If you’re a grape grower in Texas looking for a white grape can make wines in a wine variety for styles from dry to sweet, aged and youthful, fruity or earthy, and even into classic Port and Madeira representations, then you should consider planting Blanc du Bois.

If you’re not a grape grower, but you like Texas wine and want to expand your growing list of great white wines from this state, then you should also consider Blanc du Bois.

And there are a number of winemakers who have championed this American hybrid grape—that’s right, it’s not a European transplant—as one of the best kept secrets for Texas white wine. Among them include Raymond Haak of Haak Vineyards and Lewis Dickson of Cruz de Comal Winery. Perhaps one of Texas’ shining star examples of just what this grape can do is in the 2011 Aurelia from The Vineyard at Florence, which is this month’s Texas Wine of the Month.

The Wine: The Vineyard at Florence, Aurelia, 2011 

Photo Courtesy D Side Dish

The Description: A crisp, well balanced white wine with aromas of tropical fruit and white flowers. Although not overly perfumed, this wine shows beautiful notes of exotic fruit such as mango, papaya, pineapple and guava.

The Winery: The Vineyard at Florence. Located about 45 minutes northwest of Austin, The Vineyard at Florence released its first vintage in 2009 and has flown in under the radar in the world of Texas wine, making world class wines from its 30 acres of vineyards primarily planted with American hybrid grapes.

The estate currently grows four varietals: Blanc du Bois, Norton (a native American grape), Lenoir (a red American hybrid also known as “Black Spanish”), and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Though owned and operated by Kambrah Garland, the wines are made by celebrated winemaker Dan Gatlin, owner and winemaker for Inwood Estates Vineyards. http://www.inwoodwines.com/  Since the first 2009 vintage, Gatlin has poured his more than 30 years of Texas winemaking experience into a portfolio of wines at The Vineyard at Florence that are a cut above the average start-up winery.

The Grape: Blanc du Bois is a white American grape believed to come from Florida as a  hybrid primarily between Muscadine and Cardinal grapes. The Vineyard at Florence has been noted by a number of Texas wine enthusiasts as making one of the cleanest and best representations of this grape in both the Aurelia and its reserve sibling, Aura.

Who Likes It: Chris McFall, Beverage Director at the Paggi House in Austin who was just nominated as one of the Best New Sommeliers of 2012 by Wine & Spirits Magazine. Each year, the national magazine selects a handful of up-and-coming sommeliers who are showing promise as stewards of the wine industry. This year they selected six, and Austin’s own McFall was one of them. He’s the only Texan in the group, but he follows a distinguished list of Austin peers who have nabbed the title before him. In 2010, it was Mark Sayre of Trio restaurant at the Four Seasons Austin and in 2011, it was June Rodil of Congress Restaurant.

Why He Likes It:  “Dan Gatlin does it again and again,” says McFall. “This wine achieves a beautiful tropical fruit bouquet, with mango, passion fruit, and prickly pear. It has great minerality, which leads to a balanced acidity on the palate. The wine finishes with a generous fruit attack and a balanced mineral and medium acid focus with a nice amount of richness toward the end. The wine is very fresh and can pair with an array of cuisine.

Photo Courtesy The Vineyard at Florence

What He Pairs It With: “This wine is so fresh and could really pair with a lot of different things,” says McFall. “But I think it would be magic with butter-poached lobster (claw & tail) with persimmons jus, parsnip purée, micro greens and a pinch of caviar. The Aurelia can certainly stand up to the richness of the dish but can also cut through it with the minerality and acidity achieved.”

Down the Road: The 2011 Aurelia as well as the Aura have proved to be one of the best representations of Blanc du Bois that Texas has to offer. And Gatlin looks forward to the 2012 vintage as well.

“Blanc du Bois is a fabulous grape for Texas if you know how to work with it,” says Gatlin. “I don’t think we’ve had the best showing of this grape historically, but we’re learning to manage it better and I think it will be one of the great grapes of Texas.”

McFall adds to Gatlin’s sentiment saying that Texas wines in general seem to get better from year to year. “The trend that I have loved watching and enjoyed tasting, has been grape varietal selection. Seeing Blanc du Bois, Vermentino, and Tempranillo, along with some more Southern Rhone grapes, have really shown us that Texas can produce great wines,” says McFall. Texas has come a long way in a short time. and Dan Gatlin and his efforts are certainly to thank for that.”

- Jessica Dupuy