Inwood Estates Vineyards Palomino Chardonnay courtesty of inwoodwines.com

In the past two years, we’ve spotlighted a number of different varietals that make great wine around the state. At this point, you’re likely familiar with Viognier and Tempranillo as the star grapes of Texas. (Be on the look out for Roussane (white) and Mourvedre (red) to make some headway in coming years.) But you’ve probably not seen a lot of talk about Palomino—and no, we’re not talking about the type of horse known for its golden coat and white main. Don’t feel bad, few people are probably familiar with this grape. It’s a popular grape in Spain, but few other places and it’s primarily used for making sherry, a fortified dessert wine made from white grapes.

But Dallas winemaker Dan Gatlin of Inwood Estates Vineyards took an interest in Palomino long ago and used Chardonnay to create a beautiful white wine blend. It’s a bit of an odd duck wine that sings with nectar and vanilla aromas and sits at the top tier of Texas wines.

Which is why Craig Collins of the Prestige division of Glazer’s Distributors has helped us select the August Texas Wine of the Month: Inwood Estates Palomino Chardonnay 2008.

“I have never seen this blend from any other country or region which is one of the reasons I like it so much and the fact that it is from Texas makes it all the better. This is a one-of-a-kind blend from Hunt County Texas near the Texas-Oklahoma border,” says Collins who is one of the recent additions to the small circle of Master Sommeliers in the state of Texas. (Read more about Collins here.) “These two grapes dance very well together with the Chardonnay adding richness and tropical fruit while the Palomino translates an expression of terroir and adds a beautiful mouth feel and textural component to the wine. This wine demonstrates a true sense of place and display notes of grilled pineapple, summer melon and lemon zest with well-balanced oak and a white flower bouquet. Not knowing, some might think this wine was from France.

“This wine is deserving of the Wine of the Month selection not only because of it’s uniqueness but  also because it is one of the best white wines being made in the great state of Texas. It is very food friendly and pairs perfectly with a fatty fish dish or grilled pork and chicken. One of my favorite pairing with this wine is a rosemary and lemon grilled pork chopped with grilled summer vegetables.”

At $59.50 a bottle, this is a serious Texas wine. And though you may want to save this for a special occasion, it’s complexity of flavor will reward you upon first taste.

Winery: Inwood Estates Vineyards

Price: $59.50

Availability: Central Market, Whole Foods, Spec’s, Richard’s Fine Wines, Twin Liquors

- Jessica Dupuy

Tagged: Craig Collins, Dan Gatlin, Inwood Estates Palomino Chardonnay

The big buzzword in Texas grapes is “Tempranillo.” Just ask any major winemaker in the state from Ed Auler of Fall Creek Vineyards to Gary Gilstrap of Texas Hills Vineyards and you’ll hear the same thing: Tempranillo is the signature grape for Texas.

This month’s Wine of the Month is Inwood Estates “Cornelious” Tempranillo, 2007, a perfect specimen of a Texas Tempranillo. This wine comes highly recommended by Ross Burtwell, chef/owner of the Cabernet Grill in Fredericksburg. “In my opinion, this is one of the most outstanding red wines being produced in Texas,” says Burtwell. “This could be considered ‘the quintessential’ Texas red.”

Burtwell has made a name for himself by serving big, Texas-style dishes at his rustic-American restaurant. He’s a true believer in using the best of what local farmers and purveyors can provide. But where many restaurants claim to be committed to a sustainable menu, they usually stop short with their wine list. Not Burtwell. In addition to locally sourcing his food menu, he remains 100% committed to serving only Texas wines.

Pronounced ‘tem-pruh-NEEyo,’ this full-bodied black grape is a native of Spain and is typically the main grape used in Spanish Rioja wines. As savvy grape growers and winemakers have noticed the similarities in Texas High Plains and Hill Country soils to that of Northern Spain, they have planted more and more of this hearty varietal across the state.

“This is one of those wines we pour for people that say that Texas wines don’t measure up to California or old world wines,” says Burtwell. “I love the look on their faces when they taste this Tempranillo. They soon realize that Texas has certainly come a long way in winemaking.”

Inwood Estates Winemaker Dan Gatlin quickly caught on to the strength of Tempranillo in Texas. Though the winery is based in Dallas, Gatlin grows his grapes in the High Plains with the help of Neil Newsome, one of the state’s largest growers for a number of different Texas wineries.

“I find the nose on this wine is full of red fruit aromas with black cherry and a touch of anise,” says Burtwell. “It has good tannins without overdoing it making this wine perfect for a big plate of red meat, which is the way we like to serve it at the restaurant. A perfect combination would be to pair this wine with our Certified Angus Beef Ribeye Steak topped with some of our roasted garlic-serrano béarnaise.”

At around $40, this wine is no cheap, last-minute grab off the grocery store shelf. But once you’ve tried it, particularly with food, you’ll understand there is indeed something special about this Texas Tempranillo.

Winery: Inwood Estates Vineyards

Retail Price:  ~$40

Availability: Central Market as well as select wine across the state.

Tagged: Cabernet Grill, Dan Gatlin, Inwood Estates "Cornelious" Tempranillo 2007, Ross Burtwell, Texas Tempranillo