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Tucker Farms in Ennis Offers a “Vegetable Club”

Farmer Jerry Tucker and his family have been living and raising produce in the Ennis area since 1959.  From 1972 to 1995, they were the proprietors of Tucker’s Grocery in nearby Garrett where they sold produce they raised themselves in a nearby garden. They’re out of the grocery store business but the continue to grow crops.

Today, Eatgreendfw.com. announces a newly formed Community Supported Agriculture program. If you become a $500 shareholder you will receive 32 weeks of home grown vegetables. For around  $16 a week you’ll get a half bushel with about 20 pounds of seasonal vegetables every week for at least 32 weeks. And, depending on the growing season and Tucker Farms planned greenhouses, the season could be longer! Check out the details and other market information at Eatgreendfw.com.

Update on Chapman Chile Kitchen in Dallas

I stopped by Shed 2 at the Dallas Farmers Market on Saturday to catch up with Fran Chapman. She was there with the other specialty food vendors selling 32-ounce containers of Chapman’s bison chili (mild, spicy, and 50/50) and their stuffed jalapenos. Things are picking up for the Chapman—Randal still runs the store on Carroll Ave. near Munger Place and Fran works the DFM on the weekends. They plan to ramp up production for the Farmers Market and hope to sell to other local outlets as well. (Attention Central Market, Whole Foods, and locavore restaurants—local bison chili is now available.) Between running a restaurant and the stand at the DFM, Fran and Randal have four kids. Saturday they all came down to help Fran shut down the stand.

Thanksgiving Day Turkeys

Thank you Cartoonstock!

I was going to do a roundup of all of the places you can pick up free-wheeling turkeys touting the big “O” but I was just informed that Kim Pierce has already done so. Here is what that turkeyette has to say.

What I’m Still Drinking: Kiepersol Estates Semillon

She shoots. We score.

I’ve written about my love affair with Kiepersol Estates Semillon 2007 before. It’s a nice soft wine with undertones of pineapple, mango, and grapefruit (Hi, Leslie!). Last month, D photographer Elizabeth “Spider Monkey” Lavin and I headed out to Kiepersol and spent the day picking grapes and watching the crew as they began to process the 2009 wines. If you haven’t been to the tasting room at Kiepersol which is just south of Tyler, you should go now–October is Texas Wine Month–and sip some wine  on the back porch. Better yet, you can read the travel feature I just completed with the details of the property’s bed and breakfast, upscale steak restaurant, and the best stocked bar between Dallas and Houston. It’s a great place to get away for a couple of days. Especially if you love good food and wine.

50 Incredible Lectures for the Ultimate Foodie

A nice lady named Amber Johnson sends you this link to 50 Incredible Lectures for the Ultimate Foodie. I’ve spent the last 90 minutes dipping into the video library and I could spend the rest of the day curled up on the couch watching them all. So far I’ve scanned “Craig Claiborne and the Invention of Food Journalism,” “Food Writing Forum: Eat, Memory,” and Ferran Adria: A Day at elBulli”. Bookmark the site and save it for a rainy day.

New Cookie Company In Carrollton: ZitaCookies

Sugar cookie with Key lime glaze.

Anybody tried ZitaCookies on Old Denton Road in Foodie Town, I mean, Carrollton? It’s a mom shop (pop has another job) dedicated to baking fresh cookies. Owner Zita DeGraffenreid delivers in town, mails orders all over the place, and offers a Cookie of the Month program. Check it out and report back. 972-245-4100.

Chapman Chile House in Peril

Pour yourself a another cup of coffee, this is a sad tale. Remember when I told you about the Dallas Health Department shutting down the Farmers Market at Celebration by requiring vendors to have mechanical refrigeration? I just got off the phone with Randal Chapman of Chapman Chile House in East Dallas. He says the DHD has also shut down Green Spot and Bolsa (unconfirmed). “Losing those Farmers Markets was really huge for us,” said Randall. “We were supplementing our income at them every weekend.”

Oh, it gets worse. Check out the blog post from Chapman’s website yesterday (T/H to CB ):

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2009
The Will To Survive:

We may not be able to overcome the location, size and hours we are open. Our son, Graham, and me have had flu symptoms all week so I have not been in to help Fran. It seems clear that the owner of the building has no interest in renovation and therefore we will not be able to expand. I need to focus all my efforts on finding a job so we can at least keep our house even if we have to close the kitchen.
I apologize if this sounds doom and gloom but it looks like we need some kind of miracle.

