Lone Star bottles to try in honor of Texas Wine Month, courtesy of the ‘Texas Wineslinger.’
Idon’t know anyone who doesn’t actually make wine in Texas who has more knowledge of or passion for our state’s increasingly varied and sophisticated offerings than my friend, neighbor and engineer turned oenophile Russ Kane.
Some would say Kane wrote the book on Texas wine. Fact is, he has written a couple: “The Wineslinger Chronicles — Texas on the Vine” (Texas Tech University Press) and “Texas Hill Country Wineries” (Arcadia Publishing). He also teaches a “Specialist of Texas wine” class through the Texas Wine School and elsewhere across the state. So, in honor of October being Texas Wine Month, I’m turning this space over to him today. His marching orders: Find four Texas wines that spoke loudly to him, offered solid value and could be easily found.
“The Texas Wineslinger,” as some of us are wont to call him, delivered the goods. It wasn’t an easy task, though, so I let him mention a few others at the end.
Kane points out, proudly, that the Texas wine industry as a whole “is moving forward at a frenetic pace with increasing vineyard acres planted — especially with sun-loving or frosttolerant southern European grape varieties — and more young, homegrown viticulture specialists and winemakers are getting involved. Also, newly expanding university education programs are providing increasing research and technical support.”
As a result, heads are being turned elsewhere. Kane cites accolades from the country’s arguably most prestigious competition, staged by our sister paper, the San Francisco Chronicle, where this year a total of 14 Texas appellation wines earned double-gold medals in the blind tasting. (That means every judge on a panel deemed the wine worthy of a gold.) Another fine example of how far the Lone Star State has come is that chef Ross Burtwell’s Cabernet Grill in Fredericksburg has been listed among the Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Wine Restaurants for 2018, a historic first for one with a solely Texas cellar. The restaurant features resident sommelier Elizabeth Rodriguez’s 1,200-bottle, all-Texas wine list — you read that correctly, 1,200 wines, all from Texas.
Here are Kane’s Texas wine picks.
2016 Ron Yates Winery Sauvignon Blanc, Martin Family Vineyards, Texas High Plains
“This wine made from grapes planted in 1974, when the modern Texas wine industry was just being born, offers a special intensity and concentration. Think white Bordeaux, not New Zealand. It’s aged six months sur lie to offer a soft, silky feel on the palate and provides pungent grassy and herbal aromas with flavors of pear, lemon and lime that linger to the end of a long, minerally finish. The wine earned a gold medal at the 2018 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. Serve with Gulf oysters and vinaigrette, grilled flounder or shrimp with a light butter sauce.”
Price: $21.99 at Houston Wine Merchant
2015 Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards Texican, Texas High Plains
“Texican is from a winery in upper East Texas best known for its locally grown blanc du bois-based wine, called Blanco Grande. However, this one is a blend of two grapes with deep yet disparate Italian cultures, sangiovese and montepulciano, grown in vineyards around Lubbock. A serious mediumbodied dry red, it’s lightly oaked and starts with aromas of freshly macerated red cherries that evolve into a palate of red-fruit preserves, ending with pleasant tannins for a spicy yet smooth finish. The Texican garnered gold medals in both the Texas International Wine Competition and the Lone Star International Wine Competition in 2016. Serve with grilled chicken, pork ribs or quail seasoned with herbs.”
Price: $21-$23 at Spec’s and Central Market Bending Branch Winery Branch Texas Red
“This wine, which claimed a double gold at the 2018 Houston Rodeo International Wine Competition, wisely takes a page out of the business plan of wineries in Champagne, where multivarietal and multivintage blends are the norm, not the exception. Made from an eclectic mix of alicante bouschet, malbec, mourvédre, petite sirah, souzão and tannat, it’s an approachable and juicy full-bodied red that expresses ripe red and black fruit. Bending Branch’s Flash Détente technology to enhance color extraction and flavor was employed for 65 percent of the juice. Serve with grilled or smoked red meat (beef, lamb or game).
Price: $14-$16 at Spec’s and most H-E-B stores
2016 Messina Hof Winery Sagrantino Reserva, Texas
“A big-boy wine that’s true to the unique heritage of the Umbrian grape made famous in the small commune of Montefalco, it offers a full dark-red wine experience with intense tannins and jammy black-fruit flavors with notes of vanilla, baking spices and dark loamy earth. The grapes are grown in the Texas High Plains, and the wine spends 20 months of oak aging in hybrid American/French oak barrels. The recent Lone Star International Wine Competition awarded the wine a gold medal. Serve with ragù made with well-simmered and concentrated meat or mushroom sauces.
Price: $35 at Messina Hof Winery in Byran and messinahof.com
A few more recommendations
Kane also gave a thumbs-up to these: 2016 Duchman Family Vineyards Vermentino; 2016 Brennan Vineyards Lily (white blend); 2016 McPherson Cellars Viognier; Haak Vineyards Dry Blanc Du Bois (2017) and Tempranillo (2016); 2015 Becker Vineyards Cabernet; and 2013 Kiepersol Syrah. They’re widely available locally through Spec’s, Total Wine and other stores.