Each year it gets bigger and better, and 2010 looks as if it will not disappoint.   

Beginning Friday, March 5, the AT&T Performing Arts District welcomes Savor Dallas with the “Arts District Wine Stroll” starting at The Dallas Museum of Art through the Meyerson Symphony Center, Nasher Sculpture Center, The Winspear Opera House and the Wyly Theater.   From 5pm-7pm guests will stroll through each venue tasting and toasting wine from Cakebread, Grgich Hills Estate, Mumm Napa and Texas Winery Fall Creek Vineyard and distillery Dripping Springs Vodka, to name a few with snacks from the One Arts Plaza restaurants.

Saturday events include a day of tasting seminars and the International Grand Tasting at the newly renovated Sheraton Dallas Hotel downtown.  With 60 different restaurant venues participating, and over 400 varietals being poured, surely everyone will find a new flavor combo they love, including Parigi, Bolsa and Texas Hill Country Olive Co, paired with wine from Rombauer, Northstar, Merryvale and much much more. 

Get your tickets fast.  You’ll want to be a part of this spectacular weekend.

(Dallas,TX, 2/25/2010) – We are pleased to announce the next event of the Dallas Wine Trail to be held on March 27th 2010 at the 4 Dallas wineries.
The event will start at 11AM and run until 5PM.
Each participant will receive a gift bag including:
- a bottle of wine of one of the participating wineries
- a beautiful 19oz Dallas Wine Trail glass
- a map of trail
- a tasting sheet of the 12 wines to sample
Participant will start at CALAIS Winery or FUQUA Winery where they will pick their wine glass and their wine bottle. Each participant will sample 3 wines at each winery. Light food pairings will be available at each winery.
The Dallas Wine Trail is a wine trail that includes the four wineries located in Dallas, TX:
• CALAIS Winery
• FUQUA Winery
•Inwood Estates Vineyards
• Times Ten Cellars
Personnel from each winery will be present and available to explain the winery’s philosophy, wine profiles and production method used for each wine. All the wines poured will also be available for sale to drink onsite or offsite.  Tickets are available here on preorder for $39 and $45 at the door if available.
The event will be limited to 200 people.

Drink Dallas.

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.

What:              Becker Vineyards, the first non-Californian winery to appear on Wine Business Monthly’s “Hot Small Brands of 2008”, makes a triumphant return to Dallas for an evening dinner at Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen. Having been absent from Dallas’ spotlight for five years, Dr. Richard and Bunny Becker will host and debut their hearty and fruity Texas Hill Country wines paired with an outstanding menu for a one and only exclusive dinner guaranteed to please guests’ taste buds. Come to Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen to experience culinary art at its finest. The dinner menu and wine pairings include:

Stone Crab-Morbier Gratin Tarts, Seared Sea Scallops, Golden Raisin-Ricotta Spinach Salad
Becker Vineyards, Chardonnay Reserve 2008
Serrano Ham Croquettes, Spanish Olive Tapenade, Marcona Almonds, Mosto Olive Oil
Becker Vineyards, Viognier 2008
Duck Two Ways: Confit Crepe and Anise Crusted Breast, Orange-Balsamic Glaze, Caramelized Turnips
Becker Vineyards, Malbec 2007
Black Tea Smoked Bone-In Lamb Striploin, Red Wine-Cabrales Barley Risotto, Charred Tomato Demi
Becker Vineyards, Cabernet Reserve 2007
Chocolate Hazelnut Tart, Espresso Caramel
Becker Vineyards, Reserve Port 2007

Who:               Celebrity Chef Kent Rathbun, has created critically acclaimed and award-winning restaurants, Abacus and Jasper’s, which have made food critics turn heads. Rathbun’s newest Dallas creation, Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen, pays homage to classic American dishes that capture local and regional’s finest ingredients. Upon entering, guests adorn the dimly lit and sleek interior, graced with wooden and sandstone touches and offering modern, metal hints to the ultimate dining experience. A Dallas favorite, Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen is what everyone needs: comfort food cuisine at its finest.

Texas Hill Country’s nationally acclaimed, Becker Vineyards, was established in 1992 by Richard and Bunny Becker. Becker Vineyards is well known for being the only non-Californian wine to reach the top 10 listings of Wine Business Monthly. Becker Vineyards is best known for the Viognier, reportedly served by President Bush at a White House dinner and at his Crawford ranch for Australian Prime Minister John Howard. The vineyard was planted on a site of native Mustang grapes much prized for winemaking by German neighbors and their ancestors. The 46 acres of French Vinifera vines generate 8 different available
varietals, including Syrah, Petite Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, Petite Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

When:             Monday, October 19, 2009
6:30 p.m.

Cost:               $60 per guest plus tax and 20% gratuity

Reservations:  Reservations are required. Contact Julie Baker at (972) 265-7944

Where:            Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen
6130 Luther Ln.
Dallas, TX 75225
www.kentrathbun.com

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.

Kristen Blair, Miss Texas (America).

This event is always crowded and full of overly hyped wine, but lots of people love to toast the release of  Beaujolais Nouveau. This year’s fete is November 20th at the InterContinental Dallas. The theme? Bordeaux Meets Texas. Translation: Texas wines will also be served.

AND, as the press release says, “Miss Texas 2009 will be on hand for autographs and photo opportunities. Other highlights include a fashion show by Texas Top Designers, jugglers, mimes, dancing, a silent auction, and more.” (Guess her name isn’t important.)

Tickets are $55 per person; and parties of 4 or more are $50 each. Tickets at the door are $60 each. Call 972-241-0111 to order tickets or register online.

In the video above, Gabe Parker, owner of Homestead Winery, discusses the winery’s La Bodega de Mitchell sherry with Andrew Chalk. Below, is Chalk’s report on the sherry production at Homestead Winery.

Every now and again, you discover a really memorable wine. It usually happens when you least expect it. Such was the case on Labor Day when I decided to spend the day traveling the Munson Wine Trail and started at Homestead Winery in Ivanhoe. The visit started typically enough. We were taken through the range of Homestead wines from dry whites to, reds, to sweet wines. The surprise came right at the end when owner Gabe Parker said, “Have you tried our sherry?” That caught my attention. Outside its traditional home in Spain,  a wine labeled ‘sherry’ is usually a bad wine cut with cheap brandy to mask its ‘unsaleability’ (Ed. note: new word, Kirk.).

Gabe was insistent and thrust a glass of a pale brown liquid into my hand. It was the right color for an Oloroso sherry certainly, but that is the easiest characteristic of a wine to replicate (just play around with the Deputy Dawg  Chemistry Set for a bit). I smelled it and discovered a nutty, slightly orangey nose of genuine Oloroso sherry. One sip and the caramel and earthy flavors of sherry wrapped in complex patterns around my tongue. There is a hint in the nose and the mouth of the spirit used in fortification. This wine is definitely sweet, but not cloying. How can they do this, I wonder, without the sine qua non of sherry production, the solera?

