by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On
This is one of an occasional series
detailing Texas wineries. The complete list is here.
Look at the wine list at Alamosa Wine Cellars, and one thing stands out. Winemaker Jim
Johnson doesn ?t make cabernet sauvignon, merlot, or chardonnay. In fact, he is
one of the first in Texas to use grapes more suited to the state ?s unique
climate than those three.
by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On
A few observations based on a weekend visit to the Hill Country. I ?ll be in west Texas in a month or so, and should have a solid overview of what ?s going on with the 2008 harvest.
by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On
I have three bottles of wine in the closet, and I ?m waiting for the right moment to share them. They ?re not red Bordeaux, Napa cabernet, or even white Burgundy. They ?re nortons.
The norton is one of the great success stories in the American regional wine business, a native American grape, probably a naturally-occurring hybrid that was first identified in Virginia in the mid-19th century. Nortons made in Virginia and Missouri are well-known and respected around the world — big, dry red wines with bright berry fruit and big tannins that can age for a decade.
So why haven ?t you heard about norton before?
by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On
Carignane is an odd little red grape. It ?s used mostly for blending — in California to produce jug and inexpensive red blends, and in the Rhone region of France, where it ?s the poor cousin of syrah, grenache and mouvedre.
This single-varietal carignane, from Dallas ? Time Ten Cellars ($15), shows the grape off to nice advantage. It has a funky, Rhone-like aroma (wine types call it bacon fat), but plenty of New World style fruitiness, including a big dose of cranberry (something to keep in mind come Thanksgiving). It ?s not especially tannic, and the alcohol is a well-done 13.8 percent. This makes it an ideal red wine for hot summer days and good barbecue, be it pork or smoked chicken.
And don ?t be confused about the grape ?s spelling. It ?s carignan in France and carignane in the U.S.
by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On
I’m in Illinois, so that means I’m going to try and buy some Illinois wine. It’s one of those things that the Wine Curmudgeon does. So I go to one high-end grocery store in a high-end suburb. Nope, no Illinois wine (and the guy behind the counter is even a little surly about it, so the Wine Curmudgeon gives him the evil eye). I got to another high-end grocery store in another high-end suburb. Nope, no Illinois wine.
Is Illinois wine any good? I don’t know. I can’t find any to buy so I can taste it.
by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On
Wine on the Fourth of July, you ask? And the Wine Curmudgeon asks, why not? What pairs better with barbecue, grilled chicken and other July 4-style foods?
Here are three wines that will go with whatever is on your Independence Day Menu:
by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On
That’s usually one of the snickers I get when I tell people I judge competitions — along with, “Boy, I wish I could do that” and similar bits of cleverness.
And the Wine Curmudgeon will be the first to admit that judging a competition is not as difficult as mining coal or working at Burger King (my first job, which broke me of the desire to ever have a real job). But it is work.
