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Sip on the Best at Rodeo Uncorked

  It's rodeo time in Texas and wine has become a huge part of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. As a wine judge for Rodeo Uncorked competition since 2011, I decided to share some of the rodeo wine news in the February issue of Galveston Monthly magazine, on the stands now.
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Pacesetting Wines from Alentejo

  Last month, I participated in a Master the World wine tasting and seminar with Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein featuring Alentejano wines. The Master the Wine tasting classes are available to wine lovers who want to learn more about wine, tasting kits can be purchased individually for a specific region of interest or a series of tasting classes can be purchased as well. This specific tasting was set up by Creative Palate Communications for trade and media in the wine industry.   An Alentejano wine is the correct way to refer to wines that come from Portugal's Alentejo wine region. Portugal is 11th in total world production of wine. Despite only being 575 miles by 138 miles in size, the country's acres under vine in the 4th largest amount in Europe and it is 8th in the world. Alentejo represents 13% of the total acres under vine in Portugal and is responsible for 18% of the country's total production. Alentejo translates to "beyond the Rio Tejo" which is known as
 For the January 2024 issue of Galveston Monthly magazine, I wrote about the fortified wines of the iconic Portuguese region, the island of Madeira, sharing the rich history and making some wine recommendations with some food pairing ideas.

Bellenda Conegliano Valdobbiadene

I recently had a Zoom tasting with Bellenda 1986 owner, Umberto Cosmo. We were tasting some sparkling wines from the premium Prosecco region, Conegliano Valdobbiadene. Conegliano Valdobbiadene is located in a hilly area in northeastern Italy, just 30 miles from Venice and about 60 from the Dolomites. This area has been producing wines from the Glera grape for three centuries, Glera is the most important grape in Prosecco Superiore. The region’s production area includes 15 communes and represents the heart of Prosecco territory. The wines from this region are classified as a Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin (D.O.C.G.) which is the highest level of quality for Italian wines. I recently visited the Asolo D.O.C.G. which is the only other region producing this higher level of Prosecco. Most of the Prosecco wines seen in the Houston area seem to be the less stringently regulated D.O.C. classification. You can read more in this blog about Asolo Prosecco here . Conegliano Valdo

Effervescent Elegance

 In the December 2023 issue of Galveston Monthly , I explore the world of classic method sparkling wine. The holiday season is always an excellent time to enjoy some effervescent elegance in your glass!

La Fête du Champagne opens in Houston with a Pierre Paillard Lunch at Navy Blue

A Sparkling Lunch Line-up. La Fête du Champagne made their debut in Houston this past weekend. This multi-day celebration of the premier sparkling wine region of the world will be celebrating 10 years in New York next year. The Houston festivities started with a Pierre Paillard paired lunch at Navy Blue in Rice Village where Quentin Paillard hosted, along with event creator and Champagne expert and author, Peter  Liem. Quentin Paillard talks Champagne with Double Decanted owner, Kelly Prohl. Pierre Paillard is a Pinot Noir dominated brand from a family consisting of 8 generations of growers located in Bouzy in the Champagne region of France. The family have been producing wine for over 200 years.   Quentin and his brother Antoine focus on protecting the soil by using their own organic composts and by treating the vines with biodynamic inspired natural infusions and without the use of chemical herbicides and insecticides. In the cellar, minimal intervention is the program, no chaptali

A Santa Barbara Thanksgiving

In the November issue of Galveston Monthly magazine, I write about the beauty of Santa Barbara, the place, and the beauty of the wines of Santa Barbara, along with their pairing versatility discussing how well they will work with your Thanksgiving dinner and throughout the rest of the year.