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

The stars were bright in the Capital City on Friday night where fans of Texas’ bountiful foods and wines celebrated not only the “locavore,” but the “loca-pour” in us all. Edible Texas Wine & Food Match, presented by Edible Austin and The Texas Food and Wine Gourmet was the first-ever culinary competition of its kind in the state of Texas. The event challenged chefs from Central Texas to create a menu using regional foods to pair with appellation wines of Texas. The goal: to bring out the best in both.

Held at the AT&T Conference Center in Austin, the dinner was offered as an official event of the 2011 International Association of Culinary Professionals’ national conference.

Though attendees were each given a ballot to cast a “Peoples’ Choice” vote, the evening was guided by a panel of guest judges including Jacques Pépin, world-renowned chef, television celebrity, author and culinary educator; Francois Dionot, founder and director of L’Academie de Cuisine; John Besh, chef, restaurateur, author and television personality; Michael Bauer, executive food and wine editor for the San Francisco Chronicle; and Paula Lambert, cookbook author and founder of the Mozzarella Company.

From a field of several dozen competitors, a committee of food and wine experts, including our own Pat Sharpe, selected their top five chefs to compete for the final event including Kelly Casey, executive chef at Hudson’s on the Bend restaurant, Austin; Patrick James Edwards, sous chef  at Bin 555 and Wine Bar, San Antonio; David Garrido, owner and executive chef at Garrido’s Restaurant, Austin; Josh Raymer, owner and executive chef at Navajo Grill, Fredericksburg; Peter Smith, executive chef at JW Marriott Hill Country Resort and Spa, San Antonio. Each competing chef vied for the perfect pairing reflecting Texas terroir using regional foods and a selection of Texas wines.

Fifteen Texas appellation vintages from eight Texas wineries were paired in the event including Becker Vineyards, Flat Creek Estate Winery, Fall Creek Vineyards, Inwood Estates Vineyards, Messina Hof Winery & Resort, Perissos Vineyard, Sister Creek Vineyards, and Stone House Vineyards.

The chef finalists offered an array of beautiful dishes including a local market salad with roasted beets, pickled peaches, and goat cheese from Chef Josh Raymer paired with a refreshing pear and floral 2010 Perissos Vineyards Viognier, a roasted lamb loin with a tongue-teasing porcini-raspberry soil from Chef Patrick James Edwards paired with Becker Vineyards 2009 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and a fluffy cloud of aerated goat cheese with blackberry-persimmon paper, and an emulsion of fennel pollen and honey from Chef Peter Smith paired with a light and aromatic 2010 Flat Creek Estate Moscato.

But in the end, Chef David Garrido took first place with his famous crispy oysters with habenero honey aioli paired with the dry, yet slightly sweet Fall Creek Vineyards 2010 Chenin Blanc, a coffee-chipotle beef tenderloin paired with Fall Creek’s award-winning 2006 Meritus (Bordeaux blend), and a zucchini cake with lemon cream and candied pecan paired with Sister Creek 2010 Muscat Canelli—a special treat with a hint of honeysuckle effervescence.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the newly launched nonprofit Texas Center for Wine and Culinary Arts, a new nonprofit dedicated to promoting Texas food, wine, and agriculture through educational programming and hands-on experiences. Major sponsors of this event include AT&T Hotel and Conference Center, GO TEXAN, Whole Foods Market / Greenling Organic Delivery, Glazer’s, Trattoria Lisina / Salt Lick: The Driftwood Experience and Montesino Farm.

Hats off to Chef Garrido for his palate-pleasing efforts and a tip of the hat to the chefs and wineries featured in this momentous event. If you missed this year’s event, not to worry… This was the first of a 5-year program, which will travel around the state featuring regional chefs, foods, and wines.

