A Tale of Two Wineries . . . and a Super-Cool Resto

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It’s a cold and rainy day in the Ubaye Valley, so I thought it was time to stop procrastinating and start writing before I forget how to do it. Yikes, I’m oh-for-two-plus months, for cripes sakes, although, for the record, I did spend 10 splendid days covering the U.S. Clay Courts tennis at River Oaks. I’m terribly backed up both on wine touts – never mind that, oh yes, I’ve found plenty of time to consume wine – and timely sports takes. It feels like the Rockets’ disjointed, ultimately disappointing season has been over for the weeks and the Astros’ thus-far lamentable season would already be over if the American League wasn’t chock full of so many mediocre teams, the local lads included.

Losing Carlos Corea for the year to a torn Achilles tendon was a tough lick, an injury added to myriad insults, most of them pitching-related. So is having to watch, albeit from afar here in Victor Wembanyama’s homeland, as the 7-4 French phenom completes an MVP-worthy season for San Antonio. In the pre-draft-lottery world, Wemby would have been a Rocket, the second coming of Hakeem Olajuwon. But no. Now, behind Wemby, whose Game 3 heroics against the Timberwolves will be discussed for years (as might his Game 4 ejection, which proved pivotal in Minnesota’s tying the series at 2-all), the Spurs seem certain to add to their collection of five NBA titles.

Until he’s done – no telling how many years down the road – the Rockets won’t even be the best team in Texas. While the Texans might be able to claim same in the football world given the Dallas Cowboys’ entrenched Jerry Jones-induced ineptitude, that’s not saying much, is it? Their latest draft seemed to go well, but when you take a guard with your first-round pick coming off another shortfall season, you can’t expect folks to go dancing in the streets.

I will point out, however, that the last two guards drafted in the first round by an NFL team in Houston are in the Hall of Fame today. That would be Oilers Bruce Matthews (1983) and Mike Munchak (1982), of course. A tough act to follow for the latest, Keylan Rutledge, to be sure. But I must also point out that neither Matthews nor Munchak helped the Oilers get even as far as the AFC Championship Game, never mind the eternally elusive Super Bowl.     

Anyway, thinking about all of the above makes me want a drink, meaning this seems the proper juncture to turn our attention to wine, a much happier, more uplifting topic.      

A pair of early spring tastings at AOC Selections introduced me to two excellent small producers that previously weren’t even on my radar screen, Paul Déthune in Champagne and Agricola Brandini in Italy’s Langhe. In both cases, the presenters were excellent, exceedingly knowledgable communicators, Sophie Déthune for the former and Giovanna Bagnasco for the latter. More importantly, the family wines they were in Houston to sell were eminently worthy of being praised to the heavens.

The Déthune Brut, made by Sophie’s husband Paul from their Grand Cru fruit in Ambonnay – Krug is a neighbor – had won a double gold medal in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s International Wine Competition, and she was more than ready to milk same for all it was worth, arriving at the tasting in a Stetson and a Texas-sized belt buckle. She even gave us a rousing “yee-haw!”

I decided right then Debbie and I would be detouring from Paris through Ambonnay en route to our little Alpine hideway, and 19 Déthune bottles came south with us. These are killer bubbles across the board – the rosé is the best I’ve tasted in a very long time – and they can be found at AOC as well as at Six Twists, the worth-a-trip champagne bar in the heart of Fredericksburg.

Interestingly, they don’t distribute in France save for what’s sold at the winery. With only 50,000 bottles produced annually, Déthune’s focus is global. However, they do ship to private customers who visit the winery. That was very good news for the Robertsons because our door-to-door journey exceeded eight hours and cost me $225 in tolls and gas, which now costs more than $12 per gallon here . . . thanks to you know who.

Brandini, in turn, is now in the Houston market thanks the efforts of AOC’s Master Sommelier Brandon Kerne, who, bless him, is as crazy about Piemontese wines as I am.  

