2010 Fairhaven Vineyards Chambourcin

You often hear about Texas wines in the Hill Country. You occasionally even hear a bit about how most of the grapes grown in Texas are actually in the High Plains near Lubbock. But you rarely hear about the other pockets of the state that produce wine. There’s the Bluebonnet Wine Trail near Brenham, the Munson Wine Trail near Forth Worth and there’s also a wine trail in The Piney Woods of East Texas, which is where this month’s wine of the month comes from.

Out near Hawkins—about 20 miles from Tyler—Fairhaven Vineyards has made a name for itself specializing in French-American and American hybrid grapes for wine. (Without getting too geeky, there are well known European native grapes “vitis vinifera” such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, and American native grapes “vitis labrusca,” such as Concord or Norton.)

Fairhaven’s owner and winemaker R.L. Winters emphasizes a focus on native American grapes for his wines. Almost all of the grapes used for his wines are sourced directly from almost a dozen acres of his own vineyard and are produced to make European styles of wine. Fairhaven also propagates and sells a variety of root stocks for individuals looking to start their own vineyard along with a complete vineyards installation service to help get things started.

Since the winery opened in 2004, it has received numerous awards for its heritage grapes including the 2009 Lomanto, the first American Hybrid grape to wine an international award since 1873, and the  2010 Chambourcin, which won a gold medal in the 2011 Lone Star International Competition and is this month’s Texas Wine of the Month.

The Chambourcin grape is a French-American hybrid that Winters has found does unbelievably well in warm climates such as Texas and has a high resistance to fungal disease. And though you won’t find a lot of it in Texas, you can find it throughout the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. in states such as New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

Drew Hendricks, MS

This month’s wine of the month Comes from one of Texas’s seven Master Sommeliers, Drew Hendricks, the director of wine and beverage education for Pappas Restaurants. Hendricks’ career on both the distribution and service side of wine demenotrates not only his extensive knowledge of the world of wine, but his passion for sharing it with other people. Perhaps his greatest effort in sharing wine with others is through the 9th Annual Texas Sommeliers Conference (TEXSOM), which Hendricks co-founded in 2005 with fellow Master Sommelier James Tidwell of the Four Seasons Los Colinas.

“I really like what Fairhaven is doing with their wines,” says Hendricks who carries this wine at both Pappas Bros Steakhouses in Dallas and Houston. “This Chambourcin is juicy, jammy and delicious. It shows that sometimes it pays to pay attention to these [grape] varieties that are outside the norm.”

The wine also has racy acidity and a little tartness as well. It’s fruity, but has a great earthiness to it as well, which is evidence of Winters’ drive towards a European style of wine. This is a wonderful food wine that would be fantastic with a juicy ribeye—perhaps why Pappas has it on their wine list—but it would also be delicious with a couple nibbles of dark chocolate after dinner.

Attendees to TEXSOM will likely have a chance to sample the Chambourcin during one the nine conference seminars. It’s one devoted strictly to wines from single vineyards throughout Texas and will be led by Texas native and wine expert Christy Canterbury and Houston-based Master Sommelier Guy Stout. Hendricks helped select the wines for this particular seminar and the Chambourcin was high on his list.

Though the final list NOT official, some of the candidates include:

2009 Sandstone Cellars VII - A rich, fruity and medium-bodied Portuguese-inspired red wine made from Touriga Naciaonal grown exclusively in Mason, TX.

2010 McPherson Cellars Roussane Reserve – A previous Texas wine of the Month that has citrus, ripe peach and tropical fruit on the nose with a balanced, dry finish on the palate.

2011 Duchman Family Vineyards Vermentino – An Italian varietal and perhaps the best version this winery has released to date—though previous vintages have been stellar as well—with notes of pear and lemon and crisp, dry finish.

2010 Texas Hills Vineyard Cabernet Franc – A smooth red with blackberries and a hint of spice made from a classic French Bordeaux and Loire varietal.

2009 Pedernales Cellars Kuhlken Family Reserve (red wine blend) – A full-bodied red made primarily from Tempranillo and Merlot.

And while Hendricks is excited to see how well received this single-vineyard Texas wines are received, he’s also excited to see the panels on Cabernet Franc as well as the special vertical tasting of Leonetti Cellars.

While the much anticipated TEXSOM is sold out, and sure to be a wine-filled fiesta of oenophiles and wine amateurs alike, it’s growth in the national sphere of wine professionals is evidence to the entire country of just how serious Texans are about their wine.

- Jessica Dupuy

Tagged: Chambourcin 2010, Drew Hendricks, Duchman Family Vineyards, Fairhaven Vineyards, Jessica Dupuy, McPherson Cellars, Pedernales Cellars, sandstone cellars, Texas Hills Vineyard, TexSom

Salt Lick Cellars Sangiovese Reserve, 2009

Sangiovese, one of Italy’s great wine grapes. If you’ve dined at any run of the mill Italian joint, you’ve probably encountered it in some form or fashion as it is used to make Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and the blends popularized by the American market as “Super Tuscans,” just to name a few. The grape itself has more than 15 clones found throughout Italy, all with different names, so it may be hard to identify off the bat, but it you familiarize yourself with the Italian regions, you’ll soon see Sangiovese is, well, all over the place.

When it’s young, the wines tend to be a little light with hints of bright fruit, strawberry and a little spice. When aged in oak for a while, they can grow in depth and complexity.

But perhaps more importantly, Sangiovese does really well in Texas.

This month’s Texas Wine of the Month selection comes with the help of sommelier Richard Arnold, of Houston’s La Colombe d’Or. Originally an Austin native, Arnold nurtured a growing passion for wine while managing wine lists in Colorado restaurants Potager and Larkspur as well as notable Texas locales such as Del Frisco’s, Vic & Anthony, and Pappas Brothers. He was also one of the first to help open Spanish-inspired Malaga in Austin with Jay Knepp and Jennifer Robin, both of whom are now with the wine program at the Salt Lick Cellars in Driftwood.

That’s right, as in Salt Lick Barbecue. If you haven’t been out for the legendary, family-style barbecue classic in a while, you may want to make the trek. You’ll soon notice that vineyards surround the entire property.

In recent years the Salt Lick has planted warm-climate grapes that seem to love the Texas heat including Tempranillo, Mourvedre, Sangiovese and Syrah. They’ve also made relationships in the High Plains to bolster their grape inventory. Though currently in small production, the Salt Lick has slowly begun releasing wines under their own label with the help of noted Texas winemakers including Ed Auler of Fall Creek Vineyards (Tempranillo), Dave Reilly of Duchman Family Vineyards (Texas Hill Country Red and Barbecue Red), and Kim McPherson of McPherson Cellars (Sangiovese Reserve). (more…)

Tagged: Dave Reilly, Duchman Family Vineyards, Ed Auler, Fall Creek Vineyards, Jay Knepp, Jennifer Robin, Jessica Dupuy, Kim McPherson, La Colombe D'Or, McPherson Cellars, Richard Arnold, Salt Lick barbecue, Salt Lick Cellars, Salt Lick Cellars Sangiovese Reserve 2009, Scott Roberts