- Jessica Dupuy

Tagged: Becker Vineyards, Bin 555, david garrido, Edible Austin, Edible Texas Food and Wine Match, Fall Creek Vineyards, Flat Creek Estate Winery, garrido's, hudson's on the bend, Inwood Estates, Jessica Dupuy, Josh Raymer, JW Marriott Hill Country Resort and Spa, Kelly Casey, Messina Hof Winery & Resort, Navajo Grill, Patrick James Edwards, Perissos Vineyard, Peter Smith, Sister Creek Vineyards, Stone House Vineyards

From Left to Right: Ron Yates, June Rodil, Dan Gatlin, Mark Hyman, Dr. Richard Becker, Ed Auler, Kim McPherson. Photo by Callie Richmond

As part of the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival, the pioneers of the Texas wine industry convened on Saturday, April 2nd at Austin’s Hyatt Regency to share a taste of their top wines paired with a six-course lunch by Executive Chef Kevin Dee.

Among this assembly were Kim McPherson of McPherson Cellars, Ron Yates of Spicewood Vineyards , Mark Hyman of Llano Estacado, Ed Auler of Fall Creek Vineyards, Dan Gatlin of Inwood Estates Vineyards, and Russell Smith of Becker Vineyards. June Rodil, beverage director of Congress restaurant and one of the state’s top sommeliers, led each course pairing and moderated an engaging discussion on the current state of Lone Star Wine.

Below are the pairings:

Baby spinach salad with roasted chiogga and white beets, local strawberries and champagne vinaigrette – McPherson Cellars Syrah Rosé 2009 (~$10)

Quail Confit over baby arugula and butternut squash Risotto with toasted pumpkin seeds – Spicewood Vineyards Semillon Reserve 2007 (~$18)

Chicken scallopine over roasted sweet potatoes and watercress citrus salad with Meyer lemon caper sauce – Llano Estacado Viviana 2009 (~$23)

Strube Ranch shortribs, Pure Luck polenta, braised chard – Fall Creek Vineyards Meritus 2006 (~$40)

Bleu cheese selection – Inwood Estates Vineyards “Cornelious” Tempranillo 2007 (~$40)

Local Strawberries with chocolate torte – Becker Vineyards Vintage Port 2009

Of the courses, our favorites included the chicken scallopine, which presented bright, citrusy flavors that balanced perfectly with the acidity and mild sweetness of Llano Estacado’s Viviana white blend.

We also liked the rich braised shortribs rounded out with the full-bodied, dark cherry notes of the Fall Creek Meritus. (Although the big dark fruits in the Inwood Estates Tempranillo also worked well with this dish.)

Our favorites out of the wines?… all of them. Each of them could hold their own against similar varietals world wide.

In the past year, each of these wineries have had at least one of their wines featured as a Texas Monthly Wine of the Month—half of which were paired with this lunch. And with good reason. Not only have these wineries figured out the key to making good wines, they’ve figured out the key to making good Texas wines, which as the past 15-20 years have shown, has been a long and painstaking process in finding the grapes that work best in the state as well as enduring the unpredictable Texas weather patterns.

And while some of the larger wineries have found consistency and high volume sales with wines such as the Becker Vineyards Viognier, the Fall Creek Chenin Blanc, or the Llano Estacado Chardonnay—all of which sell for around $15 or less—all of the wineries have a selection of wines that reflect a more “hand-crafted,” artisan style that have brought each of these winemakers high esteem through the state including Inwood’s “Cornelious” Tempranillo and Fall Creek’s Meritus.(Both of these have smaller production and fly off the shelves for $30-$40.)

But as Fall Creek’s Ed Auler revealed, “Wines across the state have gotten to a point where the quality and value are balancing out,” meaning you can rely on the merit of the wine you’re buying whether it’s a $10 or $30 bottle… Just one more thing to make Texans proud.

Tagged: Becker Vineyards, Congress restaurant, Fall Creek Vineyards, Inwood Estates Vineyards, Jessica Dupuy, June Rodil, llano estacado winery, McPherson Cellars, Spicewood Winery, Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival, texas wine

As mentioned in previous Texas Wine Posts, you’ll soon become accustomed to hearing about Tempranillo in Texas. Originally a Spanish varietal, the Tempranillo grape is commonly used in Rioja and Ribera del Duero. (Primarily in Northern Spain.) But it also does particularly well in the Texas Hill Country. (No surprise as the climate and soils are very similar to that of Northern Spain.)

