Cheer Y'All!: A Texas sized event

What a night Saturday night, there was almost too much wine and food to be enjoyed.  If I had to use one word to sum it up it'd be: spectacular.  For the event there were eight wines, an incredible food spread, and a lively crowd to enjoy it all in an intimate setting at the historic Alonso Building.  Because there were so many different wines, we've decided to break this post down into two parts.  Part one will deal with the whites, and part two (published tomorrow) will focus on the reds.

We started the evening with a Duchman Family Winery's 2009 Vermentino.  This was an exceedingly soft white wine that went well with some of the gazpacho soup and fontina cheese and crackers.  It wasn't a crowd favorite, but it was a good light wine for when you're looking for something to go with lighter fare in our warmer months. It seems that Italian wines have found a new home in Texas with some excellent results.

From there we moved on to the Brennan Vineyards 2009 Viognier.  The speaker, Stephanie Wetherill, said this was a perfect wine for sitting by the pool on a hot summer day.  While I usually prefer a cold beer on hot days, I have to admit she's right.  The Viognier had a light citrusy aroma, but offered a full slightly sweet flavor.  It had an excellent finish without the cloying syrupiness found in some sweeter whites.  The crowd definitely warmed up to this wine quickly, with several asking for another taste before the pourers took the bottles away.  The Brennan Vineyards selection was a perfect counterpoint to a fantastic curry cheese spread. What's more, this wine just won a Gold Medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, which is the largest competition of American wines.

The next wine was a 2009 Rose of Syrah from McPherson Cellars in the Panhandle.  The speaker informed us that this particular wine was created more in the European provincial style of drier Roses rather than its sweeter American counterparts.  Sure enough, the McPherson was drier and had a much fuller taste with just a hint of sweetness. This wine also just finished winning a Gold Medal in its category at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

By this time everyone was having a very good time, and the conversations were taking on a bit of a louder tone.  Unfortunately, a lot of folks couldn't hear the speaker who was a treasure trove of information not only on the wines we were drinking, but also the history of wine making in Texas.

We followed the aforementioned whites with a number of superb reds, but those will be covered later.  Stephanie selected a fine 2010 Late Harvest Riesling from the Messina Hof Winery outside Bryan/College Station.  This desert wine was everything you'd expect from a Late Harvest Riesling.  It was sweet, with crisp citrus notes, and a lovely full finish found only in late harvest grapes.  To be fair, it you're not into sweet wine, this isn't for you.  But as a compliment to a walnut and dried berry cheese spread, or pan de polvo, it is top notch.  It was the perfect end to a great tasting experience. 

 

Of course, once the tasting was over, we were free to try the wines at our leisure.  Pris and I enjoyed this immensely, which is what has led to the lateness of this posting.  We went back for several of the reds, but I did end the night with one last little bit of the Riesling and a chocolate covered strawberry.  Cheers!

Duchman Family Winery 2009 Vermentino retails for around $11.99.  For more information you can visit http://duchmanfamilywinery.com.

The Brennan Vineyards 2009 Viognier retails for $23.95, and you can get more information at:  http://www.brennanvineyards.com.

The McPherson Cellars 2009 Rose of Syrah sells for around $12.99.  You can get more information about this wine and winery at:  http://www.mcphersoncellars.com.

And finally, the Messina Hof Winery 2010 Late Harvest Riesling retails around $19.99.  Its a bit on the pricey side for a desert wine, but what you'd expect from a late harvest vintage.  You can get more information about this wine at: http://messinahof.com.

As to availability, you can check with Jones Liquors if they are now carrying any of these wines.  Other than that, possibly Feldman's.  If you can't find these wines locally then there's always the internet, or a quick trip to H.E.B. Central Market in San Antonio or Austin. 

Pris' lunch of gazpacho soup with a glass of the Duchman Vermentino.