They’re Back! CapRock Wines are in Distribution Again.
I made my usually “run” to Spec’s Smith Street store in Houston earlier this week and found and interesting surprise.
In the store’s Texas wine “section” [and I use this term loosely as it is located on the isle that they call “Bourbon Street”] I found about two linear feet of shelf space dedicated to the wines of the new CapRock Winery. CapRock’s wines have been MIA for some time now and this is the first appearance since the winery’s bankruptcy auctions [Yes! that’s right Auctions with an “s” which is story all unto its own: click here] which ended with the winery now being owned by Cathy Bodenstedt from San Antonio.
Cathy is the other half of the wife and husband pair to Jim Bodenstedt, the Texas fast food magnate of Muy Foods fame (KFC, Taco Bell, y mas – see below).
The return of CapRock Winery to the Texas wine seen is a welcome sight. This Lubbock-based winery is part of Texas wine history as it opened originally as Teysha Cellars in the early days of the modern wine revolution in Texas back in the 1980s. This was when you could just about count all the Texas wineries on two hands. These were difficult times as when one new Texas opened, one seemed to go out of business. This is exactly what happened to Teysha Cellars and after a bankruptcy or two, it reorganized and reopened as CapRock Winery. It is still located in the same facility that when opened in 1989, it was described as “Visually Stunning” and “Palatial”. And, it still is a magnificent place to visit, tour and taste if you find yourself in Lubbock.
The wines that I found included: Sweet Tempranillo (<1% RS, read here), Blush Royal (read here), Sweet Muscato, dry Rosé of Grenche (a dark Rosato-style rosé) designated Reddy Vineyards, and Roussanne (great stuff read here). Many were Texas appellation (Texas High Plains AVA); but alas, some were American appellation (which is a preferred designation to “For Sale in Texas Only” for wines made here with out-of-state grapes).
There may have been more CapRock wines on the shelf (I don’t remember; just going too fast this week). The Spec’s Online listing hasn’t even been updated yet!
I brought home the dry rosé. It had a deep-red purple color (for a rosé) and red berry presence in the glass with a “bit of grip” from skin tannins likely derived along with the deep coloration from extended contact with skins. This is a rosé that hungers for meat…red meat! It’s definitely not a sissy’s rosé by any means.
Give a look for the wines of CapRock Winery on a shelf in a store near you. Give them a try and find one you like.
Blush Royal is a rose from Cabernet grapes – it’s not your Mommy’s white Zinfandel. I’m delighted to know it’s back. Now I know what I’ll be serving for Thanksgiving.
~L
Hey Russ–
Ya might want to check yer facts again.. It’s JIM Bodenstedt. Not Tom… Cheers!
Paulette,
Thanks so much…just going too fast this AM.
Fixed.
Russ
Hey Russ, I agree with you on the Dry Grenache Rose it is a great wine!
Talking with the folks at Cap*Rock on Friday when I visited Lubbock they were telling me that the Sweet Tempranillo is 1.5% RS and that newer vintages will probably be much drier.
Thats just what they told me. And from tasting it I kinda want to agree that it is over 1% RS Several of my wine friends (who work in the oenology labs for TTU) agreed with me.
Might want to check it out. Maybe the guy in the tasting room was wrong.
Im not saying this wine is a bad wine by no means paired with the right food and chilled I bet it is fantastic.
I have noticed a few producers in Spain have experimented with this Noveau style of Tempranillo And the dusty cherry that I get is pretty spot on with a Tempranillo I tried from Whole foods once. It was way to sweet for me but I know many liked it.
I myself prefer the traditional Tempranillo style sadly there are not many in Texas making it this way. They all seem to want to go the cold soak way.
Cheers!
When I saw the name Teysha I thought that looked familar. Went looking and sure enough found 2 bottles. One is a Texas Johannisberg Riesling 1988 and the other which I bought at the same time Teysha Blush Texas Table Wine. Wonder if they are any good? Have a 30th Annv. coming up in March/13. Might pop one open.
If either of these have the story of Teysha on them I would be willing to purchase one!!
Robin Garrison
When our youngest daughter was delivered she was the only one that was not born in the Great State of Texas. So we gave her a truly unique but Texas name… Teysha. We found this name on a bottle of Teysha Wine with the story about how this was a Caddo Indian name for Friendly. Perfect we thought and we were right.
However, we have carried a bottle of Teysha Wine around for more than 20 years before movers destroyed it. Is there anyone out there that I can purchase a bottle with the story on it to give to her? She is getting married this year and wanted to give it too her. I originally saved the first bottle for that purpose. And yes it was unopened.
i have 2 bottles of wine produced by teysha cellars, dated 1988..1 bottle is chenin blanc and the other is teysha blanc.. are they worth anything.they were given to my father in-law , john mccabe, he was the electrician for the building, i believe, and they gave him 2 bottles of the first produced wine..anyone know anything about these..