In 2010 we introduced two rather rich and full-bodied Tempranillos from Inwood Estates and Fall Creek Vineyards. This month we have another Tempranillo for you. It comes at the suggestion of Brian Phillips, beverage director and sommelier at Haddington’s in Austin a fairly new Rustic American Tavern serving upscale pub food and an array of hand-crafted cocktails and specialty beer and wine. Phillips recently served me a glass of this at the restaurant and I was amazed at its full, rounded flavor as well as its levity. (Almost like a Pinot Noir.) It stood on its own as a great sipping wine. This selection is very different than the other Tempranillos we’ve shared in the past, and it’s worth discovering for yourself.

This month’s Texas Wine of the Month is: Pedernales Cellars Tempranillo 2009. Pedernales Cellars is a small family vineyard and winery in Stonewall owned and operated by the Kuhlken Family. The grapes for this wine are hand-harvested from the family’s Kuhlken Vineyard just a few miles down the road and the wine is made in the same manner as “old world” Riojas of Spain. For those aficionados out there, the family uses the method of open-top fermentation with manual punch-downs. The wine is then aged 12-18 months in 50% French and 50% American oak.

Why does Phillips like it? “This Tempranillo is well balanced and has a bright and slightly tart finish because of its great acidity,” says Phillips. “That and the moderate alcohol balances the leathery, sweet tobacco and dark berry flavors commonly found in Tempranillos.”

And, it’s great balance makes it a very food friendly option that would go well with any grilled steak, game, or poultry.  This would also be a great way to sample a progression of Texas Tempranillos. Try all three–Inwood, Fall Creek, and Pedernales–and taste the difference. You won’t be disappointed.

Winery: Pedernales Cellars

Price: ~$30

Availability: Select retail shops and restaurants in Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and New Braunfels and at the winery

Tagged: Brian Phillips, Fall Creek Vineyards, Haddington's Austin, Inwood Estates, Pedernales Cellars, Texas Tempranillo

Did you know: Texas has a total of eight federally-approved viticultural regions, or “appellations” throughout the state and a total of nine official wine trails to help guide interested wine enthusiasts throughout these regions?

For this month’s column on Texas Wine, we’d like to introduce you to the Texas Hill Country Wine Trail, which encompasses three of the Texas appellations including The Texas Hill Country, the Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country, and the Bell Mountain Viticultural areas.

(NOTE: An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine are grown. This is important for winemakers in being able to place a label on their bottle designating where their grapes originated. It’s a distinction that adds more credibility to a bottle of wine—as an example, check out any good bottle of French wine and you’ll find an appellation label.)

We’re starting with this wine trail, if not because it represents the first region in the state to receive an appellation designation, then because it is the second-largest appellation in the United States spanning more than 15,000 square miles—and it doesn’t hurt that this area has some excellent wines and beautiful scenery along the way. See a full list of wineries here.

This trail stretches as far south as New Braunfels to as far north as Lampasas and stretches west of Fredericksburg and east to just outside the Austin city limits. With this much turf to cover, it’s advisable to make a three- to four-day road trip out of this trail, stopping at some of the area’s top restaurants, guesthouses, and sights along the way—and if you’re in the Fredericksburg area, don’t miss a dinner at the Cabernet Grill, where chef/owner Ross Burtwell serves up hearty rustic-American fare accompanied by a 100% Texan wine list.

This time of year, spring is ushered in by a flourish of wildflowers. Now is the time to take advantage of the colorful views and the fantastic weather. I recently made an excursion to check some of these wineries off of my list. Below are a few of my favorites:

Mandola Estate Winery – As the Italian name implies, Mandola’s  specializes in Italian grapes grown in Texas soil for their portfolio. Not only is the name synonymous with great food, but Mandola’s now stands for great wine, too; particularly the crisp and fruity (but not too sweet) Vermentino. This aromatic wine will be great for the warmer, eh em, hotter days of summer and would be fantastic with a garlicky shrimp dish or simply as a refreshing cocktail on its own.