A solera is an elaborate chain (or stack) of barrels in which, each year, part of one barrel is transferred to the next and the oldest liquid is poured off and bottled. A little reflection allows one to conclude that under this system there is always some of the earliest wine in the solera. A little math allows one to conclude that the average age of the wine bottled at the end asymptotically approaches a fixed value (if all else is constant). The important point is that since it contains so many vintages, and is aged so long, that the flavor is immensely complex and little affected by vintage variations in climate or harvesting practices. The wine truly develops a house style that depends in part on the exact details (such as its length) of the solera process. Sherry is not the only beverage aged this way but it is the best known.

“We have a solera,” says Gabe matter-of-factly. Dr. Roy Mitchell, Homestead’s winemaker, started it in 1973. (That’s when Lynyrd Skynyrd released Free Bird and a new AMC Javelin set you back $2,900.) Homestead’s sherry produced is currently pretty much at the peak of the ageing quality that can be expected from that solera. It started life as blend of several grapes (mostly Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc) and was made into table wine. Next, it was fortified with a fairly prosaic brandy. Then it was aged for several years, sometimes as long as a decade, either in bottles or in sealed wooden barrels. The fruit declined and an oxidized, nutty quality developed in the wine. At this point, the wine would be written off as table wine. But, if one is making sherry, the wine is now ready to enter the solera. Homestead’s solera consists of five levels, each one an American Oak barrel made by a cooper in Missouri who also supplies establishments in Portugal and Spain. At Homestead, only a third of a barrel of sherry is removed each year, so annual production is miniscule (less than 100 cases).

The winemaker behind this 30-plus year project is the well-respected Dr. Roy Mitchell. Mitchell, now a retired chemistry professor, was one of the pioneers of the Texas wine industry and worked with wineries such as Llano Estacado, Cap Rock, and Pheasant Ridge. He taught at Grayson County College’s Viticulture and Enology program and Gabe Parker estimates that Mitchell has taught over half of the winemakers in Texas. His sherry is just one of many of his wines that have won prizes.

Homestead Winery at Ivanhoe is open Fridays through Sundays. The tasting room is an old schoolhouse. Its diminutive size suggests that childhood obesity may have been less of a problem 50 years ago. Homestead also has a winery in Grapevine and a tasting room in downtown Denison. Check out a video report here.

Families are welcome to enjoy activities such as the annual GrapeStomp,  a special kids only zone, live music on six stages and mini excursions on the Grapevine Vintage Railroad. 

Big kids, like me, will enjoy the Buick People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic, featuring Texas wine favorites voted on by participants in the largest consumer judged wine competition.  Three pavilions will showcase the wine, two pouring wine from around the state, one dedicated specifically to Grapevine wine, and I am looking forward to purple feet from the GrapeStomp competition.  The culinary agenda is packed with demonstrations from some of Dallas’ favorite chefs, including Joanne Bondy, Brian Olenjack, Katie Natale, Paula Lambert and Royal Chef, Darren McGrady.

Want to visit the wine country but out of NetJets units? Or don’t want to bear the cost of getting the G50 out of mothballs in the Arizona desert? Easy. Tour the wine country in Dallas where there are now four commercial wineries that have banded together in a joint promotion called the Dallas Wine Trail. The idea is that you travel from one winery to the other, taste three wines at each, talk to the winemakers, and tour the winemaking facilities. For $39 you get the tasting, light food at each location, a souvenir glass and a bottle of one of the wineries wines to take home.

First stop was throbbing downtown Lakewood to visit Times Ten Cellars. This winery sells almost entirely California wine. However, a new development is the coming on stream of their own Texas vineyard “Cathedral Mountain Vineyard” in Alpine Texas (that is so far away it’s closer to Chihuahua than Dallas). It is planted to what appears to be a risk-aversion strategy: Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc reflect Bordeaux. Syrah and Grenache reflect the Rhone region of France and Tempranillo reflects Spain. We tasted the first vintage from Central Mountain Vineyard which includes all of these grapes (see tasting notes below the jump). The food consisted of sandwich rolls filled with either tuna salad or ham. Pretty tasty.

Next stop was at Calais Winery in the neutron bomb test zone known as Deep Ellum. This is the newest of the four wineries on the tour having been formed by Frenchman Benjamin Calais, with exquisite timing, just prior to the economic crash of 2008. To date, all of their wines have been made with California fruit shipped under dry ice for fermentation and aged at their winery in Dallas. However, change is afoot. On the day of the tour, he and his wife had got back barely 24 hours earlier from Newsom Vineyards in Plains, West Texas having spent 48 hours, virtually without sleep, hand picking and crushing fruit left on the vines after mechanical harvesting was completed. Newsom Vineyards is the source of most of the top-ranked Tempranillo wines from the state and Calais and his wife had to go through this hand-picking ordeal because there is a queue of some 50 wineries ahead of him for the fruit. He told me how he had planned to make a Rosé like the Tempranillo Rosados from Spain but gave up when he saw the color of Texas fruit immediately after crushing. The pigmentation was so dark he realized he would be making an inky red monster whatever his best-laid plans. The food match was Scardello’s cheeses although I had to leave before any serious sampling so I just grabbed a slice of the Empire Bakery bread.

The third stop was FUQUA Winery. This winery is focused mainly on California fruit and all three wines we tasted were majority California wine. The food here was the most varied of anywhere on the tour. Rex’s Fresh Seafood provided shrimp paste on crackers that tasted truly shrimpy but unfortunately had some chili’s in that made them incompatible with the wine. Kathleen’s Sky Diner (neé Kathleen’s Art Café) provided half a dozen toppings for bruschetta, an organic meat producer from Oklahoma provided succulent mouth-sized portions of various cuts of beef and Paula Lambert, representing her own firm, Mozzarella Company, served six cheeses including three very worthy chevres.

The final stop was Inwood Estate Vineyards. Here the emphasis is certainly not on ambience. Inwood Estate Vineyards produces wine exclusively from Texas fruit. The winery has a separate label, xxx, for its non-Texas wines. For the tour, they pulled out all the stops, serving their latest flagship offerings of Tempranillo-Cabernet blends, Tempranillo and the limited release ‘Magellan’, a blend of the five Bordeaux varieties and Tempranillo.

Perhaps it was a cult following, perhaps just because it was later in the day, but Inwood Estates was packed. The food had suffered. Maybe it had started as a hors d’oeuvres plate but by now it resembled a grainy movie of 1945 Dresden, with red specks. I passed.
The next Dallas Wine Trail will be publicized here on SideDish. I highly recommend it if you can take part.

Until then, jump for my geeky tasting notes.

Andrew Chalk’s Geeky  Tasting Notes

All of the wines on the tour are available at the wineries and all permit ordering over the Internet via their web sites if you wish. So, since some of you may wonder what wines I have been talking about, here are my geeky notes on all 12:

Times Ten Cellars

2007 Cathedral Mountain Vineyard, Vino de terra Alta. Red Blend, Texas

A blend of 33% Tempranillo, 33% Syrah, 2437% Grenache, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc.

The nose has spiciness, Tempranillo fruit and red fruits. The taste is thin on the mid-palette, slightly sweet with a short to medium finish. So many varieties in the blend leave the varietal character of this wine a mystery.

