So, just a little note to tell you that tomorrow is the last day to vote for wine blog awards. I’ve heard mixed things about the judging qualifications etc., but if you are playing around on your computer today, and you like what you’ve read here, consider nominating in whatever category you deem worthy. Thank you for reading and sharing.
When is the last time you dug through old photos? Not precious baby pictures or the early courting days, but the really embarrassing ones. I went through mine for a girls’ weekend in the Hill Country. Middle school eyebrows, Pioneer dresses, and bangs. I sported large men’s flannel shirts through the birth of grunge, perms, and belly-button-skimming-acid washed-pleated jeans. (A trend I will not repeat.) I take full responsibility for some of the choices. As if dressing like Laura Ingalls would make me a better educator. In other shots I was merely a victim of being born in the 70s. I was keeping up with the trends. Either way, it wasn’t good.
On our way out west, we stopped at a couple of wineries. My friends have had limited experience with Texas wines and I wanted to give them a glimpse of the great work some winemakers are doing. Our first stop was one of my favorite producers and they ooh-ed and aah-ed. They left gushing, surprised, and with a few bottles.
The second stop was very different. Of the four wines we tasted, only one was palatable. Now, I don’t know if we hit on a bad day, I don’t know if it was not an accurate sampling, but I do know it was not good. One of my friends, a phenomenal baker, posed the following question.
“So, I wonder if they know it isn’t good and serve it anyway. Is it like when you’ve made a cake that isn’t your best and you know it? Or do they think it is good?”
Which got me thinking about the pictures. Was it a bad bottle? A challenging crop? Were they trying to be trendy and pull off something they weren’t ready to pull off? Were they victims of the vintage or did they, like the frumpy student-teacher in the photos, just make a bad decision?
Maybe they enjoy those traits in wine. After all, taste is very subjective. But when does a matter of taste cross-over into a flaw? When is a flaw so egregious that it becomes a fault? What does the winemaker have control over and what happened after the bottle was sold?
Let’s look at the difference between a “flaw” and a “fault.” Basically, a flaw is a minor attribute in the wine that is not generally characteristic and that you weren’t expecting. A fault is due to poor winemaking or storage conditions. There is a lot of great information on these topics and I am only skimming the surface. Here is a common list of “faults” in a wine as listed on Wikipedia.
| Acetaldehyde | Smell of roasted nuts or dried out straw. Commonly associated with Sherries where these aromas are considered acceptable |
| Amyl-acetate | Smell of “fake” candy banana flavoring |
| Brettanomyces | Smell of barnyards, fecal and gamey horse aromas |
| Cork taint | Smell of a damp basement, wet cardboard or newspapers and mushrooms |
| Diacetyl | Smell of rancid butter |
| Ethyl acetate | Smell of vinegar, paint thinner and nail polish remover |
| Hydrogen sulfide | Smell of rotten eggs or garlic that has gone bad |
| Iodine | Smell of moldy grapes |
| Lactic acid bacteria | Smell of sauerkraut |
| Mercaptans | Smell of burnt rubber and/or cooked cabbage |
| Oxidation | Smell of cooked fruit and walnuts. Also detectable visually by premature browning or yellowing of the wine |
| Sorbic acid plus lactic acid bacteria | Smell of crushed geranium leaves |
| Sulfur dioxide | Smell of burnt matches. Can also come across as a pricking sensation in the nose. |
Again, taste is subjective. A great example is Brettanomyces or “brett.” A hint of brett is common in Italian wines and in small amounts can add complexity. If it is too strong, I don’t care for it. But how strong is too strong? Chances are that your idea is different than mine.
One of the samples was a rosé. It started bad and ended like a beer. Not a hint of yeast that you expect from sparkling, but a beer. He tried to tell me that some attributes can come off as yeast. Sure, but this wasn’t hiding as anything. This was in-your-face-licking-rising-dough yeast. I don’t imagine that was the winemaker’s intention. But, I’ve been wrong before. There is photographic evidence.