Health Department issues aside, Randal and Fran are cursed with a “slumlord” who refuses to “get the construction of our expansion” going. (The tiny spot on Carroll and Worth has plans to add an additional dining room.) “He tells us the building isn’t for sale,” said Randall. “But he doesn’t care about this place. He bought it in the mid-80s and it’s just chump change to him.”

Jump for the rest. (more…)

Is the City of Dallas Health Department Shutting Down Local Farmers Markets?

I’ve been hearing rumors for weeks that city officials were making the rounds and visiting the small farmers markets that have cropped up in spots such as Celebration, Bolsa, and North Haven Gardens. Now comes official word from Ed Lowe of Celebration. They have shut him down and he’s going to the Dallas City Council.

The City of Dallas Health Department has decided that the Celebration Farmers Market is in violation of certain codes. Celebration was told on 2 previous occasions that we could operate a Farmers Market in our parking lot under our existing permits. We strongly believe that all food handling practices and food products at the Farmers Market were perfectly safe. We have complied strictly with all Health Department codes for 38 years and take our responsibility to public health VERY SERIOUSLY.

We appreciate the warm welcome and support that you’ve provided our Saturday Farmers Market. We believe that what we along with our wonderful vendors are offering is a safe, fun and convenient setting for you to purchase healthy, delicious, local produce and other products.

We are going to approach the Dallas City Council to explore how the code can be modified to allow the Celebration Farmers Markets and others like us to provide a valuable service to the citizens of Dallas while protecting the public health.

I have contacted Ed and asked him for instructions on how you can sign the petition he plans to take to the Dallas City Council. Stay tuned. (OMG, I can hear Amy Severson already.)

Report From: Fair Food and Wine Event at the Texas State Fair

Texas Watermelon Queen

Last night, I attended the Fair Food and Wine event, sponsored by Texas Monthly. There were corn dogs on the invitation, so naturally, I had my heart set on eating a corn dog, and trying a few other fried things too. No such luck. There was food, but it was only food that is being sold in the General Store Food and Fiber Pavilion during the fair (all Texas made products, of course). We met a few nice people and got a free Western photo, which was probably better than fried butter, after all (aww).

This is Texas Watermelon Queen Mollie Bennett. She was totally cute and gave us samples of watermelon salsa that was delish. The recipe is here. Jump to find out who else we met.

(more…)

Wine Dinner (And Stuff and Such and Beyond) Wednesday

I apologize for the blatant copy and paste of information below, but I had an emergency surgery on my eye yesterday for a torn retina and I only have a day or two to suck sympathy out of you and my co-workers. PLUS, I have to get ready for this afternoon’s SideDish CheeseHead’s CELEBRATION OF  TEXAS CHEESE AND WINE EVENT at Celebration. The weather is going to be fabulous and we’ll be out on the patio. I’ll be the one with the cheesehead hat and the black eye patch!

Back to business:

Maquire’s. Has a new “Chef’s Seasonal Tasting Menu.” Three courses for $30; four courses for $37. Upgrade to wine pairing is $40 or $49. Details below. 972.818.0068

TJ’s Seafood. They don’t want you to get bored with seafood so they have new recipes, ideas, and sauces and marinades.  Fish Taco Sauce – so many of you have come in making fish tacos we decided to get a great fish taco sauce.  Fish Tacos are a fun (and kid friendly) way to get the family eating healthy fish. Tilapia is great and cost effective. Honey & Jalapeno Grill Glaze – perfect on salmon, swordfish, sea bass or anything else on the grill. If you can’t stand the heat, get away from the grill….this one is a little spicy! Japanese-Style House Marinade – if you like the Citrus Wasabi & Honey Ginger House Marinades, you’ll love this one. Lots of soy, sesame oil, ginger and cilantro.  Justs marinate shrimp, scallops and tuna for 20-30 min before grill or saute.

Cibus Ristorante. Has Bocce in the Park brought to you by NorthPark Center and The Italian Club of Dallas. Sunday, September 27th from noon to 4pm in CenterPark at NorthPark. Join us for a fun-filled afternoon for the entire family. Learn to play Bocce Ball if you never have or join the pros from the Italian Club for a lively game. Cibus will be grilling in the garden as well as offering selections from their regular menu plus refreshing cocktails and specialty coffee drinks. 214-692-0001.

Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen. Will host first beer dinner with Rahr & Sons Brewery.
Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen will debut its first ever beer dinner hosted by world-renowned Rahr & Sons Brewery, Fort Worth’s German award-winning brewery. Melissa “Mel” Simmons, Rahr & Sons Brewery Representative, will introduce their most famous beers accompanied with Rathbun’s extraordinary plates. For the first time at Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen, guests will experience their very own “Oktoberfest” tradition in their seats. The dinner menu and beer pairings detailed below. Wednesday, September 30, 2009.

The 500, Inc.’s WineFest 2009. The 500, Inc. announces the spectacular 7th Annual WineFest featuring an exciting selection of wine and delicious cuisine from over 20 of the area’s top eateries, a large silent auction, live music and the pleasurable company of friends and family in the hundreds. WineFest 2009 will be held on Saturday, October 24 from 6:30pm – 10pm at the Cavanaugh Flight Museum in Addison.  Advance tickets are $35 per person before October 23 and may be purchased online at www.winefest500.com.  Tickets at the door cost $40.  Proceeds of the event benefit the beneficiaries of The 500, Inc., a volunteer organization that has donated over $12 million to more than 35 local arts organizations over the past 40 years.  For more information about The 500, Inc., call 214.565.0200 or visit www.the500inc.org. Details below. (more…)

SideDish CheeseHeads: Let’s Celebrate Local Cheeses at Celebration in Dallas

Don’t forger: tomorrow, September 23 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m, at Celebration Restaurant we will celebrate local cheese makers Latte Da, Lucky Layla, and the Mozzarella Company. They all won national awards at the 25th Annual American Cheese Society Competition in Austin. They will be there passing out samples of their cheese and we’ll be pouring some nice red wine from Kiepersol Estates in East Texas. Free! Come early and stay late.  If you would like to stay for dinner (on your own dime), contact Lincoln at 214-351-5681 and mention that you are a SideDish CheeseHead.

KERA’s Think Talks Food

Tuesday, September 22nd Krys Boyd, host of Think, will discuss farming chickens in your backyard at 1:00 p.m. Ruth Reichl, editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine joins the show on Thursday at noon on Thursday. Listen to Think weekdays from noon to 2:00 p.m. on 90.1.

Don’t Cook Tonight: Pig Out With Us

See Evan Grant? In the photo, he is literally pigging out on Italian pork products in a small restaurant in San Gusme, Italy. Tonight, Mr. Grant will also be pigging out on Italian pork products and more at Nonna. Those pork products, along with the pici pasta and stuffed squash blossoms pictured below, inspired execuchef Julian Barsotti’s menu for tonight’s SideDish SupperClub at Nonna. A few people canceled this morning. If you’re in the mood for a first class Tuscan supper, join us. 214-521-1800.

Stuffed squash blossoms made by me and Karen. (She'll be there too!)

Pici pasta will be served! Great Scott!

The Munson Wine Trail: Homestead Winery in Ivanhoe, Texas

I know these wine videos don’t appeal to every reader, but I have a soft spot in my heart for wine makers in Texas. Twelve years ago I found myself standing in a barn outside of McKinney with some folks from the Texas Agriculture Department and a handful of area farmers. The Agriculture Department was touring the state and encouraging farmers to consider grapes as a cash crop.  Many  “seasoned” farmers scratched their heads and snickered–they’d never heard such heresy. Most of them went back to their fields and planted whatever crop fit their comfort level. However, a few took the challenge and now successfully grow and sell grapes.

Texas has a long way to go in the grape growing business. Currently there are only about 4,000 acres dedicated  to grapes. But the farmers who have devoted themselves to the task are producing some marvelous raw product.

I say all of this because after watching  these videos produced  by Andrew Chalk, I fell for Gabe Parker of Homestead Winery in Invanhoe, Texas. I love the deft touch of his hands as they move through the grapes. I adore his Texas accent that flowers his explanation of  the ancient wine making process of fermentation taking place on the High Plains, AVA Tempranillo grapes.

Gabe slays me again when he compares and contrasts the process with his Cabernet.

I Want to Eat Spain in Spain

Chef Gina Stipo teaches Eric and A.W. how to make biscotti.

Almost two years ago, I took a group of friends to Italy to learn how to cook Italian food at Ecco La Cucina just outside of Siena. Yes, we learned how to cook, but, more importantly, we learned how to eat. We traveled to small pig farms, saffron fields, and other artisanal businesses. We all went into shock when we came back to Dallas and tried to find real Tuscan food. (Thus the inspiration for the menu of the SideDish Supper Club on Thursday. Join us!)

