I love a Bordeaux, and we only have two bottles left of a very special right-bank Bordeaux, the Lassègue Saint Émilion Grand Cru. Steeped into the history of Bordeaux and its classification system, which originates back to 1855 in the Médoc, the right bank was largely omitted from the rankings. Thus in 1955, 100 years later, Saint Émilion crafted their own classification, overseen by the French National Institute of Appellations (INAO). The goal is to reclassify wineries every 10 years, but there has been some conflict and controversy since the rankings began. Most famously, Château Cheval Blanc who maintained a premier spot from 1955 until the 2021 vintage, chose to withdraw from the Saint Émilion classification in 2022. And as a complete aside, yes, it is a Cheval Blanc that Miles is imbibing out of a plastic cup at the end of Sideways (he is drinking some %$*!-ing Merlot!).
Despite the drama, having a Saint Émilion Grand Cru on our wine list is a huge coup for us. And the Lassègue is delicious! It’s a mosaic of mostly Merlot, with some Cab Franc and a skosh of Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose offers a beguiling bouquet of ripe dark fruits, including blackberry and plum, interwoven with subtle notes of cedar, tobacco, and a hint of mocha. On the palate, the Lassègue conveys an exquisite fusion of flavors. The dark fruit core is complemented by layers of earthy undertones, graphite, and touches of dried herbs. The tannins have become well integrated with time, providing a structured framework for the wine's nuanced profile.
When you try the Lassègue, you are drinking history! And if you are interested in reading more, check out bordeaux.com/us/Our-Terroir/The-Libournais/Saint-Emilion-Grand-Cru.
Jun 30, 2025 at 8:30 AM
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Happy Tuesday!
We are closing in on the end of the month, and we hope you will stop by and help us close out the month with a bang! Well....at least the pop of a cork or two. :-)
We have some great experiences on the calendar for you. So, visit our Events page to see all the details and reserve seats for your favorite experiences.
A couple of events we are adding to our schedule in July, which you may want to mark your calendar for:
Make sure you check out our Events page to learn about our schedule of events.
Visit our Events page to see all our upcoming events.
Cheryl will be joining us on a regular basis to share fun facts, cool stories, and interesting information about wine in our emails.
This month, we are featuring aroma kits to go along with our featured wines. As you know, I often like to inject a bit of education into the club tasting experience (although there are months where we simply enjoy the wines without thinking too hard about them!). In picking aromas, I chose professional-grade scents, mostly food flavorings, that should hold up throughout the month, one per wine. The biggest question is not to guess what you are smelling, although that does become a quandary, but if you agree with the winemaker that the scent is indeed in the wine.
Have a great week!
From all of us here at Steve's Wine Bar, Cheers!
Denton Chamber of Commerce: Best Small Business of the Year.
Jun 24, 2025 at 4:18 PM
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This month we are featuring aroma kits to go along with our club wines. As you know, I often like to inject a bit of education to the club tasting experience (although there will be months where we simply enjoy the wines without thinking too hard about them!). In picking aromas, I chose professional-grade scents, mostly food flavorings, that should hold up throughout the month, one per wine. The biggest question is not to guess what you are smelling – although that does becomes a quandary – but if you agree with the winemaker that the scent is indeed in the wine.
Upwards of 90% of what we taste is actually through smell. While there are six primary tastes surmised by our tastebuds (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, fat, and umami), on average we can detected around 10,000 odors. And sorry to say this, but women are usually better sniffers than men. When we are tasting a wine, the retronasal passage, which connects our mouth to our nose, receives scents emitted from the wine. This is the same passageway that causes kits to shoot chocolate milk out of their nose! But this is the biggest reason why we ask you to swirl your wine and stick your nose in the glass before taking a sip – we want you to really get in there and assess aromas and see if what you are tasting truly matches what you are smelling.
Of course, this is easier at the beginning of a tasting before the alcohol mushes up our brains! So for the remainder of the month, if you haven’t experienced the aroma kits yet, ask for you and do a little comparative analysis between the scents and the club wines. And always feel free to let me know if you think the aroma kits were an enriching experience for you! I always appreciate your feedback.