Maybe you still like your acid washed jeans. I hear they are back in style. Maybe you still rock a perm and it looks fabulous. You may look back on something you wore and cringe, or wish that you’d never given that shirt away. Fashion and beauty are as subjective as taste in wine. The wine that I don’t care for may be one of your favorites. But there is a point where, taste aside, it crosses a line. Does the winemaker always know that line? And which is worse? Knowing the line and crossing it anyway or not knowing?
There are some dishes and desserts that can garner fame. My mom has always been an amazing cook. If you know her, and it’s your birthday, you can count on something special. Especially if you like coconut. Mention of her coconut cake causes friends and family to audibly sigh. It is a guaranteed show-stopper, a cake that needs a special partner.
Coconut Cake (sans frosting)
You can’t have a celebration without bubbles. So when we got together to celebrate my brother-in-law’s birthday, I planned ahead and chilled a bottle of bubbles, Pas de Deux from The Biltmore Estate. Translated, the name means “a dance for two” and it is, indeed, an excellent partner.
I admit that I was hesitant. Because this sparkler is considered “sec,” one with a higher residual sugar content, I wasn’t sure if I would like it. I generally like my bubbles dry, but with the cake, this was perfect. Pale yellow with a bit of green, lovely little bubbles, and a great nose. Sweet cream and citrus. On the palate, intense perfumed fruit. Maybe tropical? Guava? Something round and soft with a citrusy finish. I thought grapefruit, they say lemon.
It doesn’t take many turns around the dance floor to know if you’ve partnered well. A great partner makes you spin and shine in ways you didn’t know you could. The wrong match can lead to bruised egos and toes. Pas de Deux made an already fabulous cake even better. I would imagine its dance card would fill up quickly at any celebration.
*{Disclosure: I was provided with these wines from PR Firm, Folsom & Associates. All statements and opinions expressed in this article are my own.}
Today is Deed Day for the Gundlach Bundschu winery. Last year, in honor of the day, I republished the poem which took first place in their poetry contest in 2011. It was in honor of the family’s history, their growth, and an ode to all farmers, really. This year, I’ll go back to the poem that took third place in 2010. It is a more personal poem written about my experience adjusting to life as a stay-at-home mom and about tapping into the memories associated with their wine. Happy Deed Day, Gundlach Bundschu! The excerpt below was previously published in 2011 as “Poetry in Motion.”
It was about a year and a half ago when I first decided to “put myself out there.” Writing again…publically…as in let-someone-I don’t-know-read-my-thoughts. I hadn’t written anything creatively in years. Not since the tumultuous relationship of my 20s with the distant artist type. But I found the right catalyst.
My 2 yr old daughter was watching Elmo, my 3 month old son was sleeping. Browsing Facebook (a SAHMs only social outlet some days) I came upon a poetry contest that was being held by Gundlach Bundschu, one of our favorite wineries in Sonoma. The history of this estate vineyard is amazing. Some of my best memories in Sonoma are at Rhinefarm so it was easy to find inspiration.
I reflected on our visits there. Newlyweds, no responsibilities, fine wine, blue teeth. Now, we were lucky to get to open a bottle of their wine and remember… I figured I had about 15 minutes so I knocked out a few stanzas (the 152 word limit) and would revisit it when the fog cleared from another sleepless night. A few tweaks later, I sent it off. What could it hurt?
It didn’t hurt anything. Instead, it healed. It reminded me that there was a me before diapers, nightfeeds, dishes, and dustpans. A me that was an okay writer once upon a time. A me that could capture a sentiment in words, even if only for myself. I received third place in the contest, but really I received much more than that. So here it is, an ode to Gundlach Bundschu, to wine, to my kids, my husband…and to me.
Remove a swirl
Of crimson foil,
Exhaling from another day’s toil
A sigh of relief
The cork releases
Oh, what a sound; my joy increases
What is the mood?
Stem or stemless?