Anywhoo, now we want to eat our way across Spain. I’ve spent time in Barcelona but nowhere else. Anyone out there care to suggest an eating itinerary? Kent Rathbun took a group last spring and I looked at his itinerary, but I’d prefer to mix in smaller producers and restaurants with the obvious big deal spots. (Has anyone tried Rathbun’s new Spanish menu at Abacus?) Today is deadline day at the magazine, so you can expect me to be here on the blog doing what I do best.  And looking back at our Italy pictures. And planning another escape.

New Sweet Release from Kessler Cookie Company

We’ve been big fans of the sweet boys over at Kessler Cookie Company and their Oak Cliff baked goodness for quite some time. We even named their oatmeal cranberry walnut cookie the city’s best cookie back in 2004. Just found out that KCC is producing an exclusive cookie for Dream Cafe: the Dream Ranger cookie is a blend of oatmeal, chocolate, and coconut. You can find it at both Dream Cafe locations (Uptown and Addison).

Slow Food Dallas is Planning an Eat-In at White Rock Lake on Labor Day

Slow Food Dallas is planning an “Eat-in” at White Rock Lake at the Big Thicket on Monday at 6 pm. The gathering is designed to bring people together to eat and show their support for the Real Food in Schools campaign. Slow Food USA is advocating for a change to the Child Nutrition Act which comes up for renewal every four years.If you haven’t had lunch at a public school in the last 20 years, you may not know that children are being served previously frozen, processed foods and are also allowed to purchase soft drinks and various processed foods from vending machines. Jump for more information. (more…)

SideDish CheeseHeads: Let’s Celebrate Local Cheeses at Celebration in Dallas

Art by Bob Dob.

Join me on Wednesday, September 23 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m at Celebration Restaurant to celebrate our victorious local cheese makers. Last month, Latte Da, Lucky Layla, and the Mozzarella Company won national awards at the 25th Annual American Cheese Society Competition in Austin. All three cheese makers will be there passing out samples of their cheese and we’ll be pairing the selections with Texas wines. Free! Come early and stay late.  If you would like to stay for dinner (on your own dime), contact Lincoln at 214-351-5681 and mention that you are a SideDish CheeseHead. [Don't forget, you can buy local cheese, honey, and other products at Celebration's Farmers Market on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m.-Noon.]

If you plan to attend, leave a “yes” or “yes plus 1″ below so we can plan to have enough cheese. And wine. And call Lincoln.

Prospective Wine-Grape Grower Workshop on October 12 in Stephenville

D photographer Elizabeth “Spider Monkey” Lavin learns how to taste grapes.

How many of you have visited a small winery and gotten swept up in the romance of tending the vines and making your own wine? It’s happened to me on more than ten occasions. Ah, the cool morning breeze in your hair; the dogs and chickens running freely through the fields; sharing endless glasses of wine with happy customers. Snap!

On October 12th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Stephenville will host a “Prospective Wine-Grape Growers Workshop.” The workshop will be presented by Fran Pontasch and Fritz Westover of the Texas AgrLife Extension Service viticulture team. Pontasch is the team’s North Texas viticulture adviser and Westover serves as the Gulf Coast viticulture adviser.

They will present a real-life look at the most common concerns potential or small-scale producers may have prior to committing valuable resources towards a commercial vineyard enterprise. Topics will include necessary viticulture expertise, vineyard site selection, risk factors, and vineyard labor requirements and economics.

When the class is over, perhaps we can all discuss the dogs, chickens, and endless glasses of wine ideas. Details for the class below.  (more…)

Explore the Dallas Wine Trail Saturday

The four local wineries in Dallas collaborate for the second Dallas Wine Trail event Saturday, Sept 5th.  This one features a visit to the wineries including Fuqua Winery, Times Ten Cellars, Inwood Estates Vineyard and Calais Winery.
This in from Lee Fuqua:

Grand Tasting Part Deux
Explore the Dallas Wineries on Labor Day Weekend
Saturday September 5, 2009
11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Be a pioneer as this is a true wine trail.All the Dallas wineries are about a 15 minute drive from each other.They are all between Mockingbird and downtown Dallas.