I also liked the Dolcetto, a classic Italian grape meaning “slightly sweet.” But don’t be fooled, the sweetness refers to just the grape. This bold red wine is a sturdy, slightly tannic wine, with no sweetness at all, making a great partner for a good juicy steak.

Texas Hills Vineyard – Owner Gary Gilstrap has stumbled onto something at his Johnson City winery as the only winemaker producing a straight Rousanne, a classic French grape primarily grown in the Rhone Valley (an almost identical match to the Texas Hill Country climate and terrain). This bright white wine is crisp and light, but is layered with great apricot and honey flavors.

I also liked the Toro de Tejas, a rich Tempranillo blended with a little Cabernet Sauvignon making a great earthy wine that is surprisingly smooth and low on tannin, meaning your tongue won’t feel rough after you try a taste. “To me, the Tempranillo is the grape of Texas,” says Gilstrap. “It will rise to be one of the best grapes grown in this state.”

Becker Vineyard – Perhaps the largest and most widely known vineyard in the Fredericksburg area, Becker Vineyards has made a name for producing a consist portfolio of wines. I had a chance to taste their 2007 Prairie Rotie, an earthy red wine made in the Rhone-style of Southern France. This wine does have a little tannin, but its dark fruit flavors would work very well with wild game such as elk or pheasant.

Fall Creek Vineyards – A trip to Fall Creek is like visiting a little piece of Napa Valley, except for the long, windy drive around Lake Buchanan. Like Becker, Fall Creek is known for its consistency, even with its premiere wine, Meritus, which is a blend of different grapes each year. But as owner and winemaker Ed Auler says, “We take the best of the grapes we have each year to make the best blend we can make. That always varies from year to year when you’re working with Texas weather.”

Meritus is a great wine indeed, especially if you can get a hold of the 2004 vintage, which won Double Gold at the Taster’s Guild International Competition. But I’m particularly a fan of their latest release, the 2008 Tempranillo made from grapes grown at the Salt Lick Vineyard in Driftwood—the very same Salt Lick of barbecue fame. I’m not sure if it’s because these grapes were grown on legendary barbecue land, but this big, juicy-meets-earthy wine is an excellent mate for smoked brisket and sausage. At the same time, this new release from Fall Creek is elegant and sophisticated, even if the meal you’re pairing it with permits you to lick your fingers.

Other wines not to miss: Grape Creek Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Syrah, Alamosa Wine Cellars 2006 Palette, Pedernales Cellars 2009 Stonewall Muscat Canelli.

But don’t take my word for it. When it comes to wine, if you like it, then it’s good. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. Do take advantage of this time of year. The Hill Country Wine Trail is hosting a Wine and Wildflowers event April 9-11 and 16-18 with wine and cheese pairings, wildflower seed packets, and a 15-percent discount on three-bottle purchases at each of the trail’s 24 wineries. The cost is $35 per person or $60 per couple for an all access pass to this seasonal event. And don’t forget, the 25th Annual Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival kicks off April 15 with multi-course, wine-paired lunches at Fall Creek Vineyards, Becker Vineyards, and Stone House Vineyards.

Enjoy the Texas Hill Country Wine Trail – But please remember, Drink Responsibly!

Tagged: Becker Vineyards, Fall Creek Vineyards, Mandola's Estate Winery, Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival, Texas Hill Country Wine Trail, Texas Hills Vineyards, Wildflowers and Wine

The biggest Wine Fest in Texas is only a few weeks away. Culminating in Austin and extending for four days as far west as Fredericksburg and Tow in the Hill Country, the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival begins Thursday, April 15 with its annual celebration of great wines and Texas cuisine through Sunday, April 18.

