My Wine Blogging Brethren, It’s Time to Taste Some Texas Wine at #WBC11…LIVE!
In only two day, I’ll be flying away to join my wine blogging brethren at the 2011 North American Wine Blogger Conference (aka #WBC11) being held this year in Charlottesville, Virginia. This is my first time back to this “Blogfest of Wine” since its inaugural event in 2008. Virginia’s a great place and an up and coming wine state, just like Texas. In fact, Texas and Virginia are just about neck and neck in the battle for 5th place in wine producing states following the usual suspects: California, Washington, New York and Oregon.
Since my last WBC visit, something very interesting has happened in Texas. I believe that we have started to identify our future. Many now finally accept the fact that Texas just ain’t Bordeaux and, as remarkable as it seems, Texas ain’t Burgundy either. What Texas IS, is the Mediterranean of the USA. There has been an explosion of Tex-Med wine growing and winemaking going on here. Two varieties of sun-loving grapes that are shining bright on our future are Viognier as the white and Tempranillo as our red. These are now being supported by a cast of apparent “no name” varietals that also find Texas a good place to grow, ripen and hold their acidity even when temperatures reach the 100 degree mark. A few of these supporting grape varieties are: Roussanne, Muscat, Sangiovese, Mourvedre and even less knowns like Picpoule Blanc, Tannat and Nero’d Avola.
I have volunteered to pour wine this year rather than be a passive member of the WBC “Twitteratti”. Why? Well, the Texas state government recently cut all Texas wine marketing funds which left nothing in place to support this event Rather than let it die, I contacted the vintners directly and said that I had already planned to attend WBC11 and my pouring services were available free of change.
What should you look for at the wine bloggers conference from Texas?
Well, to start with come to the LIVE Wine Blogging Event and the Other 46 Tasting or follow, if you can’t be there in the flesh, savor the cool wine tasting action on Twitter via the hashtags #WBC11 and maybe a few coming thru at #TXwine.
The LIVE Wine Blogging event (for Whites and Rosés) will be held Friday, July 22 scheduled to start promptly at 4:20 PM. It will feature a Texas white wine made by Llano Estacado Winery in Lubbock Texas. In something similar to speed dating, I will go from table to table presenting the wine and pouring aliquots of Llano Estacado Viviana, a white aromatic wine, something that you’d thing might come from the Finger Lakes region of New York or the slopes of Alsace, France.
Here is what to expect in the Llano Estacado Viviana:
Vintage: 2009
Vineyard and or appellation designation: Texas
Alcohol (%): 12.7
Residual Sugar (%): 0.12
Harvest parameters and winemaking, fermentation, barrel techniques: Aged for 4 months on its fermentation lees in cold, temperature controlled stainless steel tanks.
Wine description: Our 2009 Viviana is a non-traditional blend using aromatic white varieties. 30% Gewurztraminer, 30 % Riesling, 10% Viognier, & 30% Muscat Canelli. Flavors of tropical fruit, honeysuckle, melon, citrus zest. More information at: www.llanowine.com/detail.aspx?ID=202
Other talking points: This wine is Llano Estacado’s answer to aromatic white “blends” such as Caymus Conundrum and Sokol Blosser’s Evolution. Gold Medal and “Best of Class” winner 2010 New World International Wine Competition
Winery Website URL: www.llanowine.com
Twitter handle: @Llanowine
Please come to the Live Wine Blogging (white/rose) Tasting event and try a truly unique Texas white wine.
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Wait there’s more:
Tomorrow, on VintageTexas, I will feature the wine line up (two Viognier and two Tempranillo from Brennan Vineyards, McPherson Cellars, Lone Oak Winery and Llano Estacado Winery) that will be poured at the WBC11 Other 46 Tasting later this Friday evening at 9:00-11:00 PM eastern time. See: https://vintagetexas.com/?p=5150
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