Cheers!
Jun 24, 2025 at 5:56 AM
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Happy Tuesday!
We are halfway through June and heading straight into summer!
We have a fun week ahead, and a couple of dates you should put on your calendar.
We had a fun night last night with the Monday Movie Night. The popcorn machine was working, and we showed the first two episodes of the Apple TV program, Drops of God. We will continue that next Monday with episodes 3 and 4.
Thursday night, we have live music with an amazing young performer, Margaret Nicholson. She will be doing a solo piano show. This last month, when we first had her on stage, the place was packed, and she wowed the crowd. We still have a few open reserve seats that you can grab, or simply walk in and join us on Thursday.
We will be back at Discover Denton on Thursday from 6 - 8, sampling a few wines for the last Twilight Tunes of the season. Please stop by and say hello if you are in the area.
Friday night, we have another young lady, Julie Coggiola, who has performed here in the past, but as a member of other groups. She will lead her own show entitled "The Men I've Loved".
Saturday at 3 pm, Off The Rails is back with another round of Blue Grass and other fun tunes. No reservations or cover charge required.
Saturday evening, The Cats are Back at 7:30. We still have several reserved seats available, and we do have room for walk-ins with seating at the bar and high tops around the bar.
Sunday is our monthly Wine Club Group Tasting event starting at 3 PM. You don't have to be a club member to enjoy this experience. Pack up some snacks and join us! Reserve your table for two online.
A couple of events we are adding to our schedule in July, which you may want to mark your calendar for:
Make sure you check out our Events page to learn about our schedule of events.
Visit our Events page to see all our upcoming events.
Did you know that one of our stellar staff members is leaving us? Dean is moving on to another career, and his last night with us is this Friday, June 20th. Stop by and have a glass of wine or two and wish him well on his next stage of life. He is scheduled to serve until 9 pm, so if you want to be served by Dean, come early. If you want to come and drink with Dean, show up after 9. ;-) We will miss Dean and his amazing knowledge of wine, his style of sharing his experiences with our guests, and his desire to make you, our guests, feel special.
Have a great week!
From all of us here at Steve's Wine Bar, Cheers!
Denton Chamber of Commerce: Best Small Business of the Year.
Jun 17, 2025 at 3:48 PM
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Happy Thursday!
We hope this email finds you well and you are enjoying this "cooler weather".
We will be back at Discover Denton tonight from 6 - 8 doing some sampling of wines for Twilight Tunes. Please stop by and say hello if you are in the area.
We also have a special event tonight at the bar. If you are interested in learning more about Wills and Trusts, we are hosting an event with attorney Brett Bussan. It will be a fun gathering, and the first glass or two of wine is on Brett. :-)
Friday night, we have music with the DJ Rice quintet at 7:30. We still have a few reserved seats available.
Saturday at 3 pm, you can visit and enjoy an Irish Pub Experience. No reservations or cover charge.
Saturday evening, we have the Brad Leali Tentet Jazz Band starting at 7:30. The reserved seats are all claimed, but we do have room for walk-ins with seating at the bar and high tops around the bar.
Sunday is Father's Day, and we will have a fun afternoon scheduled with live music and some opportunities for people to get up and share their favorite Dad Jokes. So stop in after 4 PM and join the fun. :-)
Make sure you check out our Events page to learn about our schedule of events.
For those who would like to reserve for the Di Abruzzo dinner, you can find that online at Dinner with Di Abruzzo.
Visit our Events page to see all our upcoming events.
Have a great weekend!
From all of us here at Steve's Wine Bar, Cheers!
Denton Chamber of Commerce: Best Small Business of the Year.
Jun 12, 2025 at 12:15 PM
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Our Denton Community is Amazing!!!
We have an Italian Dinner planned for Monday, June 9th, with our friends from Di Abruzzo. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we have had to move the dinner to July 7th. What is amazing is that we reached out to a couple of folks here in Denton, and within an hour, we had Suzanne Johnson stepping in to help craft a menu for those who reserved space for the 9th.