Find your way to each winery where your admission price will include:
3 tastings at each of the 4 wineries a crystal “Dallas Wine Trail” wine glass to use and keep light food at each winery and  a bottle of premium wine to take home. All for only $39 in advance or $45 at the door, if any tickets are left available.Tickets available here.

Dallas Restaurant News: Bits and Bites

From the copy and paste press release department:

Molto Formaggio. “MF has sourced an exciting new line of handcrafted cheeses from Switzerland and Bavaria that will be new to area consumers. Among the finds that will be introduced this week at both Molto Formaggio shops are Forsterkase, Scharfe Maxx, Heublumen, Bavarian Limburger (organic), and Challerhocker. Molto Formaggio is pleased to announce that they will be receiving shipments for both Thanksgiving and Christmas of the world famous Vacherin Mont d’Or cheese.  These one pound pieces are only produced 3 months out of the year and are truly the most luscious and wonderful cheeses made in the world.  Customers must preorder these cheeses for delivery in November or December as they will surely be sold out due to the limited quantities available.”  HP 214-526-0700. Preston Forest 214-361-9191.

Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen. “Introducing Heart-Healthy Lunch Items and $10 Menu Choices. Chef Kent Rathbun has created heart-healthy menu items including, Grilled Chicken Breast with Portobello Mushrooms, Ricotta, Rosemary Olive Oil and Mache Salad; Salmon Burger; Heirloom Tomato Dallas Mozzarella Salad with Avocado Green Goddess Dressing; Tassione Farm Field Green Salad with Roasted Lemon-Sherry Vinaigrette; Grilled Chicken Breast with California Avocado, Paula’s Cottage Cheese and Avocado Yogurt; and Shrimp, Crab and Lobster “Coleslaw” with Cilantro-Lime Dressing. All heart-healthy menu items are designated by a red heart. In conjunction with these items on our everyday menu, Chef Rathbun will offer a Heart Healhty Blue Plate Special for lunch and dinner until September 5. Starting September 14, on each Monday our Blue Plate Special will be Heart Healthy. Come join us and feel good again! Chef Rathbun has also added new $10 menu items on our lunch menu. Enjoy Carr Valley Mammoth Cheddar Grilled Cheese, Chef’s Choice Taco Plate of the Day, Salmon Burger and Grilled Flatbread and Hummus with Feta Cheese.”

The Pyramid Restaurant. On Friday, September 25th, the Pyramid Restaurant will host a Spaten Beer Pairing Dinner. Executive Chef jW Foster will pair his exciting “modern American” cuisine with the legendary German beers from Spaten. Details and menu below.

Chisholm Trail Longhorn Beef. “Dallas-based longhorn co-op Chisholm Trail Longhorn Beef, which is owned and maintained by several Dallas residents that also own other Dallas-based business. Mike Crawford, not only owns Red Peak Ranch, he owns and operates a marketing firm here in Dallas. The Texas longhorn co-op has just joined the Texas Department of Agriculture’s GO TEXAN program. Chisholm Trail Longhorn Beef is currently being served at Local in Deep Ellum and at Opa! Grill on Preston. Full release below.

Chick-fil-A.  “Free Chick-fil-A Original Chicken Sandwich to all customers wearing any sports-related apparel on Labor Day to celebrate the second-annual Chick-fil-A Kickoff football game!This year’s Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game will feature University of Alabama against Virginia Tech at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.” (more…)

Listen to James McWilliams on Think

I wrote this item yesterday and forgot to post it:

Eat before you “Think” or “Think” before you eat? Today that’s a tough question:  James McWilliams, author of the new book  Just Food: Where Locovores Get it Wrong and How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly, is Krys Boyd’s guest at 12:00 noon on Think. (KERA 90.1) McWilliams, a fellow in the Agrarian Studies Program at Yale University, is currently an associate professor at Texas State and he has some thought provoking ideas on food systems. If you would like a little background info before the show, check out Crunchy Con, Rod Dreher’s interview that ran in April. (Rod, how is the chicken business?)

My apologies to Krys. However, you can download the interview here.

2009 Texas Sommelier Conference in Dallas: Aperitifs

Notes and quotes from the Aperitifs seminar, by Andrew Chalk.

Aperitifs are not widely drunk in Dallas. Brian Cronin, a Master Sommelier with a passion for aperitifs, would like to change that. At the Texas Sommelier Conference he spoke about the variety of forms that this little known drinks category can take from (usually fortified) wine, through herbal infusions of spirits to secret proprietary concoctions.

