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When in Texas…
Local wine is one of the great pleasures of travel. Local wines offer an opportunity to try something new, something you can not buy at your favorite wine store back at home, you can’t buy online (maybe you can, but there will always be a hassle). Besides, there are countless stories of wine tasting delicious “at the source” and not the same when you bring them home.
While this is true everywhere, it is even a bigger issue in the United States. US wine laws are moronic (sorry, I don’t have a better word), whether you want to buy them in your favorite local wine store or online. I live in Connecticut, and while I can buy wines from pretty much anywhere in the world, in terms of “local wines” I can only buy a few of the Connecticut and New York State wines. Okay, I think on occasion I have seen wines from Virginia, but those would be extremely rare. And most of the wineries in other states (outside of California, Oregon, and Washington) wouldn’t even ship wine to Connecticut. Well, I was not planning to write a rant, so let’s get back to our topic.
I had to spend a week in Texas for work, which means what? An opportunity to drink some Texan wines!
Whenever I’m visiting Texas, I’m always excited to try some new wines, even if they come from the familiar producers. This trip was no exception – my first stop was at the local H.E.B. store, a Texas parlor of fine food, to pick up some water and, of course, wine. The store had a nice selection to choose from:
So I ended up with these 3 bottles, which I tasted over the course of a few days – here are my notes:
2021 Becker Vineyards Prairie Rotie Texas (15.1% ABV, 32% Mourvèdre, 24% Grenache, 18% Petite Sirah, 13% Counoise, 13% Cinsault)
Garnet
Tobacco, cherries, mineral notes
Red and black fruit, mineral notes, tobacco, pencil shavings, black currant, cherries, nice layers of flavor, good balance, good acidity, long finish.
8+, excellent
Day 4, still excellent. Elegant, pleasant. Same rating.
NV Duchman Family Winery Grape Growers BBQ White (13.5% ABV, proprietary Mediterranean blend)
Straw yellow
A hint of wildflowers and honeysuckle
Sweet white fruit on the palate, ripe white plums, honey. Acidity is present, leveling off the finish into rather a pleasant experience.
7+, this wine is exactly as it is called – I see it perfectly pairing with tangy ribs, sweet sausage and similar BBQ delicacies.
2021 McPherson Cellars EVS windblown Texas High Plains (13.7% ABV, 25% Mourvèdre, 20% Syrah, 20% Carignan, 18% Petite Sirah, 17% Grenache)
Dark garnet, practically black
Restrained, blackberries, savory and herbal, with some barnyard coming in late
Uplifting, bright, lots of juicy red and black fruit. Needs to breathe for a few minutes. It became better an hour later, but it was even better the next day.
Much more balanced, black pepper, restrained dark fruit, cleansing acidity with long and energetic finish.
8/8+
There you are, my friends. When traveling, drink local, you will never regret it. Cheers!
Experiencing Texas Wines
I’ve heard [good things] about Texas wines before, but despite being in Texas countless number of times, I never had an opportunity to drink local wines. Thanks to Vino Volo, great wines are available on the go (this is not the first time I’m writing about Vino Volo – previous posts can be found here and here).
This time I was at San Antonio International airport, and I had enough time before the flight to taste some wines. As you know, I would never refuse an opportunity to try new wines, so when I saw “Taste of Texas” flight being available, the decision was very simple.
The flight consisted of three red wines, and all three were very good! The first wine was 2009 Becker Vineyards Claret, Hill County. The wine had nice nose with dark fruit, plums and blackberries, good acidity, rustic, with good tannins. The wine was very Bordeaux in style, but without characteristic bell peppers and greenness ( Drinkability: 7+).
Next wine was 2009 Texas Hill Vineyards Toro de Tejas, High Plains (100% Tempanillo) – the wine had smoke, dark fruit, hint of dark chocolate, very dense. This wine very well complemented chorizo and chickpeas chilli. Best of tasting (Drinkability – 8-).
Last wine in the flight was 2007 Llano Estacado Viviano, High Plains (Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon blend). The wine had nose of green olives, and it was very nice on the palate, with hint of chocolate, soft tannins and good balance. Drinkability – 7+.
Overall , all three wines were well done, easy and pleasant to drink – my only regret (actually, two) would be that these wines are not available in Connecticut and also that even in the Texas restaurants, the emphasis is on California, and Texas wines are simply overlooked – definitely a mistake.
That’s all for now, folks. In the next blog post, we will explore the subject of wine fears – cheers!
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