With this change, we do have a few seats that have opened up for our Monday dinner. If you would like to join us, visit our website at www.steveswinebar.com to see the menu and reserve your seats.
For those who would like to reserve for the new date with Di Abruzzo, you can find that online at Dinner with Di Abruzzo.
Tonight we have a special performance with Cassandra Berry. She will be performing a piano bar experience along with showing her movie, The Take Away. Reservation fees and cover will help her and Susan participate in the coming festivals, which are showing her movie. If you can't attend, feel free to contribute through the online reservation and make a note that this is for a contribution only, or leave a Band Tip.
Tomorrow afternoon, Off the Rails is back with Bluegrass and more at 3 pm.
Saturday night, Hannah Claire Goodwin performs. For those who have attended our last couple of performances with our young singers, Georgia Barge and Margaret Nicholson, this will be another wonderful night of music.
Visit our Events page to see all our upcoming events.
Have a great weekend!
From all of us here at Steve's Wine Bar, Cheers!
Denton Chamber of Commerce: Best Small Business of the Year.
Jun 6, 2025 at 12:39 PM
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There are multiple Malvasia varieties around the Mediterranean, most notably in Madeira. However, the grape used in Madeira is not genetically identical to the variety of Malvasia found on the Istrian Peninsula, which is in the northernmost coastline of Croatia, and also found in Slovenia and the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy. Malvasia Istriana is renowned for its ability to tolerate cold winters, early frosts, and windy locations, making it ideal for this northeastern Italian offering. It is considered semi-aromatic with floral scents and some freshness. The Cormòns Malvasia has undergone extended maceration on the skins to extract more color and flavor, resulting in a gorgeous golden sunflower color in the glass. When tasted, green apple, pineapple, apricot, and a tinge of white pepper balance the white flower aromatics. Perfect with seafood, the Cormòns would transform even more alongside an entrée of Shrimp Napoleon from Napoli’s Italian Restaurant.
Provençal rosé is seen as the global benchmark for the popular, light-pink sipper that is often drunk in warmer weather (but truly can be enjoyed all year round). It is known as a more delicate style, filled with summer berries, stone fruit, dried herbs, minerality, and thirst-quenching acidity. And the Ferrari family, proprietors of Château Malherbe, are masters at rosé. They take care of the land, practicing organic agriculture since 1949 and attaining the Demeter certification for biodynamic farming in 2021. They tell a story that when there are heavy storms, the bay of Hyères changes color and turns from shades of blue to red: the clays and alluvial deposits pour down through streams into the sea. This astonishing place cultivates this lovely blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Cinsault, from hand-harvested grapes on their estate. An amalgamation of blood orange, white peach, strawberry, stewed apricot, and almond sparkle in the glass. Shared alongside a veggie-forward dish like Baba Ghanoush from Green Zatar will make for a delightful culinary experience.
The origin story of Balletto is called “from veggies to wine.” According to the website, founder and owner John Balletto started the business in 1977, when at the age of 17, his father unexpectedly passed away. He didn’t go to college, passing up several athletic scholarships, so that he could help his mother run the farm. After planting and experimenting with over 70 vegetable species on the farm during the 80s and 90s – at one point thy were the largest vegetable farm in Northern California – they decided to also plant grapes, which were better suited to impending water shortages. The final decision was made in 1998 when three El Niño storms wiped out a huge portion of their vegetable crops, and they converted all their farmland to estate vineyards. Currently, they sell 90% of their grapes to other winemakers, but the 10% they keep for themselves is what goes into Balletto wines. This Russian River Valley Pinot Noir showcases all that is special about the grape: with a light touch of French oak, this rendition has aromas of rose petals, plus notes of cherry, strawberry, pomegranate, black tea, and some subtle spice. The Black Forest Ham Sandwich from Metzler’s Food and Beverage would be a delicious pairing.