Giovanna was as reserved as Sophie was out there, but she, too, knows her stuff. Although Brandini was launched by her father back in 2007 when she and her sister Serena were still in high school, today it’s their show all the way. They offer a full lineup of whites, reds and bubbles from the Alta Langa, and, as with Déthune, the quality/value ratio could not be better.

One difference, though, is significant. The Grand Cru Ambonnay dirt is crazy expensive to acquire. Brandini, however, is located in what used to be considered the Langhe’s low-rent district on the “wrong” western side of La Morra – too high and often too cold with blustery winds blowing in off the Alps, which on a clear day provide a glorious backdrop. Thirty years ago, the property seemed better suited for a housing development (one had, in fact, been planned nearby) than for planting grapes. But because of climate change, the terroir is well nigh perfect for nebbiolo, barbera, et. al.

Brandini’s mantra? To quote from their website: “We have always believed that organic is a way of life rather than a method of production. We believe in the importance of this philosophy in order to leave the ground in better conditions than we found it. Our grapes are grown in full respect of the wonderful land that hosts us, of the people who work there and of the consumer who choose us. Sometimes, to follow an ideal, one must have the courage to face more difficult paths.”

Dad may not have been a winemaker, but he was a visionary and he had complete faith in his daughters, who didn’t disappoint him. Today, the Brandini complex includes a lovely boutique hotel and a stylish restaurant called Coltivare. (The herb garden is pictured above.) Yep, same spelling as the one in Houston’s Heights.

Speaking of restaurants, less than 15 minutes away is an extraordinary new spot from the Ceretto family, whose Piazza Duomo in Alba has three Michelin stars. Nestled in the middle of one of the Barolo’s most heralded vineyards, Le Brunate lifts brunch into a whole new stratum. I say brunch because the resto is only open from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., hence day drinking is required.

Full disclosure: Debbie and I have been friends with Roberta Ceretto, her dad Bruno and her siblings for more than 30 years so total objectivity isn’t possible, but . . . wow. Just wow. Superb food – and wine, of course – in the most breathtaking wine-country setting imaginable. And you enter between two original Francesco Clemente sculptures, shown at the top. What could possibly go wrong?

Nothing. Nothing at all.

My next missive will speak specifically about the wines from the aforementioned producers and others that have tantalized my taste buds this spring.   

Sippin’ with Sporty . . .

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BUBBLES

Cave de Lugny Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blancs

The basics – It’s 100-percent chardonnay from, of course, Burgundy.   

Winemaker’s take – “Pleases with its freshness, red fruit aromas and tangy finish. Easy to pair, it will delight at all your tasting occasions – aperitif, cocktail, spicy main courses and dessert – and will also perfectly complement your sushi.”

Critical acclaim – From Decanter, which scored it a 90: “This is a great alternative to Champagne – at a fraction of the price. Fresh, light and dry with ripe apple and grapefruit. Lovely foaming mouthfeel with creamy notes and a tangy finish –very complex for the price. This is Burgundy’s most reliable co-op, so fill up your fridge.”

My take – Well, as a matter of fact, I did.

Price – $21.49 at Whole Foods

Roederer Estate Brut Anderson Valley

The basics – It’s always a 60-40 blend of chardonnay and pinot noir from the Roederer’s 600 acres of estate-grown grapes in this special corner of Mendocino County.

Winemaker’s take – “A crisp and elegant sparkling wine with complex pear, spice and hazelnut flavors.”

Critical acclaim – From James Suckling, who scored it a 95: “A chardonnay-dominant, fresh and vibrant wine with aromas of sliced pears, wildflowers, citrus blossoms and wet stones. The plate shows fresh acidity, minerality and subtle, pleasing notes of fresh bread. Citrus juice and peel in the finish. Lovely, easygoing and pleasurable.” And from Jeb Dunnuck, who also scored it a 95: “With a refined mousse and dry, crisp, lengthy layers of green apple, citrus, and a bite of brioche. With 10-12 percent reserve wine from cask, it represents from five to seven vintages in one bottle, from two to seven years old, the style of the house. The reserve aged in oak adds texture and length, broadening the chardonnay’s natural citrus-driven notes and lightness of being. Disgorged April 2024, the amount of dosage has gone down year to year and is around nine grams per liter this time around.”