My turn to pose a question, endless
One last check on
Children sleeping
No one stirring, no one weeping
A splash of ruby
Zinfandel
Entices with its luscious smell
The lights are dimmed
The table set
Reminding us not to forget
The early days
We frolicked ‘tween
The weighted fruit and rusted leaves
Golden sun, swirling red
We let the warmth
Go to our heads
And now we have
Just our memories,
A taste of days we seldom see
Days of freedom
Days of yore
I smile at the wine he pours
Close my eyes,
Velvet fruit to savor
There is nothing like the Gundlach flavor
So, tonight we will
Cherish our Sonoma escape
Swept away until our children awake
Last Sunday we had an afternoon dinner with THOSE friends. You know, the ones. We used to travel to Sonoma together and make Bacchus look like a monk. Those weekends translated into all day food and wine festivals in our own backyards, almost every weekend. Corks flying, pans frying. Until we added to the brood. Now we are lucky if we can get together twice a year. And until recently, one of the ladies was left out because of maternal matters. But, we are coming out of that phase and their birthdays (one week apart) served as the perfect excuse to get together, even though it looks a little different now. (Fewer) Corks flying and (more) pans frying and the occasional baby crying.
It was a beautiful day here in Austin so we decided to plan around the weather. I thought we’d go Spanish. I picked up some Manchego, Brazos Valley Eden brie (with vegetable ash-divine), olives, peppers, salami, and some veggies for appetizers al fresco. I’ve learned to make a separate snack plate for the littles or my cherubs will devour all the olives and cured meats. That’s just not good for anyone.
While the kids ran wild in capes and gowns, blowing bubbles and having tea parties, the adults were able to sit under the pergola, sipping Tempranillo and catching up. It was wonderful.
For dinner, I planned Flank and Flap steak with Chimichurri sauce, Patatas Bravas, and asparagus. I marinated the steak in olive and sunflower oil, garlic, and salt. The good thing about this dinner is tha can do most of the work ahead of time. For the Chimichurri I used a ton of parsley, oregano, olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar, salt and a little crushed red pepper. I made the tomato sauce with a bunch of garlic, olive oil, choppped tomatoes, chicken broth, smoked paprika, and a little cayenne.
Many recipes call for frying the potatoes, but I roasted them in sunflower and olive oil at 450. We did the steak in a cast iron pan. I blanched the asparagus and then quickly sautéed them in the pan I had used for steak while it sat. For wine, we broke out a Tempranillo with a story.
Gundlach Bundschu has a special place in our hearts. If you’ve been reading for a while, you know how instrumental they were in my decision to start writing. While on a tour there, we heard a great story about their Tempranillo. I won’t name names, but somebody may or may not have snuck some rootstock back from Spain. They may or may not have had some a stinky cheese wheel in said bag that may or may not have been confiscated at customs, allowing the rootstock to find a new home in Sonoma. Legend has it, anyway. No matter where this rootstock came from, it is doing great things in its current soil.
This wine is beautiful in the glass and its color represents it well. Red and blue fruits, acid and earth. Bright and smooth. Complexity in the tobacco and cocoa notes. I love this wine and it paired perfectly. It was like they were made for each other. Well, in fact they were.
I guess you could say the same about our friends. You know, THOSE friends. The ones you can come to when your face is puffy and tear-stained. The ones that you can tell anything to and know you are safe. The ones that can make you laugh, let you vent, and tell you when to zip it. Friends that are worth celebrating. Cheers to that.
So, it is time for a cleanse of sorts. Too much fun, too much stress, the holidays, and lots of celebrating with company have left me with more than a few posts. Ahem. Time to lay off the booze and get back to the gym, so this week, I will write a few food posts or maybe repeat a past piece.
I have been trying to incorporate more vegetarian and vegan meals in our home. My sister’s success with the Anti-inflammatory diet, some inspiration from blogs I love (yes, you Lauren), and general health practices are great motivators. Tonight’s dinner was delicious and one worth sharing.
