning and then you can both enjoy talking about wine as a couple wherever you go. My wife did it a few years ago and she did really well. Now we have something to discuss forever.

TM: Why did you come to decide to plant your own vineyard and what grapes did you plant?

STOUT: I’ve always wanted to have my own vineyard, who doesn’t? We planted Syrah in Blanco in 1999 and 2000. I love Syrah and it’s a good grape for the warm climate we have here. This year, we added Tempranillo. I don’t make my own wine. I tried for a couple of years, but it wasn’t good and I decided to just let the professionals do it. For a while I sold my grapes to Mandola Winery and later to Duchman Family Winery. But now I sell everything to William Chris winery in Hye. We have about 4.5 acres planted and I pretty much manage the vineyards. We have someone there full time who does basic maintenance, but I handle the big stuff like pruning, harvesting, spraying.

Now that I’m a grape grower and know all that goes in to producing good grapes for wine, I’m absolutely shocked that anyone can produce a great bottle of wine for under $10 a bottle. But it’s being done more and more. The value of wines these days is just amazing.

TM: In your professional opinion how is Texas wine doing these days?

STOUT: Well, there’s a lot of excellent wine being made in Texas today. And there are also some wines that are not so fantastic. But I will say it’s much better now than it has ever been. The future is very bright for Texas wine.

The only way it will continue to improve is to use warm climate grapes. I’ve been to Italy, France, Spain a hundred times over. I’ve seen what works there and we have a very similar climate and soil. The grapes to pay attention to are Tempranillo, Viognier, Muscato, Syrah, Albarino. There’s a lot of potential and we’re just now tapping into it.

I will say that I don’t think we’ll be making great Pinot Noirs in Texas. They just don’t work with hot, dry climates. God bless whoever tries, but I’m going to stick with warm climate grapes.

TM: What advice to you have for people who are really looking for a good wine when dining out but are glazed over by the wine list?

STOUT: I think people shouldn’t be afraid to really engage the sommelier or wine steward. Give them a few examples of what you do like and let them guide you. If it’s a good sommelier, they won’t make you feel uncomfortable or patronize you. They’ll work with you and hopefully expose you to something great that you’ve never had before.

Also, you shouldn’t be afraid to talk price. If you have a budget in mind, say what it is. Sommeliers are tasked with putting great wines on their list at all prices. They’ll probably be excited to direct you to the wines they’ve chosen within your price range whether that’s low or high.

TM: What’s favorite wine region to visit?

STOUT: Well, that’s just an impossible question. I like so many. Bordeaux is one of my favorites. I love Tuscany. And then there’s California. Santa Barbara, Paso Robles are great, but I probably spend more time in Sonoma and Napa. I also love the Willammette Valley in Oregon. To pick one region of the world. That’s crazy; there’s just so much worth visiting.

TM: What wine would you want to drink for your last meal?

STOUT: Well, it would have to be a multi-course meal paired with different wines. I’d start with a Champagne and then maybe light aromatic white like Sancerre (France), Gruner Veltliner (Austria) or Albarino (Spain). Then, depending on how much time I had before I kicked the bucket, I’d do a lighter red like a Sangiovese (Italy) blend from Chianti or Chianti Classico. Or maybe a Rhone-style Grenache blend. Then, I’d finish with a big, bold, blustery wine like a Bordeaux, a Brunello di Montalcino, a Barossa Shiraz (Australia), or an Argentine Malbec. Finally, I’d have a Texas Hill Country peach pie with some Texas Orange Muscat from Texas Hills Vineyard.

- Jessica Dupuy

Tagged: Guy Stout, Jessica Dupuy, TexSom, TWGGA