Drink now, maybe with BBQ.

This is the first year for wine from this young vineyard. I think we are beta testing the vineyard. The vines, and the winemaker, need time to get the best from each other.   80/100

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast, California

The nose has raspberries and liquorice. The taste is of sweet, open fruit (typical warm-climate characteristics). The wine is simple with soft tannins.

Drink now.79/100

2007 Gewurztraminer, Monterey County, California

The nose has peaches and  lychees. The taste repeats the peaches in the nose. However, the fruit is thin and too monotonic in its flavors. Short finish.

Serve with a fruit dessert. E.g. a fruit tart or pie. 82/100

Calais Winery

2008 Pinot Gris, California

The nose is perfumy and light. Just very unobjectionable rather than distinct.

Serve as a summer afternoon aperitif. 77/100

2007 La Cuvée Principale, Chardonnay, California

That’s ‘Main St.’ to non French speakers. Calais names his wines after the streets that surround his winery. I wonder what he will name after the biggest landmark in the area ‘The Parking Meter”.

This wine is made from California grapes from the Lodi region. They are packed in dry ice to suspend fermentation on their journey to Texas. He crushes (what remains uncrushed from the 1500 mile journey) and ages the wine in his winery. No oak is used for aging.

The nose is dominated by a vineous quality, a negative one that is. The taste is similar with little varietal character.

This wine needs oak. 78/100

2006 La Cuvée de Commerce, Cabernet Sauvignon (85%), Syrah (15%)

The nose exhibits the Syrah with bacon scent qualities. In the mouth the wine has Cabernet fruit with tough tannins and steminess. The wine has a medium finish.

Serve with lamb or BBQ. 80/100

FUQUA Winery

2007 FUQUA Chardonnay, California

A small amount of Viognier added. No oak used in aging.

The nose is a faint lemony character. Possibly some perfumy aromatics from the Viognier going on here. In the mouth there is a taste of lychees. Good acid.

Serve with lobster. 80/100

2005 Pinot Noir, Mendocino

From the Potter valley AVA.

The nose is classic Pinot Noir fruit with a light to medium intensity. In the mouth the fruit is astoundingly forward, especially for a four-year old wine.

Serve with pork. 82/100

2006 Tempranillo, vat No. 3, California

Some Texas fruit also used. I am seeking more information on the provinence of this wine.

The nose has hints of Tempranillo fruit. The taste is an absolute model of balance. There is fruit, but this is not a fruit bomb. There is acid. But this is not acidic. There is tannin, but this is not tannic. I can see why this wine won a double gold medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition. The best-balanced wine of the 12 on offer on the tour. 91/100

Inwood Estates Vineyards

2005 Tempranillo/Cabernet, Texas

The nose is Tempranillo fruit, cherries and raspberries. In the mouth this is a chewy wine with good grip and a long finish. I have tasted several examples of this and don’t remember it being this good. Possibly bottle age is bringing it on.

Serve with lamb, steak, game. 90/100

2007 Tempranillo, “Cornelius”, Texas

This is 100% Texas high plains fruit. Viticulture by Neal Newsom on a vineyard co-owned by he and Inwood Estates.

The nose is unduly plumy. This appears to be bottle variation as I have not noticed it before. In the mouth this wine is made in a highly extracted style. There are grippy tannins and a medium finish.

Serve with lamb, steak, game. 86/100

2006 ‘Magellan’, Texas

A blend of the five Bordeaux varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec) with Tempranillo. Winemaker Dan Gatlin see this as an iconic and icon-busting wine in Texas oenological history but we will have to wait to find out.

The nose is, at present, subdued with tight-knit fruit. In the mouth the wine is a tannic creature. Black cherry and an all-encompassing minerality dominate. However, this very serious wine is inscrutable at this time. Check back in five years but I suspect it will last much longer. Could Dan Gatlin become the Randy Dunn of Texas? 91+/100

As we were sipping and learning, a group of 21 wine professionals were behind the scenes in other banquet room taking tests and competing for the Texas’ Best Sommelier contest. The winner will be announced tonight at the Grand Tasting.

“Management of a Beverage Program” starts in a little while and will be followed by seminars on “Aperitifs”,  “Cool Climate Australia”, Texas Wine”, and Napa Valley (Floor vs Hill Side). If you have any questions for any of the speakers, send me an e-mail. Otherwise, there is always Twitter (DSideDish) if you need immediate gratification.

Best White Wine – Sweet division
Haak Vineyards & Winery Madeira Blanc du Bois (Texas) 2006
18% Alcohol, 10% R.S. $39.95
24 months in new American Oak, then placed in neutral barrels and aged in a Estufa (heated cellar) for 6 more months prior to bottling. This wine is reminiscent of dried apricots and peaches fused with almond, vanilla with a touch of honey.

Best Red Wine – Dry division
Inwood Estate Vineyards Tempranillo Cabernet blend (Texas High Plains) 2005
14.3% Alcohol, 0% R.S. $39.50
30 months in French Oak. Full-bodied, inky blend of 65% Tempranillo and 35% Cabernet grapes from the Newsom Vineyard in Texas High Plains near the Texas-New Mexico border. Red fruit flavors juxtaposed with the dark flavors of blackberry, black currant and cassis and a lingering chocolate, nutty finish.

Best Red Wine – Sweet division
Sandstone Cellars IV Red Port-style wine (Mason County Texas) 2006,
19.5% Alcohol, 12% R.S. $40.00
12 months barrel aged and 12 months in tank. This is a vintage style port, with a bouquet of boysenberry, chocolate, crème brule, and wintergreen mint. The palate is a wintergreen mint, boysenberry, crème brule, licorice, orange peel, wintergreen, and Turkish coffee on the finish.

The GO TEXAN DrinkLocalWine.com conference in Dallas this weekend featured a tasting of 45 Texas wines. All were 100% Texas fruit. The range incorporated over 20 grape varieties in styles that ranged from very sweet to bone dry. Here are my personal favorites. The scores are mine as well.

2006 Haak Vineyards & Winery Madeira Blanc du Bois. Not remotely like a Madeira, just a very well-made and interesting sweet dessert wine. Treacle on the nose and molasses in the mouth. Good with desserts containing fruit like tarts and crepes. (86/100)

2006 Inwood Estate Vineyards, Magellan. A blend of the five Bordeaux red varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec) and Spanish star Tempranillo. A massive, chunky undeveloped behemoth of a wine that needs to be put away for five years or so. I think that only then will we discover its ultimate character. Very complex, the restrained nose has hints of raspberry (Tempranillo influence?) and likewise there is raspberry in the taste. This wine is almost chewy in the mouth. The winemaker’s objective is so independent in its thinking that the final results could eventually establish him as either the Mozart or the Pied Piper of Texas red wine making – depending on results. Liquid Frank Gehry. (86+/100).

