It’s not every day you get to meet the man who grows the grapes that make up your favorite wine. The very guy who painstakingly plans throughout the year on when to irrigate, when to prune, when to net the vineyards, what to do when there’s a hail, heavy winds, late freezes and scorching heat. (And I’m probably only scratching the surface of what goes into vineyard management, aka grape farming.) So it’s a particularly special treat when one of the most well known grape growers in the state joins you (and a restaurant full of other wine lovers) for a dinner paired with wines made from grapes from his vineyards.

Such was the case Thursday evening when Neal and Janice Newsom of Newsom Vineyards trekked some few hundred miles down from the Lubbock area to Fredericksburg for a special dinner in their honor at the Cabernet Grill; a restaurant known not only for its great Texas fare, but for its Texas-only wine menu.

Newsom comes from a cotton family with dating back for more than 100 years in either growing the ubiquitous row crop or managing the cotton gins that helped produce the commodity. It was a path he originally began to take in his younger career helping his father manage a West Texas cotton gin and small cotton farm before following a bit of inspiration he received in college from Texas Tech professor and Texas Wine pioneer Dr.Roy Mitchell and planting his first acreage of grape in 1986; a vineyard of Cabernet Sauvignon.

At the celebratory vintner’s dinner at Cabernet Grill, winemakers from across the state gathered with a dining room full of more than 70 guests to applaud Newsom for his Texas-sized leap of faith almost 30 years ago. In attendance was Gary Gilstrap of Texas Hills Vineyard who presented a beautiful Pinot Grigio and Sangiovese from Newsom’s stock as well as Cord Switzer of Fredericksburg Winery who was one of Newsom’s first buyers. (And one of the first to gain Texas wine recognition with a silver medal from the Chicago International Wine competition with a dessert Orange Muscat wine from Newsom Vineyards.) Dan Gatlin of Inwood Estate Vineyards spoke briefly on Newsom’s contribution to Texas wine industry saying “I’ve done a lot of research across North America and I can promise that there are no better grapes than from Newsom Vineyards–hands down.” (more…)

Tagged: Bar Z, Cabernet Grill, Fredericksburg Winery, Inwood Estates Vineyards, Jessica Dupuy, Neal Newsom, Newsom Vineyards, Texas Hills Vineyards, texas wine

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting the High Plains of Texas, where among other things (including peanuts and cotton), they grow grapes. For wine. Some of the best wine in the state. In fact, if you’ve recently had what you consider a great bottle of Texas wine, the grapes have probably come from the High Plains. (Most of the wines we have selected for the Texas Monthly Wine of the Month have grapes from this region of the state.)

Aside from the gale-force wind storm that kicked up funnels of dust and a few of our skirts, I enjoyed traversing hundreds of miles with winemakers, grape growers, wine educators and a few other journalists to learn more about why this region is so vital to the Texas wine industry. In short the sandy loam soils, the dramatic temperature changes from day to night, and the dry-as-a-bone weather makes this place a grape haven. You may not have the chance to visit the Panhandle very often but below are some of the key places worth noting in this area:

•                Llano Estacado Winery: One of the larger wineries in the state making a broad range of beautiful wines under the direction of Executive Winemaker Greg Bruni. Some of their more notable selections include Viviana, Viviano, a 2009 unoaked reserve Chardonnay, and an 8-year Chairman’s Reserve port.

•                McPherson Cellars: Owned by Kim McPherson, the son of Llano Estacado co-founder and Texas wine pioneer, Doc McPherson, this winery is the one to watch in Texas. When it comes to making wines representative of Texas terroir, McPherson may actually be a genius. But don’t take my word for it, try for yourself. I’d suggest the 2010 Viognier, the 2010 Rosé of Grenache-Syrah, the 2010 Tré Colore, and the 2010 Rousanne, which was bottled only a few of days ago. Of course, it will be a short while before these are on the market, but the 2009 varieties are worth a try as well. And at about $12-$15 a bottle, you can’t lose.

•                Cap Rock Winery: Under new ownership, the Texas wine community has great hopes for the future of Cap Rock. A few wines to watch from here: 2010 Chenin Blanc, the 2010 Rousanne, and the 21010 Tempranillo.

•                Newsom Vineyards, Bingham Family Vineyards, and Reddy Vineyards: These expansive tracts are home to some of the best of the best grapes in Texas including Bingham Vermentino for Duchman Family Vineyards, Tempranillo for Inwood Estates, and Muscat for Brennan Vineyards.

In the next few months we’ll explore what’s ahead for Texas Wine Education, how the 82nd Legislature will effect the Texas Wine Industry, and we’ll meet a few of the growers who have made such an impact on Texas terroir. Stay tuned!

- Jessica Dupuy

Tagged: Bingham Family Vineyards, Cap Rock Winery, Jessica Dupuy, llano estacado winery, McPherson Cellars, Newsom Vineyards, Reddy Vineyards, Texas High Plains, texas wine

Cabernet Sauvignon is perhaps one of the most recognized varietals on the market. It’s a grape that thrives in classic French Bordeaux, bold California vintages up and down the western coast, and gives an extra kick to those big Super Tuscans that have become so popular. But few people believed it could be a good grape for Texas. That is until wineries such as Llano Estacado Wineries, Fall Creek Vineyards, and Becker Vineyards started producing some pretty amazing Cabs from vineyards in the High Plains and even in the Hill Country; Cabs that would certainly be described as Texas Cabs in that they have many of the same qualities you’d expect from California, France, or Italy, but with a distinct Texas twist.

This month’s Texas Wine of the month is one of those Texas Cabs: Becker Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Newsom Vineyard,” 2007. A well balanced wine with rich fruit, nice acidity and balanced tannins, this Cabernet Sauvignon was selected with the help of Jose Perez who has been the sommelier at Houston’s famed RDG + Bar Annie for 20 years.

“I love what Dr. Becker has done with his wines, but this one alone is one of my favorites,” says Perez. “It’s well made and is an affordable wine for what it is.” (The wine is $62 on the RDG menu, and $40 retail at the winery.) “It has dark fruit, coffee, and cocoa flavors as well as a nice smoky-meaty quality almost like bacon. I love to suggest this to people who aren’t familiar with Texas wines and it always makes a great impression.”

Perez often pairs this with RDG’s coffee-rubbed filet of beef with roasted ancho chile sauce and says it also works well with roasted guinea fowl and grilled squab.

At around $40, it’s not cheap. But nothing good in life really is, and this is a fantastic wine. The only problem, according to Becker Vineyards General Manager Bret Perrenoud, the wine is virtually sold out and only on a few restaurant wine lists including RDG + Bar Annie. (So your best bet is to save up for a special night out and order a bottle at RDG.

Or, Perrenoud suggests a similar selection, the Cabernet Sauvignon “Canada Vineyard,” 2008. This selection is also $40 but is available at the winery, and is just as good, if not equal to the “Newsom Vineyard” Cab. (Both vineyards are from the High Plains and produce amazing fruit.) As of last Sunday, the Cabernet Sauvignon “Canada Vineyard,” 2008 just won a silver medal at the San Antonio Wine Competition.

Salut!

Winery: Becker Vineyards

Retail Price: $40

Availability: Although the Cabernet Sauvignon “Newsom Vineyard,” 2007 is sold out in retail, the Cabernet Sauvignon “Canada Vineyard,” 2008 is available at the winery for $40.

Tagged: Becker Vineyards, Bret Perrenoud, Canada Vineyards, Jose Perez, Newsom Vineyards, RDG + Bar Annie