by Andrew ChalkFiled under Andrew Chalk, Wine
by Steven Doyle
A lot of restaurants have great early week wine deals, but Dish is taking it up a notch by offering half-priced wine this Friday (May 24, 2013). Stop by and take advantage of some terrific deals.
Dish is located at 4123 Cedar Springs in Dallas.
Filed under Wine
by Steven Doyle
Have you seen Anthony Bombaci lately? He is running strong at the Hilton Dallas Anatole, and can be found June 14, 2013 hosting a beer vs. wine dinner. Here are the fun details:
Join American Craft (Breckenridge, Co.) with special guest Dan Stone of Breckenridge Brewery, Drew Pierce of Trinchero Family Estates Wines and our renowned Chef de Cuisine Anthony Bombaci for an epic Beer vs. Wine Dinner on Friday June 14. The reception starts at 6:00pm followed by dinner at 7:00pm. Continue reading
Filed under beer, Steven Doyle, Wine
by Andrew Chalk
The backbone of California winemaking is the tapestry of tiny wineries, family owned, each representing a vision and an idiosyncratic approach to the making of wine. They number in the hundreds and range in size from overstuffed garages to mansion-sized facilities backed by hundreds of acres of meticulously-trained vines.
At the low end of the size spectrum is a 2000 case-per-year specialist that is quickly gaining a reputation among the cognoscenti. Jericho Canyon Vineyard has only been making and selling their own wine for eight years. Before that they sold fruit to other wine makers, notably David Ramey and Rudd. Their 30 acres of estate vineyards comprise four of the five Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot), Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Three quarters of it is Cabernet Sauvignon, so that gives a clear signal where the gravitational center of the winery style sits. Continue reading
Filed under Andrew Chalk, Wine
by Andrew Chalk
August Briggs Winery and wine make Jesse Inman come to Abacus on Tuesday 21st. August Briggs Winery is an employee-owned winery in Napa Valley dedicated to producing very limited quantities of great wines from carefully selected vineyards across Napa and Sonoma counties. Continue reading
Filed under Andrew Chalk, Wine
by Andrew Chalk
The late Robert Mondavi would be 100 this year were he still with us. The winery (part of Constellation Brands since 2004) is making a national tour to acquaint their wholesalers and retailers with their latest offerings. I was an invited guest at a tasting in the metroplex this week and it seemed an appropriate point to see what had changed and what had remained the same since Robert Mondavi himself ran the show.
Gary Midyette, Director of Operations for Robert Mondavi Winery, led the tasting. He has been with the winery since before the Constellation purchase. Likewise, the wine maker of the offerings that we tasted, Genevieve Janssens. In fact, a lot of the same faces still work there and the same core line of wines is still made. I examined the style of the wines as well as we progressed through the product line. Continue reading
Filed under Andrew Chalk, Crave, Wine
by Andrew Chalk
Allen Shoup left the position of President and CEO position at Washington State’s largest wine maker, Chateau Ste. Michelle, in 2000 but he had no intention of retiring. After three years ‘gardening leave’ (presumably to serve out a non-compete) he founded a new and very unusual winery. Long Shadows Vintners has not one winemaker, but one winemaker for each wine. Furthermore, that wine maker is not an employee but an acknowledged worldwide leader in that genre. For example, the Long Shadows Cabernet Sauvignon is made by Napa legend Randy Dunn. The Merlot, by French legend and Pomerol native, Michel Rolland. There are actually seven superstar winemakers making seven Long Shadows wines.
At a tasting this week at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, at which I was an invited guest, I questioned Shoup about the stars involvement with the wines. It is important, in a week in which Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have apparently produced a Provence Rosé wine, to clarify how involved the stars were in the production of the product. Pitt and Jolie’s involvement seems as plausible as Kim Kardashian getting a Ph.D. from Cal. Tech. Did Brad Pitt choose the date when picking started? When asked what type of barrels to age the wine in, did Angelina Jolie respond ‘pink’? This is obviously nothing more than vapid marketing. Continue reading
Filed under Andrew Chalk, Wine
by Andrew Chalk
See more of this great state with a full day road trip. One way to do it is to tour the “Way Out Wineries” (essentially the wineries south and southwest of Dallas, within approximately a 100 mile radius). Recommended in this gang:
Barking Rocks: Best Doggie Place. Seriously, the tasting room is open so the dog can come in and sniff around and meet the winery dog ‘cellar’. To see how hippies age, ask for Tiberia. People describe nearby county town Granbury as quaint too, with its square and courthouse. Babe’s chicken is just off the square. Continue reading
Filed under Andrew Chalk, Wine