2008 Landon Winery Tempranillo. I hope this wine is indicative of where this winery intends to go in the next few years. There is clearly-defined Tempranillo fruit in the nose and a medium-bodied mouth feel of varietal fruit and soft tannins. Good for drinking now but will keep for 3-5 years. I would serve this with red meat. The fruit is from West Texas although the winery is conveniently located just a ten-hour rush-hour drive up Central Expressway in McKinney. Landon has historically been one of the worst offenders for importing out-of-state grapes from which they turned out mediocre wine. Hopefully this represents The New Landon. (84/100)

2008 Brennan Vineyards Viognier. This is the white grape variety that seems to be doing best in Texas and nobody illustrates the potential better than Brennan Vineyards. Classic Viognier floral nose leads to tastes of pineapple. A good choice with chicken, spicy food such as Thai or Indian, or fish. Brennan is becoming something of a Viognier expert, growing vines not only for their own use but also selling fruit to other wineries in the state. (85/100).

2008 Becker Vineyards Viognier. I remember the first time I tasted Becker Viognier. It changed my whole perspective on the winery. It was a blind tasting of 10 Viogniers in which all of the other wines came from California. I placed the Becker third. No mean achievement for a Texas wine. This wine has pineapple and lychee in the nose and pineapple in the taste. Same food recommendation as the Brennan (above) but this one may be better for quaffing on account of its fruitiness. (86/100)

2008 Tara Vineyards “Angel’s Kiss”. A Blanc du Bois that may have some Chardonnay blended in. A sweet white that should be served as a dessert wine in lieu of Muscat. The main element in the taste is Peach. (84/100)

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?

Maybe the small print on the back label saying ‘Vinted and Bottled by…” is an assurance that the wine was at least made locally even if the fruit came from elsewhere. Not so fast. The weasel phrase “Vinted and Bottled by…” means that only 10% of the wine in the bottle need come from the winery. The rest can be blended in from anywhere.

What about “Made and Bottled by…”.  Isn’t that the phrase that assures local production? No. It means the same as “Vinted and Bottled by…”.

How About “Produced and Bottled by…”? That is closer to what we want but only 75% of the wine must be made by the winery and none of the grapes need come from the winery.

Surely if the label on the front of the bottle says “Texas Wine” that at least assures us that the underlying fruit comes Texas. Again, things are not what they seem. Up to 25% of the grapes on a wine labeled “Texas” can come from outside Texas. That kind of alien percentage is more than enough to totally dominate the character of a wine. Other wine growing areas are much stricter: an American Viticultural Area (AVA) specifies a minimum of 85% and Oregon 95% (since 2007).

One phrase which will guarantee that the winery grew all the grapes in the specified location and made the wine on its property is “Estate Bottled”, sometimes written as “grown, produced and bottled by…”.

What if the label does not name the origin of the grapes but does say “For sale in Texas only..”. Doesn’t that mean it is a Texas grown and made wine? Absolutely not. This is the cruelest misdirection of all. Under Federal Law a wine sold across state lines must list the viticultural area of origin. However, if a wine is sold only in one state the law grants a waiver of this labeling requirement. In the case of Texas, as long as the phrase “For sale in Texas only” appears on the label, the grapes can be from anywhere. While this exemption was created to provide regulatory relief to small wineries it is almost invariably used to allow the use of out-of-state juice by an in state winemaker. As such it confuses the consumer and should be modified to still require reporting of the origins of the grapes.

With such an unnecessarily complicated and contradictory set of laws regarding grape origin and wine making labeling it is no wonder even the experts get confused. At this weekend’s conference one of the panelists praised a Texas wine that won a medal when, in point of fact, most of the fruit in that wine originated in California.

This truth-in-labeling issue is acute for the Texas wine industry. If consumers feel that Texas wineries are just labelers of other state’s wine, they will eschew Texas wine for “the real thing”. This will penalize the many Texas wineries who use exclusively Texas grapes and label them clearly. At the present time the trend is for more and more out-of-state fruit to be used. The industry needs to act soon to place the origin of the grapes on the front label of all wines produced in Texas so that consumers have confidence in the provenance of the product. It should also consider following the example of wineries such as Inwood Estate Winery which has created a completely separate label for its out-of-state wines.

On Sunday, the fifth annual Texas Sommelier Conference (TexSom) kicks off at the Four Seasons in Las Colinas. The two-day event includes lectures and tastings with the nation’s preeminent wine experts. There are five classes on Sunday, August 16 (some tickets still available) and a grand tasting on Monday evening, August 17th.  A separate set of courses, designed exclusively for the trade and media, will take place on Monday. While the courses are conducted, a competition for Texas’ Best Sommelier runs behind the scenes. On Monday evening, the conference concludes with a Grand Tasting(a few tickets available), where wine professionals and the public come together to taste world-class wines and witness the drama and celebration surrounding the naming of Texas’ Best Sommelier 2009.  Last year’s winner is Scott Barber of Dallas’ Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek.  He dominated 24 other competitors and won the coveted title after a rigorous three-part examination involving wine tasting, service and theory. Once again, I will be a Twittering and blogging fool.

With annual grape harvest celebrations kicking off around most of the state in August and September, many Texans are planning their next Texas wine trail tour. The Texas Department of Agriculture is making it easier for wine enthusiasts to plan the perfect wine weekend with its new Texas Wine Trail page (www.gotexanwine.org/texaswinetrails/) on the popular GO TEXAN wine Web site (www.gotexanwine.org) .

“Texas is one of the fastest-growing wine destinations in the country,” Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples said. “The Texas wine industry and our Texas wine trails are an important part of our state’s agriculture tourism and economic health. Nearly 1 million visitors each year enjoy discovering the Texas wine industry.”

The Texas Wine Trail page provides a list of the Lone Star State’s eight individual wine trails, and with just one click, consumers can visit each trail’s Web page to find trail descriptions, maps, upcoming events and other related links.

Texas is home to eight wine trails:
-Cross Timbers Wine Trail: www.crosstimberswinetrail.com
-Dallas Wine Trail: www.dallaswinetrail.com
-Fredericksburg Wine Road 290: www.wineroad290.com
-Grapevine Wine Trail: www.grapevinewinetrail.com
-Munson Wine Trail: www.munsonwinetrail.com
-Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail: www.texasbluebonnetwinetrail.com
-Texas Hill Country Wine Trail: www.texaswinetrail.com
-Way Out Wineries Road Trips: www.wayoutwineries.org

The conference will include three seminars, focusing on trends in Texas wine, the distinctive grapes that Texans are using to make those wines, and how consumers can work to get more regional wines in stores and restaurants. The final event of the day will be a Texas Twitter Tasting, moderated by Russ Kane of Vintage Texas, where participants will “be able to taste some of the state’s top wines and blog or Twitter at the same time.” Full schedule here.

Then on Sunday and Monday, August 16 and 17th, the Wine & Food Foundation of Texas and the Texas Sommelier Association will host the Annual Texas Sommelier Conference (TexSom), at the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Colinas.

The general public is invited to attend five classes on Sunday, August 16th and the grand tasting on Monday evening, August 17 where wine professionals and the public meet to taste world-class wines and witness the  announcement of Texas’ Best Sommelier 2009.