A prayerful image genuflecting to a large red drop on the label may cause some questions, but the message is all in good fun (it is a French sense of humor, anyway). The Duseigneur name translates to “of the lord,” as in feudal lord (we are going way back in history!). Since the Duseigneur family are winemakers, they decided to call this Côtes du Rhône blend ‘La Goutte du Seigneur’ or ‘drop of the lord,’ as a way to combine their own surname and their occupation. Clever, right? Well, despite the complicated explanation, the wine is delicious and perfect for warm weather. A 50-50 blend of Grenache and Syrah from hand-harvested biodynamic grapes, this wine saw no oak; rather, it was fermented and matured in concrete. Ripe red fruits abound, like wild strawberry, redcurrant, and red cherry, plus some blackcurrant, and a sort of graphite minerality. Satiate your palate with a glass plus a helping of the Grilled Chicken Salad from Di Abruzzo Market.
Namesake Herminia Casas was born in 1889 to a prominent family from Rioja. Her education allowed her to think critically and love learning. As an adult, Herminia married Joaquin, a winemaker, and they started a family together. While raising her children, Herminia still believed in the importance of community, donating her knowledge, money, and much of her time, by facilitating access to education for the children and women of her village. Sadly, Herminia passed away in 1944, but her legacy lives on through all the people she has helped. In 1949, her husband Joaquin founded Viña Herminia to share her story with the world. Her portrait graces every label, and her spirit lives on in each lovely glass. This Tempranillo is a fruit-forward option that has spent four months in American and French oak casks with another four months maturing in the bottle, a considerably shorter time than most Rioja reds. With characteristics of cherry, redcurrant, red plum, and blackberry, the finish is rounded by vanilla nuances. A gorgeous accompaniment would be the Spanish tapa Pan con Tomate, which is artisan bread that has been brushed with olive oil and toasted, then rubbed with garlic, and finally topped with fresh grated tomatoes. Yum!
If you enjoy Napa Valley wines, there is a good chance you have heard of Trefethen Family Vineyards, one of the first wineries that visitors see driving up Highway 29. While not the oldest continuously operating winery in Napa (that accolade goes to Charles Krug’s estate, established in 1861), the original vines on the Eshcol Ranch, which would eventually become Trefethen, were planted in the 1850s. Everyone knows what happened shortly after this time period: phylloxera, tiny aphids that can destroy the roots of vines, wiped out much of the vineyards of California (and Europe). After replanting and recovery, then the Spanish Flu of the 1920s along with Prohibition, which lasted until 1933, and then the Great Depression, severely stalled the wine industry. It took a long time for red wines to become popular in the US; white wine dominated sales in the 1960s and 70s. A 60 Minutes segment on red wine’s heart health benefits led to its boom, and Trefethen rose to prominence. This ‘Eshcol’ Red Blend, a mix of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 8% Malbec, 7% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc, is made with sustainable practices. Medium-bodied on the palate, it lingers with nectarine, red cherry, blackcurrant, eucalyptus, cedar, and cracked white pepper. Share it with the Veggie Power Plate from LSA, which features a grilled portobello mushroom.
According to Greg Norman’s bio, “The internationally renowned ‘Great White Shark’ won more than 90 tournaments worldwide, including two Open Championships, and holds the distinction of defending his No. 1 position in the world golf rankings for 331 weeks. As one of the most prolific players in the game’s history, his astounding career culminated in 2001 when he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame with a higher percentage of votes than any other inductee in history. In 2009 and 2011, Greg served as the Presidents Cup captain of the International Team and his strong influence in the game continues today.” Norman has founded more than a dozen global companies, but it was his zeal for wine, discovered during his various travels for tournaments, that led to the inception of Greg Norman Estates in 1996. He considers his wines high quality and accessible, and this Shiraz certainly is the case. Fruity but lush, there are characteristics of blueberry, blackberry, black cherry, mixed berry jam, and cola, plus clove and allspice from 16 months of French oak as well as stainless steel aging. Norman posts recipes on his website, and while a meaty dish will be expected with this Shiraz, the Hot Soppressata pizza from Aglio will be a fun choice.
