Houston Cellar Classic-The Grand Tasting Experience

     The Grand Tasting Experience held yesterday at The Tasting Room at Uptown Park was the finale of the three day Houston Cellar Classic-A Celebration of Wine & Food. Houston-area winelovers came in droves to taste over ninety wines and sample menu items from local restaurants.
     The parking lot was partitioned off to provide tent space for food booths. This allowed wine tasters to have small snacks between tastings with diverse offerings such as cheese plates from the Houston Dairy Maids, lettuce wraps from Pei Wei, fried chicken from Max's Wine Dive, shrimp ceviche from Frank's Chop House and risotto from Ristorante Cavour, just to name a few.
     On the patio and inside, there were about fifteen tasting stations to accommodate the large crowd who sipped and swirled through. I only tasted nineteen of the offerings, I intentionally skipped several good ones that I am already too familiar with in an effort to find some new treasures.
     The 1999 Pommery Cuvee Louise-Champagne was subtle perfection. Other favorites were Nickel & Nickel Ponzo Zinfandel, Numanthia Termes-Tempranillo, Two Hands Bellas Garden Shiraz, Benziger Tribute and "M" Cabernet Sauvignon by Michael Mondavi.
     The crowd was a friendly group of enthusiastic wine lovers all ready to share their thoughts on the many different wines. A good time was had by all and money was raised to support JDRF-Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International. The Houston Cellar Classic is an annual event that should not be missed if you are a lover of food and wine.

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An Immersive Introduction into the World of Asolo Prosecco

Dinner Views at Osteria Alla Baracca. I was very excited to visit the Asolo DOCG Prosecco region at the end of May on a press trip as it is an Italian area that I have not previously traveled through. Asolo is located in the Province of Treviso at the foot of Monte Grappa in the high hills to the west of the Piave River with views of the Dolomites. The grapes are grown in 17 communes surrounding the town of Asolo. The days were very warm while I was there but I needed a sweater or light jacket on most evenings due to the diurnal swing that makes it a great area for grape growing. Wines from the Master Class Tasting. Asolo was elevated to the DOCG level in 2009. The majority of the Prosecco that I have found in Houston is Prosecco DOC which is mostly from very large producers. Asolo was separated from this category and the region was given this higher status because there are terroir elements that make it distinctive in the world of Prosecco. The Sant'Anna Vineyard. Many of the vin

Lust Zinfandel 2007

My husband loves this wine so he purchased quite a few bottles at a recent Michael~David dinner that we had attended. Last night, I decided to open a bottle to serve with dinner. I was making a roasted southwestern pork tenderloin, sweet potato fries (w/ chipolte ketchup) and a salad consisting of baby lettuce (fresh from my garden) with strawberries, red bell peppers, red onions and walnuts tossed with a white balsamic-raspberry vinaigrette. This turned out to be a great pairing. It is a bold wine that really stood up to the strong chipolte seasoning while complementing the fruit flavors. I opened the bottle a 1/2 hour before I served it as I have found this wine to be more enjoyable when I do so. The Lust Zinfandel by Michael~David 2007 was a dark purple color with a ruby rim. It has intense aromas of very ripe mixed berries and baking spices-both allspice and ginger with hints of cedar. It has flavors of creme de cassis, milk chocolate and also more of the baking

Nocera - A Native Grape from Sicily

Nocera is a native grape from Sicily. It comes from the Messina province which is located in the northeast. Nocera is a quality red wine grape that is most known as a blender in the red wines of the Faro DOC. I had the opportunity to taste some pure versions (which according to Wine Searcher are rare) this week at a trade tasting held at Roma Restaurant in Houston. Wine production in the region dates back to the 14th Century BC, however, phylloxera decimated the vineyard area in 1881 leaving it at a fraction of its original size. The area boasts a Mediterranean climate with sunny days and coastal breezes, moderate rainfall, and mild winters, all ideal for grape growing. The Nocera grape is a bluish/black color and has a thick skin which allows for the production of structured wines with prominent tannins which are balanced by good acidity. High alcohol is common. Red wines produced from the grapes are an intense ruby color with purple highlights and aromas and flavors of dark fruits a

Wine Life - Houston

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