This post was originally published on January 30, 2016. Tim and Phyllis have since sold French Country Wines and sadly, the new owners do not carry this lovely wine. Wine lovers in Houston and nationally are discovering sparkling wines that originated nearly 100 years before Dom Pérignon was born, and years before Champagne became the wine of celebrations. To taste true tradition first created by Benedictine Monks in the Abbey of Saint-Hilaire, look to the […]
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Survival Sourdough Starter
Hey, long time no see! How have you been? Look at you, you haven’t aged a single day since I last saw you. Me? Oh, I’ve been well, thanks for asking! I’ve been around, I just didn’t have much new to say lately. Recently I posted on Facebook about how easy it is to make sourdough starter. The response to it surprised me. A lot of people didn’t know what a simple thing it is […]
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2009 Stark Viognier, Damiano Vineyard, Sierra Foothills
We, like many people we know ‘cellar’ our red wines. I say “cellar” because Houston homes do not have basements so any wine aging room is often custom designed to mimic the temperature and humidity found in a European cellar or a California cave. We do not have that luxury, so our wines aged for several years in a chilled storage facility. After multiple hurricanes and flooding that spared our neighborhood more than it did […]
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Steele Stymie Founder’s Reserve 2016 Syrah
Last night we joined a group of other wine folks for a virtual tasting of Steele Wines with winemaker and owner Jed Steele. With over 50 years’ in the wine industry, Jed started with a cellar position after playing basketball on scholarship for Gonzaga University, then went back to school at University of California – Davis and earned a master’s degree in enology. He gained experience with a number of wineries including Napa’s Stony Hill […]
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Two Days in Dublin, Ireland: Day 1
Have a trip planned to Spain? Aer Lingus has some of the best air fares from the United States to Europe! If you plan your flights just right, you can turn an extended layover into a short visit to Dublin. This gives you just enough time to get a flavor for Ireland — and guarantee you will want to return again for a longer stay. Getting the Best Deal on Air Fares I am one […]
Continue readingPhotos of Spain – Monstant
Recently Amy and I participated in a press trip to Catalan. We visited the wine region of Monsant, an area that surrounds Priorat. It is truly one of the most beautiful places on the planet, a fact I was reminded of this morning when I started looking through my photos for ideas. So many gorgeous sites, delicious meals, and amazing wines. I chose a fairly random selection here to share that I think help convey […]
Continue readingRaw Milk Does a Body Good: Healthyway Dairy
“It’s real milk, from a cow.” Jacob looks at me in disbelief and I realize that sounds crazy. “I mean straight from the cow, instead of the grocery store,” I say. It tastes different. Better. Thus becomes my love affair with raw milk and Healthyway Dairy farm in Santa Fe, Texas. Why a Dairy Farm? It started when my friend, Jerry, with whom we play Ingress, sent me on a mission. He told me to […]
Continue reading2008 Jemrose “Gloria’s Gem” Proprietary Blend
Often when we put together wine and food pairings the food comes first, and then the wine. Not this time. Knowing the intensity and flavor of this 2008 deep red vixen from Bennett Valley in Sonoma County, we needed something with gusto to stand up to it. Enter pork belly. Pork belly is so very versatile and inexpensive — at around $5 per pound locally — but you wouldn’t know it from many a restaurant […]
Continue readingLoire Valley: Castles, Caves au Coeur de France
No doubt you are aware Loire Valley Wines represent the top producer of white AOC wines, but did you know this important French wine region produces Reds, Rose and Bubbles in its 48,000 hectares of vineyards as well? Located in the heart of France, the Loire Valley’s 79 appellations and denominations employ over 5,000 professions who help produce and market an average of nearly 3 million hectolitres. The Loire Valley sells 380 million bottles of […]
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