Each class offers at least six wines to taste and lasts one hour and fifteen minutes. Courses open to the public include: Pinot Noir, Sake, Austria, Rioja, and Northern Rhone.

Speakers include some of the nation’s top wine professionals: Master Sommeliers (MS), Certified Wine Educators, one Master of Wine (MW) and other respected wine educators.

A separate set of courses, designed exclusively for the trade and media, are offered on Monday. Click here to register for both the public and trade sessions.

Jump for schedule and more details.
Public registration for the entire day is $75, or courses may be taken individually. Trade/media-only courses provide a deeper level of expertise to industry professionals, including those working toward their Master Sommelier certification.

While the courses are conducted, the competition for Texas’ Best Sommelier runs behind the scenes. The prize for the winner includes round-trip tickets, tuition, and scholarship money to be used for a Court of Master Sommeliers certification program.

The Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas in located in Irving, between Dallas and Fort Worth at 4150 North MacArthur Boulevard, Irving, Texas 75038.

CONFERENCE CALENDAR

Sunday, August 16 – (PUBLIC SESSIONS)
9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Courses include Pinot Noir, Sake, Austria, Rioja, and Northern Rhone. ALL-DAY PASS ONLY $75. Individual courses run $25 each. Lunch at the Four Seasons may be purchased for $45.

Monday, August 17 – (LIMITED TO MEDIA AND TRADE)
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Courses include Management of a Beverage Program, Aperitifs, Cooler-climate Australia, Texas, and The Napa Valley (valley floor versus hillside). Registration is free, and lunch at the Four Seasons may be purchased for $45.

7 p.m. to 10 p.m.: Grand tasting – OPEN TO ALL, $65 per person.

The TexSom Conference Background

TexSom and the Texas’ Best Sommelier Competition was founded by James Tidwell, MS, CWE, Sommelier at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas; Drew Hendricks, MS, CWE, Director of Beverage Education for Pappas Restaurants in Houston; and Guy Stout, MS, Education Director for Southern/Glazer’s Distributors.

FOR MORE INFORMATION on the TexSom Conference or the Texas Sommelier Association, visit www.texsom.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION on The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas visit www.winefoodfoundation.org.

Friday, I told you about Kiepersol Winery in Bullard, Texas and  the lovely wines they make. Today, I offer a short video of a real East Texas gala: a few minutes of Asleep at the Wheel performing at the opening night party for Kiepersol’s new venue, Bushman’s Winery and Celebration Center. The evening was a showcase for Texas Wines—reps from Fall Creek, Grape Creek, Landon, Llano Estacado, Messina Hof, Red Road, Wichita Falls Winery, and the funny boys from Los Pinos were all there and pouring samples.  If you can spot me doing the Texas Two-Step on the video you will win dinner for two at any restaurant in town. Just tell me what color pants I’m wearing.

Kiepersol Estates Winery owner Pierre de Wet.

Last month D web editor Jennifer Chininis and I went to the Tomato Festival in Jacksonville, Texas. Somewhere between the Tomato Eating Contest and the Tomato Fight, we bumped into Whit (Jeroboam, Green Room, Gypsy Tea Room) Meyers, now brand manager of Virtuoso Selections, and his buddy Karl Newman, another longtime Dallas wino and former rep for Prestige and Pioneer. The four of us decided to ditch the festival and head north to Kiepersol Estates Winery, just south of Tyler. We spent the rest of the hot afternoon inside the cool tasting room with wine maker Marnelle de Wet Durrett.

I fell in love with the 2007 Semillon (even though Whit suggested the wine had “heavy hints of honeydew melon”).  The wine is soft and dry and compliments all of the Texas vegetables now in season.  Kiepersol Estates wines are made from the grapes grown on the wineries sixty acres. (For those of you scoring at home that translates into 100%  Texas grapes.) Owner Pierre de Wet gave us a mini-tour of the estate and some samplings from his private cellar.

Anywhoo, I tell you all of this because I am working on a larger story on Kiepersol and I am headed over to the winery tomorrow night for a big wine dinner and party. I think Whit is going to be there and if he is, you can be sure both of us will be twittering fools. Follow us @DSideDish.

This past Monday and Tuesday (June 8 & 9), 23 other Texans and I judged over 500 wines during the 26th Annual Lone Star International Wine Competition. I’m probably going to hear “It’s a tough job, but….” However, the sober and serious judges consisted of sommeliers (Paul Botamer of Fearing’s, Michael Flynn of Mansion on Turtle Creek, Hunter Hammett of Pyramid Restaurant, and Luigi Santos of Bob’s Steak and Chop House in Grapevine), restaurant owners, retailers, wine distributors and a number of wine writers and bloggers (Alfonso Cevola, Jeff Siegel, Renie Steves and Russ Kane), under the direction of Co-Chairs Barbara Werley MS of Pappas Bros. Steakhouse and Michael Zerbach. The wines were divided into over 30 categories and tasted blind. No, we weren’t wearing blindfolds. We were given anywhere from three to 12 glasses at a time with no knowledge of what we were tasting except the grape variety and vintage of the wines. Then, each panel of five judges would vote on whether each wine rated a gold, silver, bronze or no medal. Arguments insued, fisticuffs were avoided. At the end, 26 gold, 81 silver, and 172 bronze medals were awarded to wines from 14 states and several foreign countries. In addition, we voted for the Texas Rising Star Award which recognizes a white and a red wine from Texas wineries less than three years old. I would love to tell you the winners, but you’ll have to await the official announcement from the Texas Wine and Grapegrowers Association on June 19th. I will tell you that I learned one important lesson…Texas is producing some delicious wines. So, GO TEXAN.

Nice work TWGGA. Looking forward to the Drink Local Wine Conference in Dallas on August 15th.

UPDATE: Results were released late this afternoon. New this year was a category for Texas wineries that have been in business for three years or less.  Titled the Texas Vintner’s Rising Star Award, it was sponsored by owner and long time wine maker of Messina Hof Winery & Resort, Paul Bonarrigo.  It was awarded to recognize fine Texas wine made from new, up and coming wine makers and encourage more new wineries to enter their products.  There were six new wineries that fit the criteria.  An award was presented for the best red wine and the best white wine, which were judged separately on the final day of judging.  This year’s winners of the Texas Vintner’s Rising Star Awards were KE Cellars (Tyler) for their 4 U Syrah, 2007 red table wine and Enoch’s Stomp Vineyard & Winery (north of Longview) for their Blanc du Bois Off-Dry white, 2008. WAY TO GO EAST TEXAS!

In the sixth and final webcast, Merrill Bonarrigo of the Messina Hof Winery in Bryan, Texas, discusses Port, a variety native to Portugal, as well as other dessert wines that are thriving in Texas.(Lenoir and chocolate!) Go, Tanji. We’ll miss you.

This week’s GO TEXAN WineCast discusses Black Spanish grapes and features Franklin Houser of Dry Comal Creek Vineyards and Winery in New Braunfels, Texas. Black Spanish is a red-fleshed grape that is highly resistant to Pierce’s Disease, making it a good match with Texas’ hot and humid climate. It is not the best wine from Texas I have tasted, but it is a distinctive style and it will take the enamel off of your teeth if you don’t open it a day ahead.

