WHAT AM I DRINKING?
Fattoria Selvapiana 2014 Chianti Rufina--a favorite producer of mine and the fine folks over at Italic. This is a nicely priced, quality Chianti with classic notes of cherry and earth. We paired it with my Nonni's spaghetti sauce and meatballs and it was perfect.
Lafond 2012 Sta. Rita Hills Syrah--a wonderful Syrah that I picked up on the recent trip to Santa Barbara. Aromas of dried flowers and herbs with something distinctly candied (I want to call it a chocolate licorice) greet the nose. On the palate, there are blue and black fruits with a peppery note on the back of the palate with firm but well-integrated tannins.
Fall Creek Vineyards 2014 Salt Lick Vineyards Tempranillo--we picked up a bottle of this while at the winery in October for our anniversary. A nice, approachable Tempranillo with soft tannins, red fruits and spice. We paired this with spicy turkey chili and it was a hit.
Celler Barcelona 2014 Catalunya Red Blend--our good friend and fine human being, Russell Smith makes this wine in Spain. It is produced as a Catalunya DO wine, but his vineyards are located in the Montsant DO region. This is a 50/50 Garnacha/Tempranillo blend. The wine is as pretty as where it is made with black cherry, plum and cola notes. The tannins are nice and round. This would be fantastic with grilled ribs. A steal for the quality at around $10
Ceretto Blange 2014 Langhe Arneis--I am loving Arneis these days. This one is a good starter if you have never enjoyed the varietal. Arneis typically hails from the Piedmont region in northwestern Italy. This particular offering displays a stony minerality on the nose along with notes of dried apricots and pears. There is also a hint of tangy citrus. On the palate, it shows a medium body, continues with the minerality and apricots, pears and peaches and finishes with a very slightly, but pleasantly bitter, almond note.
Derrière Chez Edouard 2015 Saint-Aubin 1er Cru--This was a lovely pick from the weekly (FREE) tasting at Austin Wine Merchant. Sam Hovland poured this and several other Burgundian selections, but this was the stand out for me. It opens with a stony minerality on the nose and not much else (perhaps due to Austin allergies), but bursts onto the palate with green apples and limes set off by a perfectly balanced acidity. I roasted a chicken with garlic and thyme and finished it with a shallot sauce, and it could not have been a more perfect pairing.
Marchesi di Gresy 2015 Langhe Sauvignon--also recommended by Sam at the Austin Wine Merchant as a pairing for a delicious appetizer of roasted cauliflower dipped in the most decadent cheese sauce ever. The sauce required goat feta, goat cheese, mascarpone and cream cheese. This snappy Sauvignon set off the acidity of the goat cheese perfectly. Also, I got to be super geeky about the fact that I was drinking a Sauvignon Blanc from Piedmont.
Fuedo Arancio 2013 Sicilia Dalila--This is one of my recent selections at It's Italian Market. We were lucky enough to have tasted this at one of their recent free Friday tastings. We bought a bottle of this 80% Grillo, 20% Viognier blend. Ripe green apple, pear and peach on the nose with subtle floral notes likely contributed by the Viognier. Ripe green apples and almonds on palate with salinity noted. It has a nice full body and would pair well with roast chicken, or what I really envision it with is butternut squash ravioli with a brown butter sauce. Delicioso!
Paul Chollet NV Cremant de Bourgogne--this was my favorite pick from a recent Austin Wine Merchant tasting. I'll put it here and in the sparkling category as it shone in both. What struck me most about this one was the incredible body it had. They tasted this wine along with another Cremant de Bourgogne as well as a Champagne and this was my pick of the three. Cremant de Bourgogne is a sparkling wine, made in the same method as French Champagne, but produced in the Burgundy region of France, just a bit south of Champagne. This was made with 100% Pinot Noir. It had such a nice full body, a nose of strawberries and apples and tasted of strawberries and cream. It paired beautifully with both brie topped with mushrooms and thyme as well as the main dish of coq au vin.
Celler Barcelona 2015 Rosé--This lovely rosé is produced in Masroig Spain, where we were lucky enough to visit our good friend, Russell Smith, who crafts the wine. He produces it in the town's co-op. It is an easy drinking rosé with notes of strawberry and raspberry. The alcohol clocks in a bit high for a rosé at 13%, but even as such, I want to drink this wine on my front porch while watching the sunset....better yet, on Russell's back deck in Spain! https://cellerbarcelonawine.com/
Paul Chollet NV Cremant de Bourgogne--this was my favorite pick from a recent Austin Wine Merchant tasting. I'll put it here and in the rosé category as it shone in both. What struck me most about this one was the incredible body it had. They tasted this wine along with another Cremant de Bourgogne as well as a Champagne and this was my pick of the three. Cremant de Bourgogne is a sparkling wine, made in the same method as French Champagne, but produced in the Burgundy region of France, just a bit south of Champagne. This was made with 100% Pinot Noir. It had such a nice full body, a nose of strawberries and apples and tasted of strawberries and cream. It paired beautifully with both brie topped with mushrooms and thyme as well as the main dish of coq au vin.