My take – Roederer’s California and Champagne Louis Roederer’s French winemakers conspire to deliver this wine, which tastes about as French as American bubbles can taste – at a most friendly price. 

Price – $29.99 at Kroger

PINK

2025 La Vieille Ferme

The basics – From the famous Family Perrin, it’s a field blend of bourboulenc, grenache blanc, roussanne, ugni blanc and vermentino grown mainly within the Parc Regional du Luberon equidistant from Avignon, Aix-en-Provence and Manosque.

Winemaker’s take – “The hot, sunny summer encouraged excellent concentration in the grapes, while the cool nights preserved aromatic freshness and good acidity levels, essential for balanced wines. Despite the heat and some rain at the end of the harvest, the grapes remained remarkably healthy, with particularly concentrated fruit and controlled yields.”

My take – This is crazy good juice for the price and I love that the fruit grows only a couple of hours from my home turf in Haute Provence.   

Price — $7.99 at Kroger

WHITE

Bonneté Blanc de France

The basics – It’s sustainably-grown sauvignon blanc from the renowned Gunz Gravel terraces near Saint-Émilion, ideally situated between the right bank of the Garonne River to the south and the left bank of the Dordogne River to the north.

Winemaker’s take – “Beautiful pale yellow hue with gold hints. To the nose fresh aromas of white flowers and exotic fruits are remarkable on this wine. The sauvignon blanc is bringing freshness and complexity.”

My take – The vineyards belong to my great friends, Houstonians Jean-François and Nathalie Bonnette, so it’s hard to be objective, but I don’t have to be, do I? I just keep drinking this vibrant, wonderfully priced white.

Price – $11.98 at Spec’s

RED

2020 Pinino Brunello di Montalcino

The basics – It’s 100 percent Sangiovese grosso from Salvatore Ferragamo’s Il Borro winery not far from Montalcino in the heart of Tuscany. 

Winemaker’s take – “Embodies the productive philosophy, the values connected to the environmental typicality, the expertise and passion both in the vineyards and the cellar: a carefully selected blend of the grapes produced in the two areas where the vineyards are, which translates into a wine with an intense ruby red color in which aromas of blackberries and plums blend with hints of spices. In the mouth it’s velvety, full-bodied and smooth.

Critical acclaim – From the Wine Enthusiast, which scored it a 94: “The sweet, floral nose blooms with aromas of mandarin blossom, candied orange peel, tart cherry and wild strawberry. The palate adds a smear of raspberry jam to more notes of strawberry, citrus and florals, before a finish of sea salt and milk chocolate.”

My take – Ferragamo has got the drill down: Fermentation in steel tanks at a controlled temperature, on-skin maceration from 18 to 25 days, followed at least 30 months of aging in oak barrels and barriques.

Price – $74.99 at Premier Fine Wine & Spirits

2024 Il Borro Borrigiano

The basics – Sangiovese makes up 70 percent of the blend and, of course, cabernet sauvignon the rest.

Winemaker’s take – The year began with a mild and dry climate that lasted from January until May, when a period of heavy rainfall commenced, continuing through mid-June. The summer saw heat spikes that were counterbalanced by a cooler autumn with several rain events. The harvested grapes yielded balanced musts and wines that featured prominent floral and mineral notes, with a lower (13 percent) alcohol content.”

My take – It’s Super Tuscan for a superb price. Yep, Ferragamo hits another one out of the park.

Price – $19.99 at Total Wine

2022 Abbona Barbera del Monferrato

The basics – The barbera grapes grow in the vineyards around Monferrato – obviously.