Grant Burge wines are known to be bold powerhouses that celebrate Australia’s terroir, specifically Barossa Valley. But in 2021, the brand ventured out to explore other terrains, including Paso Robles. Known for intense sunlight yet with cool breezes from the Pacific Ocean, Paso Robles fulfills their desire to offer a premium quality wine made in California with a flavor profile Americans will love. Native Californian winemaker Ashley Leon worked alongside Grant Burge Chief Winemaker Craig Stansborough to create this unique wine. With the inaugural vintage, Leon noted, “It is an honor to be at the forefront of this pivotal era for Grant Burge and exciting to work with this beautiful fruit from such a unique growing region which I consider home.” Almost three years ago, we had the Barossa ‘Ink’ Cab at the bar, so it’s fun to now show off the Paso Robles ‘Ink.’ Opaque in the glass, this Cab that also has a small amount of Petite Sirah, is evocative of candied red cherry, black currant, blackberry, dark chocolate, and cinnamon. A decadent dish like the Wagyu Beef Burger from the Bartonville Store will measure up to the ‘Ink’ Cabernet Sauvignon.
Jun 5, 2025 at 7:04 AM
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Happy Wednesday!
We hope you had a great Memorial Day Weekend! It was fun on our end, even though it was a bit wet.
We have so much happening at Steve's over the next couple of weeks. We hope you will plan to spend some time with us at one or more of these events.
We are looking forward to June, and we have two special events for you to consider.
On June 3, we have a special tasting event with California Winery, Brassfield Estates. We will be tasting five of their wines. Their new Texas rep stated that their wines are currently not available in retail stores. We will be the first to share them with you and our other customers here in the Denton area. Read more about Brassfield Estate Winery.
On June 9, we have a Guest Chef Dinner with the folks from Di Abruzzo here in Denton. They are planning a 5-course dinner paired with carefully selected wines from our cellar. Yes, I am getting fancy by calling our bottle room a cellar. :-) Reservations are $50 a person, and that will be applied to the tab the night of the dinner. Reserve today as we have limited seating for the evening.
Visit our Events page to see all our upcoming events.
Have a great week!
From all of us here at Steve's Wine Bar, Cheers!
Denton Chamber of Commerce: Best Small Business of the Year.
May 29, 2025 at 12:07 PM
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Attaining the WSET (Wine and Education Spirits Trust) Level 3 certification is a wonderful feeling. It is a test with about a 50% passing rate, an assessment that includes a tasting section, a multiple-choice portion, and a four ‘short’ answer questions. It’s that final part that most students dread…while called short written answer, each question has at least four subset questions that require some combination of name/identify, describe, explain, elaborate, and evaluate. At the end of the 150-minute test, my hand was cramping because I had written 8 full pages of facts, reasons, and justifications about Bordeaux, German, Carménère (a wine I had just put on the wine club a month before but the day of the test blanked on a couple of details), sparkling, service, and a few other topics I have pushed about of my mind. They even asked me something about the size of the glasses for Port and standard serving sizes in milliliters for a certain number of bottles! In total, I attended about 32 hours of face-to-face time with my instructor (Dilek Caner, a Master of Wine herself) and cohort, and I studied on my own approximately 90 hours. It is a feat that I am happy to be on the other side of (by the way, it took almost 2 months to get the results back!), especially having passed it with distinction, the highest recognition.
Having the WSET 3 coupled with my Certified Specialist of Wine from the Society of Wine Educators (a test, believe it or not, that I spent even longer studying for, and it helped prepare me for the WSET 3) means that I am certainly recognized as a wine nerd, or, as some say, a cork dork. Many people in the industry hold their WSET 2, which I achieved in 2022, but having diversified wine certifications makes me not only a specialist, but able to hold my own amongst other sommeliers and wine experts. I often get asked if I am a sommelier, and I always say yes. Even though my certifications don’t use that specific word, a sommelier is a person who plans wine lists and food pairings, has vast knowledge on production and varieties, and can make recommendations to customers, and that is exactly what I do. I am so pleased and excited to have hit this third level, and I am now pondering how to propel my acumen into even more extensive wine education for our Steve’s Wine Bar customers.
