Assorted Summer Sippers for Under $20

Some assorted wines for under $20 that we have enjoyed at our house this summer. I misplaced a receipt so some prices are approximate.

2008 De Chanceny Brut Excellence Vouvray - Good bubbles. Aromas of lemon and earth. Dry, full body, high acid, medium alcohol sparkler with lemon pith flavor and a medium length mineral finish. It was a delightful aperitif poolside before dinner and was quickly consumed. Recommended, $17 at Whole Foods.

2009 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Gris - Dry, medium acidity, medium alcohol, medium body with light floral aromas and medium intense flavors of pear and melon with a medium length finish. Recommended, Nice with grilled tilapia. $17 at Kroger's.

2010 Flora Springs "Soliloquy Vineyard" Oakville Sauvignon Blanc - Dry, medium acidity, medium body with medium- aromas and flavors of melon with a medium- length citrusy finish. Tasted a bit tired initially, it was better with dinner- panko-crusted tilapia with a fresh mango/jalapeno sauce. $19 at Kroger's

2009 Flora Springs Chardonnay Napa Valley - Dry, medium body, medium acidity with tropical flavors and a hint of vanilla in the medium length finish. Served with grilled grouper and consumed quickly. Recommended, $19 at Spec's

2009 Four Vines Naked Chardonnay Santa Barbara County - Dry, medium+ acidity, medium body, un-oaked, light fruity flavors of pear, peach with a bit of pineapple and a medium+ length finish. Recommended, $13 at HEB

2010 Artazuri Garnacha Navarra, Spain - Looks like Cherry Kool-aid in the glass. Dry, medium body, medium acidity, light tannins with aromas and flavors of tart berries in a medium- length finish. Very simple, good with a store-bought rotisserie chicken. Recommended. About $12 at Whole Foods.
2010 Domaine des Perelles Morgon, France - The cork broke on this one and part of it ended up in the bottle so it was poured through a strainer. Despite the traumatic beginning, it was finished very quickly. Dry, medium body, medium+ acidity, rich ripe raspberry aromas and cherry pie flavors with a medium+ length finish. Also really good with a store-bought rotisserie chicken and macaroni with an Edam cheese sauce. Recommended. Approximately $15 at Whole Foods.

2009 H&G Pinot Noir Central Otago, New Zealand - Sheer ruby color. Dry, medium body, medium+ acidity, light tannins, raspberry and cherry aromas and flavors with a bit of spice in the medium+ length finish. We had this after dinner one evening while watching TV and it disappeared very quickly. Recommended. About $15 at Whole Foods.

2009 Bonterra Zinfandel Medocino - Organic, I wanted to love it but I didn't. Nothing exciting just acceptable. Served with BBQ sandwiches. $10 at Whole Foods.

Winemaker, Andrés Sánchez of Alcance

I was invited to a media and trade tasting lunch at Backstreet Cafe with Andrés Sánchez, the winemaker for Alcance, a Jackson Family winery. As guests arrived, we were greeted with a glass of lightly chilled Alcance Chardonnay 2016, a perfect start for a hot summer day in Houston. This rich and elegant Chardonnay is grown on granitic soils in a coastal mountain vineyard in the Valle de Itata. Despite my multiple wine classes, this was a growing area with which I was not familiar. This vineyard is located between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean about 12 miles from the coast which as Sánchez pointed out adds a nice sea influence to the wine. The Chardonnay was pleasantly fresh with light citrus notes and a touch of butterscotch with a distinct saline mineralty throughout the slightly creamy finish. A mixed appetizer platter with Gulf Coast Beignets, duck spring rolss, asparagus and zuchini flatbread, and lump crab cakes on red pepper beurre blanc were br...

Darioush Wine Tasting at Pappas Grill

I went to a Darioush wine tasting last Friday. What a delight! I found every bottle we tasted to be exceptional. Darioush is well-known for their Bordeaux styled wines so I was already familiar with both the Darioush "Signature" and the Estate Caravan Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. They are both highly rated and consistently good. The Caravan is the lower priced of the two and is something that I keep in stock at home. The wines in the line up for the evening were all from Napa Valley and included: 2008 Signature Viognier, 2005 Signature Chardonnay, 2005 Signature Merlot, 2007 Signature Shiraz, 2007 Estate Caravan Cabernet Sauvignon, and both the 2006 & 2007 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2007 was opened by mistake which was a bonus to all who were present. The Viognier varietal has been hit and miss for me at tastings in the past but this offering was an absolute stand out. It was very fragrant with floral notes of jasmine and or...

"The Zen of Zin" Tasting at Fleming's in River Oaks

On Friday evening, my husband and I attended the Zinfandel wine tasting at Fleming's in River Oaks. My husband gets totally pumped up for any and all things Zinfandel but what I found really intriguing in the line up of wines were the aged offerings. Brent Sloan, managing partner at Houston's premier wine storage facility Nos Caves Vin, had provided Fleming's with four 18 year old bottlings and one 17 year old bottling from his collection of some of his favorites. I found this interesting because 1. I don't believe that I have ever had an 18 year old Zinfandel before this evening and 2. From various wine classes, I had always heard that at best Zinfandel had very limited aging ability. So, I was definitely excited to give these wines a taste. There were also an additional five younger Zinfandel wines that are some of Fleming's best sellers. The entire tasting line up for the evening included: 2009 Orin Swift Saldo - California 2007 Schulz "Lampyridae...

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