Business out of the way: yesterday I had too much time on my hands late in the afternoon. Instead of taking it easy, I did something silly. I wrote a song for our GO TEXAN hostess, Tanjie Patton. Sing along to the tune of the Rolling Stones song about David Bowie’s wife—you know it–“Angie.” Jump and take your sense of humor with you.

[Write click on this link and open in a new tab. Listen and sing along ]

Tanjie, Tanjie, when will those bangs all disappear?
Tanjie, Tanjie, why do you lead us from beer?
With no grand vin in our souls and no sunny hills for cotes
You can’t say we’re satisfied
But Tanjie, Tanjie, you can’t say we’ve never buyed

Tanjie, you’re beautiful, but ain’t it time we said get fried?
Tanjie, I still love you, but Go Texan needs a little pride
All the dreams I hold so close get all ruined by French oak
Let the crisper reappear
[Whisper]Tanjie, Tanjie, local Viogner can lead us to tears

[musical interlude]

Oh, Tanjie, don’t lose sleep, fermentation still takes weeks
You could make a living slinging pies.
But Tanjie, Tanjie, come back next week, perhaps we’ll buy.

I am going to be a team player here—I am proud to support The Texas Depart of Agriculture’s GO Texan program and all of our local, regional, and state producers. Therefore, I will post this video, excuse me WineCast, from GO TEXAN. The clip features host Tanji “Head Bobbin” Patton and Pat Brennan, of Brennan Vineyard’s in Commanche, Texas. Tanji, can you say Blanc du Bois? I like the way you say Blanc du Bois. And Egg McMuffin (greatest evah!).

Dallas Wine Trail
Drink Dallas at Dallas Wine Trail’s First event
May 23rd 2009 @ Times Ten Cellars
(Dallas,TX, 5/5/2009) – We are pleased to announce the inaugural event of the newly
created Dallas Wine Trail. The Dallas Wine Trail is a new wine trail that includes the four
wineries located in Dallas, TX:
CALAIS Winery
FUQUA Winery
Inwood Estates
Times Ten Cellars
The goal of the wine trail is bring together the 4 wineries to promote the wines made
within Dallas city limits. Awareness about the wineries and also the quality of the wine
produced will be our major focuses.
To achieve that, we will organize events were the people can taste the different wines
paired with some local food.
For our first event, May 23rd 2009, we will bring all the wineries together at Times Ten
Cellars, 6324 Prospect Ave, Dallas, TX 75214. The event will go from 11AM to 5PM,
each winery pouring 3 wines making the total wines tasted to 12 wines.
Each participant will receive a gift bag including:
- A bottle of wine of one of the participating wineries
- A reusable 6 bottles wine carrier
- A beautiful 19oz Dallas Wine Trail glass
- Food catered by Il Cane Rosso Napoletena
Personnel from each winery will be present and available to explain the winery’s
philosophy, wine profiles and production method used for each wine.
All the wines poured will also be available for sale to drink onsite or offsite.
We strongly encourage the people to reuse the bag in the future, Go Green, Drink Local
Tickets are available online on preorder at http://www.dallaswinetrail.com/ for $45 and
at $50 at the door.
Drink Dallas.
CALAIS Winery: 3000 Commerce St
FUQUA Winery: 3737 Atwell St, Suite #103
Inwood Estates: 1350 Manufacturing St, Suite #209
Times Ten Cellars: 6324 Prospect Avenue
Dallas Wine Trail:

http://www.dallaswinetrail.com/

Dallas Wineries:

http://www.calaiswinery.com/

http://www.fuquawines.com/

http://www.inwoodwines.com/

http://www.timestencellars.com/

Il Cane Rosso Pizza:

http://www.ilcanerosso

GO TEXAN is going gah-gah over Texas wine making. Today the Texas Department of Agriculture is releasing a series of six short videos about different wine varietals in Texas, called the GO TEXAN WineCasts. Tanji Patton from goodtastewithtanji.com is the host. The first video stars Fall Creek Vineyards owner and friend of SideDish, Susan Auler. Susan and her husband Ed are royalty in the Texas wine making business.
(Watch Susan kick Tanji’s big jammy nose.)

The conference will include three seminars, focusing on trends in Texas wine, the distinctive grapes that Texans are using to make those wines, and how consumers can work to get more regional wines in stores and restaurants. The final event of the day will be a Texas Twitter Tasting, moderated by Russ Kane of Vintage Texas, where participants will “be able to taste some of the state’s top wines and blog or Twitter at the same time.” Jeez, blog and Twitter at the same time? Would that be a Blitter? More details coming.

UDPATE: The conference is open to the public. There will be some kind of registration fee, but that’s still TBD.

I sat down with owner Larry McDowell and told him what I like: Sancerre, Entre Deux Mer, un-oaked Chardonnay. I planned to use this wine in late summer so I wanted something light, fruity, and sassy. He poured me four or five of their whites and I picked the Viognier. Their version isn’t exactly my style so we plan to tweak the process at the end to sweeten and soften the wine.

I have no idea what this wine is going to taste like in the end, but you can bet I will be honest about the finished product. My participation in the process will take place over the next six weeks. Then the wine sits until September. Along the way, I’ll add a couple of videos so you can follow along. (BTW, this is not an advertisement.)

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS WINE COMPETITION
CELEBRATES 25th YEAR WITH 156 GOLDS
Winners announced from 2009 Dallas Morning News Wine Competition

DALLAS (April 16, 2009) – In February of this year, 3,146 wines came to Dallas from 31 states and 20 countries to compete in The Dallas Morning News Wine Competition. Winners of the 25th annual competition were announced today with 1,487 wines awarded medals.

An impressive group of 56 wine critics, distributors, importers and sommeliers formed the judging panels this year, awarding 156 gold, 542 silver, and 789 bronze medals.

Traditionally producing more wine, the west coast came through with the highest number of U.S. medals. California claimed the top spot bringing in 87. Next in line was Washington State with 110 followed by Oregon with 45. Other states given their props include Missouri with 14 medal-winners, New York at 19, Texas took 29 and Virginia received 21. Medals were also awarded to wines from Iowa, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

Internationally, Australia brought the most medals home totaling 80, New Zealand was next with 36, Italy and France brought in 29 each and 28 went to Spain. Other international winners include Argentina, Austria, Canada, Chile, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa, and South Korea.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Following is the list of the gold-medal winners, listed in tasting order, including category, winery name, appellation, wine type and vintage.