We tasted seven examples. Below are my hastily constructed notes mainly written in real time as the tasting progressed. Overall, the tasting was very instructive and I would recommend trying some of these before a meal in the near future.

1) Tio Pepe Sherry. Classic dry sherry. Nutty in the nose. Sweet in the mouse with hints of oranges. This can be served with nuts before the meal or with shellfish during it. Lots of opportunities to cook with sherry. Some top chefs, e.g. Heston Blumenthal and Garry Danko are exploring sherry as a flavor ingredient to cooking.
2) Hidalgo Manzanilla “La Gitana”. Manzanilla comes from Sanlucar de Barrameda, about 25 miles from the home of sherry in Jerez. A wonderful seafront town uninfested by tourists most of the year. Manzanilla is similar to fino sherry but the producers proudly assert that it is Manzanilla and not a type of sherry.
This example is lighter than the Tio Pepe. The nose is fainter and the taste has a slight saltiness .
3) Pimm’s No. 1. The ‘cocktail of summer’ in the UK (they have a summer?) but virtually unheard of here. Pimm’s is a blend of Gin and Vermouth so it is no surprise to detect the faint smell of gin in the nose. The taste was a herbal infusion of gin and, if it is not to your taste, be aware that it is not drunk straight in the UK. Rather, it is used as the base for cocktails. We tried “RN 74 Pimms” which adds ginger (and is VERY ginger). Not to my taste, but Google “Pimm’s Cocktails” and a slew of suggestions will follow.
4) Coeur de Lion, Pommeau de Normandie. A wonderful French invention from the northern Normandy region made from Cider and apple brandy (Calvados). The nose is very ripe (e.g. brown) apples. The taste has a slight fruit tartness that prevented the cloying syndrome sometimes present in sweet drinks and those apples again.
5) Gason Rivière, Pineau de Charantes. Same general approach as the previous example. In this case the area of origin is the same as Cognac so the spirit base is cognac and the fruit originates from grape must. Much sweeter than the Pommeau. Hints of Cognac and honey (!) in the nose and oranges in the taste.
6) Punt E Mas. Italy’s proof that you can sell medicine in a bar. Like those exotic Italian digestivos. One glass can last all night. Sweet concentrated oranges in the mouth.
7)  Campari, Italy. One of the best known aperitifs in the US and one of the few that has something approaching a mass market. Iridescent red color (don’t serve on a visit to Chernobyl). Vibrant fruit and herbal flavors. Most people prefer it blended with something else (e.g soda).

2009 Texas Sommelier Conference in Dallas: Opening Night

Master Sommeliers Drew Hendricks and James Tidwell like beer.

Last night the 5th Annual Texas Sommelier Conference (TexSom)  kicked off at the Four Seasons Resort & Club in Las Colinas. Master Sommeliers Drew Hendricks, James Tidwell, and Guy Stout, the chief organizers, welcomed 21 other Master Sommeliers to the conference by putting them in a bus and taking them to Southfork for a barbecue. I was invited to join them and I must say I felt like I was crashing a very private party. These sommeliers and their wine industry friends are a refreshingly tight group and were obviously happy to be back in each others’ company. The Texas Sommelier Association has provided an effective association for wine people to promote professional wine service standards, outline paths for wine education, and to raise public awareness about what sommeliers do. In their spare time, they are party animals. Check out the photos from last night.

GO TEXAN Drinklocalwine.com Conference in Dallas: When is Texas Wine Really Texas Wine?

Andrew Chalk is with me at Drinklocalwine.com. Below is his first report from the conference that took place on Saturday. It’s an interesting topic that needs to be simplified not only for consumers but for “professionals” in the wine business. Let’s rumble.

The web site www.DrinkLocalWine.org exhorts consumers to drink local wine. This weekend the organization held its first annual conference and it happened to be here in Dallas with an emphasis on Texas wine.

However, it can be hard to recognize local wine. If you are at the liquor store and pick up a bottle of wine with the name of a Texas winery on the label the connection with Texas may be almost non-existent. It may actually come from grapes that were not grown in Texas. It may be fermented outside Texas. It may be aged outside Texas. In fact it may even have been labeled outside Texas. In other words, a completely finished wine is imported into Texas and the label says the name of a Texas winery. But none of the viticulture or viniculture had anything to do with Texas. How is the consumer to know where the grapes came from and where the wine was made? (more…)