Visiting Rodney Strong Vineyards

Our final winery visit was to Rodney Strong Vineyards. Social media manager, Laura Perret and her husband met my husband and I for a Sunday morning tour and tasting. We began in the winery. Our guide, Bill, started us off with a barrel sampling of the 2014 Symmetry and the 2013 Brothers Cabernet Sauvignon. He wanted to showcase both the terroir differences between the two and the different points in development between the two vintages.

We viewed more of the production facility and learned about some innovations they have made to keep the wine more secure during earthquakes before heading out to the terrace to enjoy a tasting with a vineyard view. Bill served us two rosés to start, both from the 2014 vintage and both priced at $25, one made from Pinot Noir and the other from Malbec. The Pinot Noir's character was more raspberry and rose petals while the Malbec was more watermelon with a bit of vanilla and toast. Bill explained these were primarily sold at the winery for the summer concerts but they are both available on line. While I wouldn't reject either one as both were refreshing summer wines, if given a choice, I would pick the one made from Pinot Noir.

Bill brought out some plates of charcuterie and cheese for us to enjoy and he poured the 2013 Reserve Chardonnay which was rich and slightly creamy with an apple pie nuance. We followed this with four of the red wine current releases. All are recommended wines.

2013 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (SRP $28)- Smooth, easy drinking, blackberry, black pepper
2013 Knight's Valley Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (SRP $35)- Richer, more chocolate character, more structured
2012 Symmetry Alexander Valley Meritage (SRP $55)- Rich, ripe blackberry, cassis, coffee
2012 Rockaway (SRP $75)- Concentrated, rich, more minerality behind the plum and cassis with baking spice and tobacco.

The tasting room is open daily to the public from 10:00am-5:00pm with tastings ranging from free for two tastes from the Sonoma County line on up to $55 for a paired food and wine experience. A visit to Rodney Strong Vineyards is highly recommended when in Sonoma County, see large scale production with an artisanal touch while enjoying a wine tasting in a beautiful vineyard setting.

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...

Summer Sips: A Guide to Red, White, & Rosé

American-made Wine recommendations for the Fourth of July and beyond is the subject of the July issue of Galveston Monthly magazine.

Wine Life - Houston

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