Buffalo Gap W&F Summit: Texas’s Red Dirt & Mesquite Smoke Terroir

Buffalo Gap W&F Summit: Texas’s Red Dirt & Mesquite Smoke Terroir

I left Fredericksburg, Texas, early today as the yellow dawn light filtered through a gray haze cast from west Texas wildfires. I thought, God it’s been dry here! This year the path to Buffalo Gap near Abilene showed nary a wildflower. This display was in contrast to that of last year when the breathtaking bounty of blue, yellow and pink flowers were embellished by the cool wet spring to something indescribable….but that’s Texas wine country for ya!

I arrived at the Buffalo Gap Wine and Food Summit for the early 10 AM kickoff session today. It was a display of master wine selection and description by Guy Stout MS. It was titled, “Rhone on the Ranch!”. A total of eighteen wines, five flights in all that covered the wines of the Rhone River valley and its far western reaches into Texas and California.

Rhone style white wines were presented made from the “three sisters” of the Rhone region: Roussanne, Marsanne and Viogner from the three wine growing regions of France, Texas and California. Becker Vineyards Roussanne, McPherson Cellars Viognier were poured along side fine French and Californian wines along with Texas surprise, Lone Oak Winery Blanc Du Bois, a white hybrid grape with Muscat in its heritage.

Then, we delved into Rhone-style red wine dominated by Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and many of the other Rhone blending grapes. They included: Llano Estacado Signature Melange (Rhone blend) and Brennan Vineyards, Comanche County Syrah. All this and it was just turning 12 o’clock noon.

As Guy presented the wine, he asked us to swirl and sniff then describe our impressions of the aromas. My feeling was that my sense were filled with the Texas terroir of red dirt, fresh-cut cedar, and mesquite wood smoke which were all in plentiful supply at the Perini Ranch summit venue.

With the tasting of eighteen wines and barely breaking noontime, we’d all worked up quite a serious appetite for Tom Perini’s Chuck Wagon southern fired chicken and all the fixin’s.