May 10, 2025 at 3:12 PM
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Andrea Bocelli and his viticulturist brother Alberto are behind the Bocelli Family Wines brand. Their homebase is a family farm near Volterra, near Pisa, and they make wines from several regions in Italy. This particular Pinot Grigio is sourced from the hills of Colli Euganei in the Veneto, where old vines thrive. Amazingly, they grow just enough grapes to make about one bottle of wine per plant, which results in a remarkably low yield that produces intense, well-integrated aromas and flavors. Pinot Grigio is often categorized as an accessible, almost provincial wine, but this rendition offers something different: due to extended maceration, it has pronounced color and concentrated characteristics. It was also aged on the lees for a few months, which ensures additional texture. Floral notes abound, specifically acacia and peach blossom, transforming to Meyer lemon, pear, mint, and sea salt on the palate. Paired with your favorite shellfish from Shuck Me, the ‘Operetta’ will make you want to become a Bocelli aficionado.
Yakima Valley is Washington’s oldest established wine region, and the Miller family, owners of Airfield Estates, have been planting a myriad of grapes there since 1968. Their fascinating story blends history and ingenuity. More than two decades before the Millers turned to farming, part of their property operated as a training base during WWII for hundreds of Army Air Corps pilots. Even to this day, Airfield uses several of the original airplane hangars as farm storage facilities. They also strive to pay tribute to WWII heroes and veterans through their range of 100% estate grown wines. Lees aging and time in both stainless steel and French oak, both old and new, have transformed this Viognier into an unctuous, mouth-coating wine. Floral on the nose, the palate brings spiced applesauce, pear, ripe banana, butterscotch, brioche, and cashew. The salmon burger from GreenHouse will hold up nicely paired alongside the Airfield.
Cantine Birgi is a captivating brand because it was founded in 1960 by ten viticulturalists who are deeply inspired by Sicily. In their words, “The cooperative has been able to enhance and renew the winemaking heritage of the Sicans, Phoenicians, Elimi, Arabs and Normans, peoples who have enriched these lands over the centuries.” A nod to that history, ‘Liburna’ refers to a bireme, which is a type of intimidating-looking warship used by the ancient Romans with two banks of oars, known for its speed, maneuverability, and the ability to carry up to 10 tons of cargo. For Cantine Birgi, the ‘Liburna’ line spotlights monovarietals that thrive in Sicily, like the most planted red, Nero d’Avola. A fresh, fruity rendition, this wine has no oak influence and was aged on the lees for six months, adding to its body. This wine would do well with a slight chill, bringing out dark cherry, black raspberry, subtle spice, herbs, and a hint of white pepper. A fun culinary experience would be to enjoy the ‘Liburna’ with seared tuna tataki from Blue Ginger.
The vineyards for Benton Hills are located in southeastern Washington state, the name coming from several arid southwest sloping hills that are home to some of the Columbia Valley’s best sites, including Goose Gap and Red Mountain AVAs. Ancient basalt flows formed the Benton Hills, which have become ideal for grape-growing, having previously been used for cattle-ranching as well as for orchards. Crafted through sustainable winemaking, this ‘proprietary’ blend is made up of 66% Syrah, 28% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon in a medium-bodied style perfect for warmer weather. The three varieties were blended together after being fermented separately in oak, and then the blend was matured an additional 12 months before bottling. A crowd-pleasing wine, the Benton Hills Red Blend conveys dark fruits like black cherry, blackberry, plum, with the addition of savory traits like black pepper and subtle gamey notes. It would be even more gorgeous with a side of white truffle pomme frites from Hannah’s.