Schramsberg Vineyards 2007 Reserve Sparkling--greeted guests at the annual Austin Guidlsomm party. This was a gorgeously aged sparkler with biscuity and bready notes on the nose and a lush golden apple flavor and full mouthfeel.
Taittinger N.V. Champagne Brut La Francais--this was a post-New Year's treat courtesy of our friends Andrea and Jim. We toasted after a pot roast with this lovely bubbly which was very toasty and creamy with notes of apple and lemon. Perfect for a winter's evening with friends.
WHERE AM I DRINKING?
Around Austin
June's All Day
recently opened on South Congress. The newest concept from the McGuire Moorman Hospitality group owned by Master Sommelier June Rodil. June's has a bit of an old diner feel and, as one would expect, a killer wine menu. From sparkling wine to rosé and dessert wines, June and beverage director Ranya Zayyat provide an interesting and fun list of wines by the glass and bottle. The prices are not fully off base from what you might find next door on South Congress, but the bottle prices skew a bit high while the glasses range from very reasonable to the upper end of what one might usually pay for a glass. Happy hour provides a reprieve with 50% off all food and sparkling wines and $2 off all drinks every day from 4-6 PM. And, on Mondays, all sparkling wines are offered at 50% off.
Italic 
is my go-to spot when I need to feel like a more modern rendition of my grandmother is cooking for me. And, certainly, where I find much better wines than the poor quality Lambrusco that my grandfather used to enjoy to excess. Courtesy of Craig Collins, Master Sommelier, they have an all Italian (save a few bottles of Champagne) list that is comprehensive and would take many moons to drink through. I lean towards their interesting whites such as Arneis and Verdicchio, but know that I will love any Chianti or other Italian red as they always choose quality producers. With Craig and two additional sommeliers available to help with your pairings, you really can't go wrong here. They have fairly frequent wine pairing dinners and occasional tasting events that have always been fun and informative to attend.
It's Italian Cucina on South Lamar has become a new favorite as I knew it would following the closing of its little sister, It's Italian Market on the eastside. The proprietor, Al hails from Italy and imports wine and Italian specialty food items. It's Italian Cucina is a full service Italian Kitchen specializing in the cuisine of Piedmont and with a comprehensive Italian wine list. Menu favorites are the salmon with shrimp and pesto cream sauce, the prosciutto, grilled artichokes and gnocchi. Best of all is hanging out with Al and his friendly staff. Free wine tastings happen every Thurday evening from 5 to 7 PM on the patio, and you will often find me pouring wine for these fun events.
Around Elsewhere
Les Marchands--Santa Barbara, California. An intimate and well-appointed wine bar in the heart of the funk zone in Santa Barbara. This is a gorgeous spot to have a glass or two and allow it to be perfectly paired with a charcuterie and cheese plate by one of their expert staff members. They also serve larger plates and sell bottles to go.
Texsom--Texsom is where some serious wine knowledge began to take shape for me. A dear friend of mine used to bartend at the Four Seasons Trio Restaurant, which is a 10-minute bike ride from my house and has an unbeatable happy hour on all weekdays. She was lucky enough to work with an advanced sommelier and suggested on his recommendation that we attend Texsom. I had no idea what that was but was all in. Texsom, as I found out through research, happens each August in Dallas, TX at the Four Seasons Las Colinas.
I decided to attend (my friend did not make it up there with me) and to take the Introductory exam offered at the conference by the Court of Master Sommeliers. I read Karen MacNeil's The Wine Bible in preparation and began Texsom with the intro classes. Two days of informative and entertaining lectures by Master Sommeliers from all over the world had me hooked. We also learned the deductive tasting method which the Court utilizes in their more advanced exams. The second day of the course ended with a short written exam covering the material that we learned in class. Luckily, I passed, and then the fun truly began.
Texsom basically fills the entire Dallas Four Seasons with truckloads of wine from around the world. Hundreds upon hundreds of producers and distributors come from every reach of the globe to pour their wines and share how they produce it. Lecture halls throughout the day feature mostly Master Sommeliers or Masters of Wine sharing their vast knowledge of all things wine from detailed comparisons of neighboring wine regions, to in-depth analyses of grape varietals, to the future of sparkling wines. All of these are accompanied by guided tastings. The knowledge that one can acquire in three days is simply astounding.
Additionally, there are elaborate buffet lunches sponsored by various producers, and you will often happen upon a Master Sommelier or a producer of one of your favorite wines at your table. Each afternoon is topped off by hospitality suites that are opened to all participants. Each suite may include several producers who are sharing their wines and typically follow a theme. French wines here, Australian wines there and Washington wines next door. The party truly begins in the suites, and you will want to heed to warnings sprinkled throughout the previous lectures to moderate your drinking and make sure to utilize the spit buckets lest you become a nuisance and disrupt the celebration.
Drink Gallery
