Love Travel? Love Wine? Think You Work Hard?

Then you’ll love Kim “Fresh Face” Pierce’s story on Neal and Janice Newsom in today’s Food Section of the DMN. Great read, Kim.

The Black Crows Set to Play Taste of Addison

The town of Addison will be rocking next weekend when the Taste of (Bill) Addison opens the doors at 5:00PM Friday May 9. Check out the website for all of the activities. Highlights? Pinkalicious: The Musical, Flair Bartending Exhibition, and a Saturday night performance by The Black Crows. Good, clean, cheap fun. Hit it, boys.

LightCatcher Releases Off-Dry Rosé

LightCatcher Winery in Fort Worth just released the 2007 Texas Kiss Merlot Rosé ($14). Winemaker Caris Turpen said:

This year’s version is true to form - light, crisp, and just sweet enough to push the fruitiness right up to the front (technically it’s “off-dry”).  The flavors are strawberry, cherry, watermelon and cranberry - a perfect complement to spicy and warm-weather dishes.  And, the color is gorgeous - a transparent ruby red, clean and enticing.

You can expect that this will sell out soon, as it does every year. I love this wine with fish and shellfish dishes that have a bit of sweetness in the glazes or sauces. Turpen also has a dry-style Merlot rosé, Etain’s Rose ($18), that I cannot leave the winery without buying drinking at least one bottle. It is crisp and refreshing, but has structure and complexity. Try it with chicken, Asian food, even steak.

Acoustic Grooves at Bluff Dale Vineyards

You might think that because it’s Monday, I’d want to save posts about weekend events until, say, Thursday at noon. Well a visit to Bluff Dale Vineyards, between Stephenville and Granbury, takes a little more planning than your average jaunt to Uptown for entertainment. If you’re one that can linger on a Texas highway on a lazy Sunday afternoon, then steer your wheels southwest. Every Sunday you can claim a spot on the porch overlooking vineyards and Texas countryside, grab a bottle of wine (try the Texas White or the Texas Cream Sherry), and listen to some good music. This Sunday’s headliner is Acoustic Blend, tradional bluegrass and old country. Oh, and did I mention it’s free? 1-4 p.m. Click here for contact info and directions.

North Texas Wine Update: Fuqua Wins Gold and Silver

Local winemaker Lee Foster Fuqua’s 2002 FUQUA Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon won a Gold Medal at the Fingerlakes International Wine Competition. About 2300 wines were entered. Only 161 won gold. Fuqua Winery also produces a Texas Red made from grapes grown in West Texas. It’s a blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. Visit the winery any Saturday from noon-6 p.m. It’s on the outskirts of Highland Park by Love Field. 3737Atwell Street, Suite 203, 214-769-1147.

Update: Just found out the the 2004 FUQUA Texas Red Wine won a silver at the same competition. We love it when Texas wine takes the spotlight.

North Texas Wine Update: LightCatcher Releases 2007 Unoaked Chardonnay

LightCatcher Winery in Fort Worth is the place to be this weekend. This Sunday is the winery’s oh-so-relaxing Jazz Sunday (We gave it a Best of Big D nod in 2006). You can sit back on the patio, listen to The Rhett Butler Trio, order some tasty nosh, and  a bottle of the 2007 LightCatcher Chardonnay ($26). Winemaker Caris Turpen just released this bright gem last weekend. It’s unoaked, which means you won’t taste any buttery vanilla notes in this Chardonnay. I had the pleasure of sampling a bit straight from the tank and can say that you’ll love this wine with salads, fish, and anything with a hint of lemon. Click here for directions. Jazz Sunday is from 4-7 p.m. and is $10 per person.