This year, the festival celebrates its milestone 25^th Anniversary and owes much of its success to the pioneering initiative of Susan Auler of Fall Creek Vineyards who, along with her friends and top Texas chefs Dean Fearing, Stephen Pyles, and Robert Del Grande, started the event in 1985 to put the Texas Hill Country on the map.

Back then, Southwestern cuisine was taking center stage as the hot culinary trend and Pyles, Del Grande, and Fearing were all considered the masterminds behind the popular spicy food movement. At the same time, Fall Creek Vineyards, along with Llano Estacado, Pheasant Ridge, and Messina Hof were all making strides in wine production.

“We were really doing some great things in the state with food and wine,” says Auler. “So I got my chef friends together to turn the spotlight on Central Texas with a festival celebrating the best of what  Texas had to offer.”

The idea paid off. The Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival is now one of the top five most visited wine festivals in the country behind the likes of the Aspen Food and Wine Festival. And though it has grown to include wines from all over the world, you can still find Texas wines strongly represented at a number of the festival events.

“I think Texas wines will continue to get more exposure through events like this,” says Auler. “Especially if the demand from Texans begins to grow. This event has helped the Hill Country gain recognition as a legitimate wine region that now attracts people from all over the country to come and visit.”

Though the majority of events take place in Austin, the festival will culminate in the Hill Country at three different wineries for four-course lunches with Texas wine pairings served by some of the state’s most celebrated chefs including Jon Bonnell of Bonnell’s in Fort Worth, Josh Watkins of The Carillon in Austin, and Randy Evans of the new Houston hot spot, Haven.

For a complete event list, visit the festival’s website for ticket information. Below is a select list of events featuring Texas wine.

THURSDAY APRIL 15th

Savor the Hill Country Luncheons, 12:00pm – 2:00pm: Each winery has a unique and special setting in which to enjoy your leisurely multi-course luncheon. Well-known Texas chefs will create delicious dishes paired to Texas wines. Both host and guest winemakers will talk about their wines and their unique experiences as winemakers in Texas.

Becker Vineyards: Chefs: Josh Raymer, Kay Pratt Wineries: Becker Vineyards, Grape Creek Vineyards, McPherson Cellars
Fall Creek Vineyards: Chefs: Jon Bonnell, Josh Watkins, Randy Evans Wineries: Fall Creek Vineyards, Llano Estacado Winery, Peregrine Hill Vineyards & Winery
Stone House Vineyards: Chefs to be determined. All food will be paired with Stone House Wines.

Texas25, 7:00pm – 9:00pm at Whole Foods Market Rooftop Plaza: Taste the beloved bites and beverages of local Texas restaurants and artisan producers.

FRIDAY APRIL 16th

Stars Across Texas Grand Tasting 7:00pm – 10:00pm at the Long Center for Performing Arts: Bring a hefty appetite for an evening at Austin’s beautiful Long Center for sweet and savory bites from some of the state’s top chefs and restaurants, as well as an almost endless variety of local, national, and international wines and spirits.

SATURDAY APRIL 17th

Local Focus: Texas Wine and Cheese Pairing, 10:00am – 11:30am
at Whole Foods Market Culinary Center: Taste and learn as world-renowned cheese expert, Cathy Strange of Whole Foods Market, shares her passion for cheese while discussing the synergy and sense in pairing Texas wines with Texas cheeses. A panel discussion with Texas winemakers, moderated by Cathy Strange, will round out this delicious session.

SUNDAY APRIL 18th


Sunday Fair, 12:00pm – 5:00pm at The Vineyards at The Salt Lick in Driftwood: The soon-to-be-home of the Saltlick’s winery provides the venue for this annual celebration of Texas restaurants, chefs and artisanal food producers along with Texas and guest wineries and craft brewers. Stroll through producer tents, watch cooking demonstrations and listen to live music all afternoon as you sample the best of Texas and beyond in the idyllic surroundings of the Texas Hill Country. 
This event is not recommended for anyone under 21. Designated Driver ticket available.

Tagged: Fall Creek Vineyards, Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival, texas wine