I picked up some forbidden (black) rice at Whole Foods, although I’ve never used it. In an attempt to use the veggies I had, I made this salad. Even the kids loved it. To quote my daughter, “Are you kidding me? This is delicious!” I’ll make it again. Even though I didn’t pair it with anything, a Riesling would have been great. Next time, I’ll add some cilantro, too. And the hubs and I put a little Siracha on at the end.
Forbidden Rice Salad
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
2 Purple Spring onions (from Pa’s garden), thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
1/3 cup cashews
2 cups cooked forbidden rice (while warm I melted some coconut oil over it)
Top with avocado and mango
Dressing:
1 Tbsp. Sunflower oil
1 Tbsp. Rice Wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Lime juice
Tsp. Sugar
Salt and pepper
On the last Tuesday of every month, the Texas Wine and Food Consortium hosts a good old-fashioned duel. While there may not be a definitive winner, there is definitely a good time had by all. Gusto Tastings Sommeliers, Daniel Kelada and Oscar Montes-Iga choose a grape and draw a line between producers from all over the world and those in Texas. We get to enjoy the battle.
I previously attended the tastings in which we looked at Viognier and Tempranillo, both grapes that do very well in the Texas climate. This month, Cabernet Sauvignon was the star of the show. I will admit that I had my doubts. After all, how well can Cab really do here? Denise Clarke, shared my skepticism and chose to taste blindly. I think we were both surprised by the evening.
As with each of the competitions, the evening was divided into four flights: Old World, New World, Texas, and then a vertical tasting of a Texas wine. This month, Becker Vineyards provided the vertical tasting.
For the Old World tasting, we had two French and one Israeli wine. For the New World flight, we tasted Washington, Chile, Napa, and South Africa. We then moved to nine Texas wines and the vertical flight.
Tasting this many wines can be a funny thing. My palate begins to fade. I can taste through a flight and think I know which one I prefer. Taste them again, and it becomes less clear. As a wine opens it changes. Have a snack, it changes again. If you asked me which wine was my favorite, I would also have to ask, “With food or without?” And if you asked the person next to me, there may be very little overlap in the list of favorites.
Some of my tasting notes of the evening included the classic terms such as, “cherry, leather, tobacco, greens.” And then there were some less common descriptors: “dill pickle, green pepper with cherry on top, cream soda, tomato leaf.”
Some personal highlights included:
Le Relais De Dufort-Vivens, Margaux, Grand Vin, 2009 (classic notes, Bing cherry, tobacco)
Marques de Casa Concha, Puento Alto, 2010 (Less classic but friendly, cherry cola, Eucalyptus, Green tomato leaf)
Flat Creek, Texas High Plains, Newsome Vineyard, Reserve 2010 (Big, impressive, yet subtle fruit, cherry, and greens)
The Vineyard at Florence, Williamson County, ‘Veritas’ 2010 (huge sour cherry and berry blend)
Becker Vineyard, Texas High Plains, Canada Family Vineyards, 2007 (elegant nose, hazelnut and cranberry, some vegetative notes)
Becker Vineyard, Texas High Plains, Canada Family Vineyards, 2009 (earth, leather, fruit, surprising elegant for age)
Becker Vineyard Claret 2011 (drought year so concentrated fruit, bright sour cherry, some green, cocoa)
As an encore, Tim Drake of Flat Creek Estate, decided to finish the evening with something very special. He opened a 2002 Flat Creek Cab that was amazing. If there was any question about whether Texas can do Cab, more importantly, a Cab that can age, Flat Creek gave us the answer.
So who was the winner? Well, there is no clear answer to such a subjective question, but you can judge for yourself. Next month’s tasting will look at Tannat and will be featuring wines from Bending Branch. In April, Texas Wine and Food Consortium will bring us fortified wines (port, Sherry, Madeira) with Haak winery. Upcoming tastings will feature Roussane, Rose, Red Blends, White Blends, Merlot, Malbec , and Sangiovese.