Montalcino is considered Tuscany’s most famous wine region, mostly because of how reputable and powerful Brunello di Montalcino is, which is an expensive and long-aged Sangiovese (it must undergo a minimum of 5 years in oak and bottle). While the Sasso di Sole you are drinking is not a Brunello, it is a delectable wine also made from 100% Sangiovese with an interesting aging regimen. It experienced four months in stainless steel tanks to preserve some fruity flavors plus nine months in large oak barrels from Slavonia, a region of Croatia. Sasso di Sole is a family-run winery with vineyards within the UNESCO site Val d'Orcia, a preserved landscape that was once painted by Renaissance artists. The Terzuoli family’s mantra is “Respect for the land is the only way to obtain good wine.” They have been making wine since the 17th century, and their passion shows in the glass. Rose aromas invite you in, and cherry, strawberry, plum, dried herbs, earth, and tobacco entice your palate. A slew of dishes would pair well with this Sangiovese, but if a picnic is in your future, a charcuterie assortment of meats and cheeses would be lovely.
After Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon is Australia’s most planted grape, indicating its true global domination. It covers over 5% of the world's vineyards, accounting for about 850,000 acres. Used for both Old and New World wines, in both the northern and southern hemispheres, Cab is truly a powerhouse. This version is from Strathbogie Ranges (so fun to say!), a wine region in southern Victoria, not too far from Melbourne. The Fowles family (yep, their logo shows a flock of birds!) has created the Farm to Table line, highlighting the fact that they are not only grape growers but sheep farmers as well. They note, “These wines embody our connection to the land and our enjoyment of it through quality food and wine” and that this Cab is meant to “complement the softer texture of farm raised meat.” With notes of blackberry, blackcurrant, plum, milk chocolate, hints of vanilla, and oak spice from time spent in old and new French oak, this Cab is both easy-drinking and perfect with or without food. But if you do grab a bite when imbibing a glass, obviously beef is its soul mate!
Steve and Karen visited Korta on their recent travels and had nothing but amazing things to say about the wines and the hospitality. Founded in 1997 by the Korta-Bucarey family, Bodegas y Viñedos Korta is one of the most important wineries in the Maule region of Chile. The main area they grow grapes is in Sagrada Familia Valley, a very old region in Chile, renowned for its agricultural development, farming traditions, and exceptional soil quality. Sagrada Familia Valley, surrounded by hills, has a very warm microclimate. In addition, its proximity to the sea means that coastal winds descend into the valley, ensuring a large diurnal range in temperature which preserves the acidity in the grapes. The Reserve de Familia blend is considered their most premium offering, their ‘Opus One,’ but at a much more affordable price. With 40% Petit Verdot, 20% Syrah, 20% Carménère, and 20% Cabernet Franc, it packs a punch due to time spent in old and new French and American oak. A post-fermentation maceration guarantees a dark inky color plus robust flavors and firm tannins. Plum, blackberry, dried basil, black pepper, dark chocolate, spice, tobacco, and oak spice will dance on your palate. Enjoy a glass with a couple of chorizo tacos from La Fondita.
Goosecross has an incredible origin story. In their words: “Family legend goes that one fall, as a flock of geese was migrating south for the winter, a male injured his wing over the Goosecross property and had to drop out of formation. Since geese mate for life, his female partner dropped out of the flock, too, and the pair settled on State Lane to heal. Once they realized California winters weren’t as bad as they had imagined, they stayed put.” Founders and mates for life Dave Ficeli and Christi Coors Ficeli created Goosecross with the idea of merging innovative wines and contemporary style with old-fashioned hospitality (Steve and Karen used to be club members!). This exultant red from Napa Valley is a very precise blend of 33.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18.7% Petite Sirah, 15% Merlot, 12.5% Syrah (12.5%), Sangiovese, 6.3% Zinfandel, and 1.5% Petit Verdot. What makes this wine unique is that each of the seven grape varieties was picked, fermented, and aged separately for 12 months in French oak; then the individual varieties were united and aged for an additional 13 months. Robust but velvety, the Goosecross is imbued with traits of blackcurrant, black plum, boysenberry, cinnamon stick, cedar, mocha, and vanilla bean. Korean BBQ meatballs from the Blind Fox food truck, close to Denton County Brewing, would be fabulous alongside the Goosecross.
*Baby Big Dog: Platinum customers can take home one bottle of this wine plus a different selection as part of their club (of course, additional bottles may be purchased at the platinum discount).
May 1, 2025 at 3:44 AM
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