Winemaker’s take – “A purplish ruby red wine, it features fresh and clean aromas of black currants, blueberry, red fruits and violet notes. With a warm and elegant profile, the wine is full-bodied and presents a pleasant, harmonious palate.”

My take – I happily keep stumbling upon delicious value-driven reds from this under-appreciated corner of the Piemonte. #yay

Price – $18.99 at Total Wine

2022 Pernici Monferrato Nebbiolo

The basics – The Morando Winery fruit also grows – obviously – near Monferrato, not far from Asti in Italy’s Piemonte.

Winemaker’s take – “An intense, full-bodied nebbiolo showing ripe red fruits, violet, and a hint of vanilla. Velvety with slight herbaceous notes.”

My take – A quaffable nebbiolo for under 10 bucks? Mama mia!

Price – $8.97 at Total Wine

Sippin’ with Sporty

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Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

BUBBLES

La Vostra Conegliano Valdobbiadene

The basics – The Conegliano Valdobbiadene appellation, near the center of the Treviso province, was created in 1969 and promoted to DOCG status 40 years later. These bubbles, of course, are made from the glera grape.

Winemaker’s take –   “Peach and slight honey aromas become flavors on the palate, along with a nice green apple note that brightens the wine. Approachable and round with an easy-to-enjoy, smooth, bubbly texture.”

My take – I thought it offered remarkable value when I bought it for $16.99 a bottle. Now? Woo hoo!

Price – $12.99 at Total Wine

WHITE

2024 Imaginada IV Albariño

The basics – The albarino gets fleshed out by chenin blanc, chardonnay and trebbiano, all of which is Texas High Plains fruit.        

Winemaker’s take – “A brilliant pale straw in color, this lovely wine is a made-for-friends and late afternoon quaffing. Charming aromas of peaches, pineapple, lemon and tangerine yield a soft, delicate, and perfectly balanced palate leading to a crisp, refreshing finish.” 

My take – Invention is justifiably proud of its low-alcohol wines. This one is only 12.7 percent, but that never crosses your mind while you sip it. Super-satisfying at every level.     

Price – $40 at https://heathfamilybrands.com/shop/wines/inventionvineyards/

2023 Louis Jadot Mâcon-Villages Chardonnay

The basics – The Mâcon-Villages AOC is located in the southern part of Burgundy, close to Beaujolais. It’s the largest of the Mâconnais area, covering about 2,500 hectares of mostly chardonnay vineyards encompassing 43 communes.

Winemaker’s take – “Shows floral, apple and citrus aromas and flavors, with mineral notes. A classic expression of Chardonnay from this appellation.”  

My take – You’ll look long and hard trying to find a more fundamentally satisfying chardonnay from anywhere.  

Price – $15.97 at wine.com

PINK

2025 Domaine de Mourchon Loubie

The basics – A classic grenache (70 percent) and syrah blend, the fruit comes from young vines – average age 15 years – planted on the property’s Loubié terroir near Seguret with its well-draining sandy limestone and clay soil. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks at low temperatures.

Winemaker’s take – “Pale salmon in color this rosé offers a bouquet of summer berries, peach and a little tangerine. Mouth-wateringly juicy, with a medium-bodied creaminess packed with vibrant fruit flavors, it’s ideal as a summer aperitif but well enough structured to stand up to seasonal foods such as salad Niçoise, a watermelon, basil and burrata salad, dressed crab and prosciutto.”

My take – From the McKinlay family, it has been my favorite rosé for years, checking all the boxes – price, flavor profile,       

Price – $18.99 at Spec’s

RED

2023 Madame de Beaucaillou

The basics – This “second” wine from the second-growth producer Ducru-Beaucaillou in St. Julien is a blend of merlot (59 percent), cabernet (37) and petit verdot.  