GOLD-MEDAL WINNERS
2009 Dallas Morning News Wine Competition

FORTIFIED WINES

Muscat (white, non sparkling)
Portal, Douro DOC, Reserva, Moscatel 2000

Muscat, Black/Red
Quady, California, Elysium, Black Muscat 2007

Port, Ruby – traditional grape varieties
Presidential, Porto DOC, Ruby NV

Port, Ruby – other grape varieties
South Coast Winery, South Coast, Black Jack Port NV

Port, Vintage – traditional grape varieties
Truett Hurst, California, Old Vine, Dessert Wine 2005

Sherry, Sweet – other grape varieties
Rancho de Philo, California, Cucamonga Valley, Triple Cream Sherry NV

Fortified Dessert Wine other
Rotta, California, Black Monukka Dessert Wine 2004

Fortified Fruit Wine
Eola Hills, American, Vin D’Ete Raspberry NV

SPARKLING WINES

Blanc de Blancs NV, traditional method, other grape varieties
Lucien Albrecht, Cremant d’Alsace AOC, Blanc de Blancs, Brut NV

Brut NV, traditional method, traditional grape varieties
Piper-Heidsieck, Champagne AOC, Brut NV

Brut NV, traditional method, other grape varieties
Korbel, California, Methode Champenoise, Brut NV

Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2004 and later, traditional method, traditional grape varieties
Gruet Winery, New Mexico, Methode Champenoise, Blanc de Blancs 2004

Dry Vintage 2004 and later, traditional method, other grape varieties
Saint – Hilaire, Blanquette de Limoux AOC, Method Traditionelle, Estate Bottled, Extra Dry 2004

Natural Vintage, 2003 and earlier, traditional method, traditional grape varieties
Gloria Ferrer, Carneros, Late Disgorged, Cuvee Brut 1998

Brut Rose, Vintage 2003 and earlier, traditional method
Gruet Winery, New Mexico, Methode Champenoise, Grand Rose 2002

Dry, bulk process
Landon Winery, American, Cuvee Sec NV

Sparkling, bulk process, other grape varieties/Spumante
Ballatore, California, Gran Spumante NV

RED TABLE WINES

Cabernet Franc
R & B Cellars, El Dorado, Counterpoint, Cabernet Franc 2006
Raymond Burr, Sonoma County, Cabernet Franc 2006

Cabernet Sauvignon, Vintage 2007 or later
Smoking Loon, California, Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Cabernet Sauvignon, Vintage 2006
B Cellars, Napa Valley, Oakville, Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Basel Cellars, Columbia Valley, Mirage Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Bell, Napa Valley, Unfiltered, Talianna, Cabernet Sauvignon 80%-Syrah 20% 2006
Hess, Napa Valley, Allomi Vineyard, Estate Grown, Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Martin Ray, Napa/Mendocino/Sonoma Counties, Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Robert Craig, Napa Valley, Affinity, Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Sebastiani, Sonoma County, Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Solaire by Robert Mondavi, Central Coast, Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Cabernet Sauvignon, Vintage 2005
Chalk Hill, Sonoma County, Chalk Hill, Estate Bottled, Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Clos du Bois, Alexander Valley, Marlstone, 89% Cabernet Sauvignon-5% Malbec-3% Cabernet Franc-3% Merlot 2005
Livingston Moffett, Napa Valley, Stanley’s Selection, Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Mount Veeder Winery, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Peju, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Terremoto Cellars, Napa Valley, Oak Knoll District, Asbill Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Trefethen Family Vineyards, Napa Valley, Oak Knoll District, Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Cabernet Sauvignon, Vintage 2004
Black Stallion Winery, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Martin Ray, Sonoma Mountain, Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Gamay Noir (Valdiguie)
J. Lohr Estates, Monterey, Wildflower, Valdiguie 2008

Grenache
La Cereza, California, Temecula Valley, Garnacha 2005

Lemberger
Olympic Cellars Winery, Horse Heaven Hills, Dungeness Red, Lemberger 2007

Merlot, Non Vintage
Beach Dogs, South Eastern Australia, Merlot NV

Merlot, Vintage 2007 or later
Banrock Station, South Eastern Australia, Merlot 2007
Black Box Wines, California, Merlot 2007
Longboard Vineyards, Russian River Valley, Dakine, Merlot 2007

Merlot, Vintage 2006
1867, Virginia, Meritage 2006
Domaine Laurier, Sonoma County, Reserve, Merlot 2006
Vin du Lac of Chelan, Columbia Valley, Barrel Select, Merlot 2006

Merlot, Vintage 2005 or earlier
Artesa, California, 63% Sonoma County/37% Napa County, Merlot 2005

Nebbiolo
Dezzani Tradizione, Barolo DOCG, Roncaglie 2003

Norton
Chrysalis Vineyards, Virginia, Locksley Reserve, Norton 2005

Petite Sirah
Mettler Family Vineyards, Lodi, Petite Sirah 2005
Ravenswood Winery, California, Vintner’s Blend, Petite Sirah 2006
Zina Hyde Cunningham, Lake County, Petite Sirah 2005

Pinot Noir, Vintage 2007 or later
Kenneth Volk Vineyards, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Maria Cuvee, Pinot Noir 2007
Rodney Strong, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley, Estate Vineyards, Pinot Noir 2007
Solena, Willamette Valley, Grand Cuvee, Pinot Noir 2007
Vision Cellars, Santa Lucia Highlands, Garys’ Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2007

Pinot Noir, Vintage 2006
Brassfield Estate Winery, High Valley, High Serenity Ranch, Estate Bottled, Pinot Noir 2006
Byron, Santa Maria Valley, Nielson Vineyard, Estate Bottled & Produced, Pinot Noir 2006
Duck Pond Fries Family Cellars, Oregon, Willamette Valley, St. Jory Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2006
Dutton-Goldfield, Sonoma Coast, McDougall Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2006
Jargon, California, Pinot Noir 2006
Le Cadeau Vineyard, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Cote Est, Pinot Noir 2006
Vision Cellars, Santa Lucia Highlands, Rosella’s Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2006

Pinot Noir, Vintage 2005
Mark Moretti Winery, Anderson Valley, Hein Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2005

Sangiovese
Martin & Weyrich, Paso Robles, Il Palio, Sangiovese 2005
South Coast Winery, South Coast, Wild Horse Peak Mountain Vineyards, Thunderbolt Block,
Sangiovese 2005

Syrah/Shiraz, Vintage 2007 or later
McGuigan, Barossa Valley, The Shortlist, Shiraz 2007
Salena Estate, South Australia, Reserve, Accolade, Shiraz 2007

Syrah/Shiraz, Vintage 2006
Chaddsford, Pennsylvania, 25th Vintage, Syrah 2006
J. Lohr Estates, Paso Robles, South Ridge, Syrah 2006
Little Vineyards, Sonoma Valley, Syrah 2006
Rolling Estate Wines, Central Ranges, Shiraz 2006
Toasted Head, Dunnigan Hills, Shiraz 2006

Syrah/Shiraz, Vintage 2005
The Gate, McLaren Vale, Shiraz 2005

Syrah/Shiraz, Vintage 2004 or earlier
Gloria Ferrer, Carneros, Estate Grown & Bottled, Syrah 2004

Tempranillo
Fuqua, For Sale in Texas Only, Vat No. 3, Tempranillo 2006

Zinfandel, Non Vintage
Barefoot, California, Lodi, Zinfandel NV

Zinfandel, Vintage 2007 or later
Edmeades, Mendocino County, Zinfandel 2007
Sextant, Paso Robles, Wheelhouse, Zinfandel 2007