For more information on these tastings, contact Daniel Kelada.
This piece was originally written for and posted on Texas Wine and Trail
Sunday afternoon I had the pleasure of volunteering with the Wine and Food Foundation at Cowboys and Gauchos. These people know how to put on a fabulous event. Picture flamenco dancers, fire pits, clinking glasses, and smiling faces and you kind of get an idea of the day.
The event was held out at the Salt Lick Pavillion and included a wide variety wines from Texas, Argentina, and Uruguay. The grilled meats ranged from lamb to antelope, beef tongue to buffalo. Matt McGinnis did a fantastic write up on the event, but I wanted to share some of my personal highlights. I skipped the wines I was familiar with and tried those that were new. I only got to some of the food vendors but everything was delicious.
Food:
Wild Boar Tacos from Fore
The chorizo gastrique from Cafe Josie
The wild bison chili from High Country Bison
The whole lamb from IO Ranch and the whole pig from Tink Pinkard
Wines:
Becker Vineyards Provencal Rose
The debut of Hye Meadows’ wines
Flat Creek Tempranillo and Cuvee Blanc
El Libre Torrentes and Rose
Alamosa Wine Cellars Graciano
Today is National Margarita Day, a holiday which I am sure you will not mind celebrating. If you live here in Texas, I am sure you are well-versed in all things agave. Before I moved here I had only experienced very harsh, very gold, and very dangerous tequila. I had not yet had a Mexican martini or learned how to mix a proper ‘rita on the rocks. If you have not yet seen how tasty, clean, and versatile a margarita can be, today is a great day for experimenting.
You may have heard about the snow in Arizona this past week. Because of that, the PGA tournament has had its share of delays. So, this week on Back9 Network, I decided to do a cocktail with egg white and tequila, “Snow Falling on the Agave,” based on a Prado. Head over for a brief tutorial on tequila and a few other recipes.
To try out the recipes, I had some ladies from our neighborhood over for a taste test. We also sampled some locally made mixes and played with them. If you have been reading long, you know that I am not keen on mixes, generally. I would rather start from scratch and adjust. However, when we had company this past weekend they wanted to try the Central Market fresh margarita mix. Since the only ingredients were lime juice, simple syrup, and orange juice I was in. I also picked up some locally made pineapple and jalapeno mix. Made by Carter’s Select, the only ingredients are water, lime juice, lemon juice, cane sugar, pineapple and jalapeno.
The Central Market mix was a hit. I only added El Jimador tequila. It was a very classic, very tasty drink. I had them sip as is, then we added some Blood Orange San Pellegrino. Yummy, but too sweet. I would, in the future, either just squeeze in some fresh blood orange or have just lime juice and the Pellegrino. Finally we added some bitters to the blood orange. That was the favorite. The bitters cut some of the sweet and added a nice dimension.
For the Prado, I couldn’t find maraschino liqueur, so I substitued the juice. I have a feeling is was not a good substitution because the drink was rather forgettable. I think adding some cinnamon would help. I will keep an eye out for the liqueur and try again.
The Carter’s was rather tasty for a bottled mix. A good amount of warmth from the jalapeno and it could not have been easier. I would, if time allowed, still prefer fresh juice and steeping the jalapeno in the tequila, but in a pinch, this is a really good choice.
Today, I plan on trying another version. Cucumber. I’ll try Espolón Tequila, agave, lime juice, and muddle some cucumber slices. Perhaps garnish with some cilantro? I’ll let you know.
What margarita will you be enjoying today? Cheers!
I wanted to write a quick note to apologize for my lack of participation on here and in other forms of social media. I have been totally consumed in a family medical emergnecy for the past two weeks. I am so very grateful that we are on the other side of it and will try to return to “normal,” and I use the term very loosely, in the coming days.
I heard from many of you through Facebook and I am grateful for all of the prayers, thoughts, and support. I hope to catch up on sleep and on reading in the coming days. Thank you for your patience.
