Write Off the Vine: Texas Wine News February 24, 2010

Write Off the Vine: Texas Wine News February 24, 2010

Texas Wine of the Month: McPherson Cellars Viognier, 2008
posted by Jessica Dupuy at 11:11 AM

New to the Eat My Words blog, we’re introducing bi-monthly posts devoted to an increasingly popular branch of Texas agriculture and tourism: Texas Wine.

Each month we’ll bring you interesting topics, travel tips, and event coverage on the Texas wine industry as well as a “Wine of the Month” selection guided by some of the state’s top sommeliers.

This month’s “Texas Wine of the Month” was selected with a little help from one of the state’s few Master Sommeliers, Guy Stout. His work with Glazer’s wine and spirits distributing company throughout the past 15 years paired with his exceptional palate  has made Stout a trusted name in wine circles across the state.

Though there are many Texas wines Stout enjoys, the 2008 McPherson Cellars Viognier ranks among his favorite. The Viognier grape is one that McPherson Cellars’ winemaker Kim McPherson has cultivated in the High Plains of Texas, near Lubbock, for years and it has fast become one of the state’s signature varietals.

More at: http://www.texasmonthly.com/blogs/eatmywords/?p=680

Fort Worth winery and wine bar gets taste of success, by Barry Shlachter

A black plastic hose pulsing with red wine snaked its way from a stainless steel tank into a truck trailer filled with $300,000 worth of Italian equipment.

Green bottles rattling along a conveyor line met up with the 2007 vintage cabernet sauvignon and were quickly filled, corked, labeled and packed into cartons, which in turn flowed down another conveyor.

Wednesday was the inaugural bottling at the Fort Worth branch of Times Ten Cellars, a boutique winery and wine bar that opened in September in a greatly remodeled pecan shelling plant at 1100 Foch St., just east of the city’s Cultural District.

Times Ten hopes to replicate the success of its first location in Dallas’ Lakewood area, which did $1.3 million in sales in 2009, its fifth year. That was a 30 percent increase over 2008, said Chris Lawler, the winemaker and a partner.

More at: http://www.star-telegram.com/local/story/1976892.html

Burgundy comes to Texas: Louis Jadot Burgundy Dinner & TEXSOM Fundraiser
with Special Guest Jacques Lardière, Louis Jadot Director of Winemaking

The Wine and Food Foundation of Texas invites you to meet Jacques Lardière, one of the most brilliant winemakers in Burgundy, and share a stellar showing of wines and cuisine. The dinner will be held on Wednesday, March 3rd at 7:00 p.m., at Mirabelle Restaurant in Austin.

Admission is $85.00 per person, tax and gratuity included. Visit www.winefoodfoundation.org to reserve seats or call (512) 327-7555. Proceeds from the dinner will support TEXSOM; the two-day educational conference hosted by the Texas Sommelier Association. Guests will be served by expert Texas sommeliers.
                                                                             
2010 Houston Rodeo Best Bites Competition Winners

Popular Choice Award
First Place – Hasta La Pasta
Second Place – Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse

Trailblazing Appetizer/Entrée Award
First Place – Sage 400 Japanese Cuisine, miso Chilean sea bass
Second Place – Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House, sliced tenderloins
Third Place – Valentino Vin Bar, baby back ribs with pork and ravioli with barbecue Tuscan sauce
Two-Stepping Bread/Cheese/Dessert Award
First Place – Killen’s Steakhouse, crème brûlée bread pudding
Second Place – Veldhuizen Cheese, handcrafted cheese

Don’t forget: 2010 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo International Wine Competition Texas Champion: Flat Creek Estate, Mistella, Texas, NV. More winning Texas wines from the 2010 Rodeo competition at: https://vintagetexas.com/?p=1278
                           
Winning wines from the 2010 International Wine Competition will be available at the Champion Wine Garden, located in Carruth Plaza, by the taste, glass, or bottle, with the pricing depending on the wine. The Champion Wine Garden is open Monday through Thursday, 4 to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 10 p.m.

This year, the Champion Wine Garden introduces educational wine seminars taught by advanced sommeliers. Seminar topics include Texas trailblazers, Argentina roundup, choosing a champion wine, and international stars. Seminars are $30 per person, including the wine. Visit www.rodeohouston.com for seminar descriptions, dates and times.
                                      
On the Fly From Twitter:

Clint Bingham @TexasVineGuy: At the TWGGA Gala. (Ex-Oakland Raider Alphonse Dotson donated a bottle of his wine signed by both himself and his son (Santana – Super Bowl/All Star). Sold in the live auction for $2500 #TXWine

@Circlesvineyard” Is having Sangiovese & Orange Muscat custom grafted on rootstock flto plant in our Texas vineyard for #txwine

@calaiswinery: Please join our facebook Fanpage http://bit.ly/9FUOXQ and our facebook group http://bit.ly/a3MZZI #TXwine to receive our updates

@RanchoPonte: Pairing Wine with Stuff That Isn’t Food: Wine & Playing Pool: http://bit.ly/5GN4GQ

@Brushycreekvine: Sparkling wine is now on the shelf! Stop in for a taste!

@texasgrapes: #Txwine The Grapes around Texas Facebook group. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=274134902974

@TexasWineTweets: RT @dry_comal_creek: Our friends at @SavorSA posted a link to the KLRN Wine Competition medalists; list includes lots of #txwine http://ow.ly/1akRk

For more information on what happening in Texas wines and vines on Twitter: Search on winery wines, twitter names or TXWine at: http://search.twitter.com/