Zinfandel, Vintage 2006
Cameron Hughes, Amador County, Lot 88, Ancient Vines, Zinfandel 2006
Limerick Lane, Russian River Valley, Collins Vineyard, Estate Bottled, Unfiltered, Zinfandel 2006

Zinfandel, Vintage 2005
Haywood Estate, Sonoma Valley, Los Chamizal Vineyard, Rocky Terrace, Zinfandel 2005

Red Meritage or Bordeaux Blend
Challenger Ridge, Yakima Valley, Gordon 2006
Jacuzzi Family Vineyards, Carneros, Estate, Valeriano 2006
La Storia, Alexander Valley, Estate Bottled, Meritage 2004
Montes, Chile, Colchagua Valley, Apalta Vineyard, Limited Selection, Cabernet Sauvignon 70%-
Carmenere 30% 2007
Seduction, Napa Valley 2006
Tsillan Cellars, Columbia Valley, Bellissima Rossa, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon –
23% Cabernet Franc – 27 % Merlot 2006
Valley of the Moon, Sonoma County, Cuvee de la Luna 2005

Dry Red Table Wine Blends
Bouke, North Fork of Long Island, Red Table Wine 2007
Epiphany, Santa Barbara County, Gypsy 2005
Middle Sister, California, Rebel Red NV
Paige 23, Santa Barbara County, Tarantula Tinto 2006

Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz (Syrah) Blends
B Cellars, Napa Valley, Blend 25, Cabernet Sauvignon – Syrah 2005

Sweet Red Table Wine Blends
Breitenbach, American, Roadhouse Red NV

Red Rhone Style Blend
Eberle, Paso Robles, Cotes-du-Robles 2007
Ventana Vineyards, Monterey, Arroyo Seco, Estate Grown, Rubystone, 62% Grenache-38%
Syrah 2006

All other red varietal wines
Benincasa, Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG 2003
Bianchi, Paso Robles, San Juan Vineyards, Signature Selection, Refosco 2006

WHITE TABLE WINES

Albariño
Gran Vinum, Rías Baixas DO, Albarino 2007

Chardonnay, Vintage 2007
A by Acacia, California, Chardonnay 2007
Ambroise Jay Anatole, Monterey County, Chardonnay 2007
Benziger Family Winery, Carneros, Sangiacomo Vineyard, Chardonnay 2007
Del Rio Vineyards, Oregon, Rogue Valley, Chardonnay 2007
Glen Carlou, Paarl, Chardonnay 2007
Hardys, South Australia, Nottage Hill, Chardonnay 2007
Kim Crawford, New Zealand, Unoaked Chardonnay 2007
Lake Sonoma Winery, Russian River Valley, Chardonnay 2007
Sharpe Hill, Southeastern New England, Chardonnay 2007
Three Rivers Winery of Walla Walla, Columbia Valley, Chardonnay 2007
Trivento, Argentina, Mendoza, Golden Reserve, Chardonnay 2007
Twin Fin, California, Chardonnay 2007

Chenin Blanc, 0 to 1.0% residual sugar
Herding Cats, South Africa, Western Cape, Chenin Blanc-Chardonnay 2008

Riesling, 0 – .7% residual sugar
Ludwig, Monterey, Sweetwater Vineyard, Riesling 2007
Omaka Springs Estates, Marlborough, Riesling 2005
Petaluma, Australia, Clare Valley, Hanlin Hill, Riesling 2007

Riesling, 1.6 – 3% residual sugar
Gunderloch, Rheinhessen, Jean Baptiste, Riesling Kabinett 2007
Hogue, Columbia Valley, Riesling 2007
Ventana Vineyards, Monterey, Arroyo Seco, Estate Grown, Riesling 2007

Riesling, 3.1 – 6.0% residual sugar
Urban, Mosel, Nik. Weis Selection, Riesling 2007
Vertikal, Mosel, Piesporter Goldtropchen, Special Collection, Riesling Auslese 2006

Pinot Gris
Dusted Valley Vintners, Columbia Valley, Boomtown, Pinot Gris 2007
Fetzer Vineyards, California, Valley Oaks, Pinot Grigio 2007
McManis Family Vineyards, California, Pinot Grigio 2007
Milbrandt Vineyards, Washington, Columbia Valley, Traditions, Pinot Gris 2007
Mirassou, California, Pinot Grigio 2007
Roslyn Family Vineyards, Washington State, Columbia Valley, Pinot Gris 2007
Running Hare Vineyard, American, Pinot Grigio NV
Spy Valley, Marlborough, Pinot Gris 2008

Roussanne
Line Shack, California, San Antonio Valley, Roussanne 2007
Truchard, Napa Valley, Carneros, Roussanne 2007

Sauvignon Blanc, Dry, Vintage 2008 or later
Gunn Estate, Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Mud House, New Zealand, Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Robert Hall, Paso Robles, Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Sauvignon Blanc, Dry, Vintage 2007
Boulder Bank, Marlborough, Nick Goldschmidt, Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Chateau Chevalier, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District, Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Cinquain Cellars, Monterey, Baja Viento Vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Dashwood, Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Wildhurst Vineyards, Lake County, Reserve, Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Semillon, Dry
Casa Madero, Parras Valley, Estate Grown & Bottled, Semillon 2008

Torrontes
Elsa Bianchi, Mendoza, San Rafael, Torrontes 2008

Vidal
Rustle Hill Winery, Illinois, Semi Dry Vidal Blanc NV

Dry White Table Wine Blends, 0 – .7% residual sugar
Folie a Deux, California, Menage a Trois White 2007
Promisqous, California, White NV
Tangent, Central Coast, Ecclestone 2007

White Rhone blends
Curtis Heritage Series, Central Coast, Heritage Blanc, 55% Viognier-27% Roussanne-18%
Marsanne 2007

All other white varietal wines, 0 – .7% residual sugar
Vatistas, Monemvasia, Malagouzia 2007

All other white non-vinifera varietal wines
Schilling Bridge Winery, Nebraska, Edelweiss 2008

LATE HARVEST AND OTHER NON-FORTIFIED DESSERT WINES

Gewürztraminer, Late Harvest, 6.1% and above residual sugar
Eola Hills, Oregon, Late Harvest, Vin D’Epice, Gewurztraminer 2006

Ice Wine, specify varietal
Jackson-Triggs, Niagara Peninsula VQA, Delaine Vineyard, Niagara Estate, Riesling Icewine 2007

BLUSH, PINK AND ROSE TABLE WINES

Blush wines, Blended generic
Schilling Bridge Winery, Nebraska, Women Gone Wine 2008

Rose, Rhone Style
Robert Hall, Paso Robles, Hall Ranch, Rose de Robles 2008

Rose, Varietal other
Eagle Castle Winery, California, Paso Robles, Syrah Rosé 2008

SOFT TABLE WINES UNDER 10% ALCOHOL

All varietals not listed, under 10% alcohol
Martin & Weyrich, California, Moscato Allegro 2007

VERMOUTH, NATURAL FRUIT WINES AND FLAVORED WINES

Cherry
Tabor Hill, Michigan, Cherry NV