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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