Hope at the Vineyard on the Square

     Tonight, we went to The Vineyard wine bar in Town Square in Sugar Land where they were having a complimentary wine tasting of Hope Estate wines. The tasting was to kick-off a month long promotion where The Vineyard will be donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Hope Estate wines (by the glass or bottle) to the Breast Cancer Network of Strength.
     Winemaker, Ryan McCann, was there to talk about Hope Estate wines and the Hope Estate vineyards in Hunter Valley in New South Wales, Australia. The owner, Michael Hope, has transformed an historic estate into a dynamic new venue with a new dining establishment called Harvest Restaurant and an amphitheatre. Hope Estate now provides a fantastic location for premium wine, fine dining, private functions and spectacular outdoor concerts and events. They have had Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, The Who, Chris Issak and Whitney Houston all perform.
     It was obvious that Ryan McCann loves his life. He lives on-site at the vineyard, sees the concerts from his front yard, does private tastings with some of the performers and makes fantastic wine. I tasted his 2007 Chardonnay and Shiraz. I particularly liked the Shiraz. It was a dark ruby color with aromas of blackberry, plums and brown spices. It was well-balanced with smooth tannins and flavors of juicy blackberries, a bit of chocolate with a spicy, peppery finish.
     The wines will be at The Vineyard all month so go and enjoy a good wine and support a great cause, as Hope Estate says, "Where there's wine...there's Hope."

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