Winemaker’s take – “Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it zips out of the glass with sparky notes of juicy raspberries and wild strawberries with underlying suggestions of cloves, roses, and dusty soil. The medium-bodied palate is bright and refreshing, with youthful red berry flavors and a lightly chewy texture, finishing with a touch of herbal zing.”

Critical acclaim –From Peter Moser: “Dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening. Delicately leafy black cherry fruit with a hint of liquorice and orange zest. Complex, juicy, a hint of blueberry, ripe tannins, freshly structured, lively, lemon finish.”

My take – No, not all Bordeaux must break the bank. The Madame would hold up against most of the big boys.     

Price – $22.98 at allendalewineshoppe.com

2022 Invention Vineyard Conflation

The basics – It’s mostly mourvedre (81 percent) with syrah and rubired in the blend, too.              

Winemaker’s take – This inaugural vintage of an exciting new Invention Vineyards wine is a Rhone-style blend featuring fresh aromas of strawberry shortcake and tart cherry with a spice-driven undercurrent of vanilla, cinnamon, and clove. The crisp palate is bright, lively, and refreshing with brisk acidity that makes it a great wine for lighter, warm-weather meals.   

Critical acclaim – From the Wine Enthusiast: “This nimble blend delivers fresh raspberry, violet and strawberry aromas on the nose, while the palate dances with lively acidity and a notable sour cherry-cinnamon vibe. Give this a slight chill and crush it with slow cooked pork tacos

My take – Again, the Invention lineup is focused on lower alcohol levels, and the Conflation comes in at 13 percent with no loss of flavor intensity.

Price – $55.29 at heathfamilybrands.com/shop

2021 Ceretto Barbaresco

Winemaker’s take – An elegant red, offering cherry, strawberry, floral and mineral flavors. Lively and focused, with a line of chalky tannins underneath. Shows fine balance and length.

Critical acclaim – From James Suckling, who scored it a 93: “This is a really solid, meaty and mouth-filling Barbaresco that offers vivid red fruit with floral and mineral nuances and hints of licorice and cedar. Medium- to full-bodied with compact, velvety tannins that form the backbone of the wine, showing impressive concentration and length.” From the Wine Advocate, which also scored it a 93: “Reveals a lifted bouquet with bright tones of raspberry and wild strawberry. Those aromas offer a sweet side to the bouquet, but there is also a sour side that comes forth with blood orange or tart pomegranate. The wine ages in French oak for 12 months and is racked into neutral barrel for another year. Fruit comes from both Treiso and Barbaresco.”  

My take – The vintage is already acquiring legendary status in the Langhe and this beautiful Barbaresco classico from one of the region’s great families is another reason why.   

Price – $79.99 at wine.com

2020 Il Borro

The basics – It’s a Super Tuscan blend of organically grown merlot (50 percente), cabernet sauvignon (35) and syrah aged in 20-hectoliter casks.

Winemaker’s take – “After an accurate geological study, the varietals were all  planted in the best suited soils to express all their potential, giving birth to a velvety and opulent blend.”

Critical acclaim – From James Suckling, who scored it a 96: “This is a round and rather juicy young wine with blackberry, chocolate and grilled meat notes. Full and layered with very fine tannins that are well integrated and a bright finish. Lively at the end.  From the Wine Advocate, which scored it a 93: “The wine shows a lot of oak that comes off as toasted spice, coconut or buttered almond. There is a distant note of dried dill, probably in the pyrazine family of the Cabernet Sauvignon, but it dissipates within the context of the big, ripe black fruit at the core. From a hot vintage, you get a lot of richness and fruit weight.”

 My take – It’s early, of course, but this is my Wine of the Year to 2026. We’ll see if anyone can beat it going forward.    

Price – $89.99 at wine.com

2021 Realm The Bard

The basics – It’s 83 percent cabernet sauvignon with merlot, cab franc, petit verdot and petite sirah rounding out the blend.   

Winemaker’s take – The 2021 is the largest and most complex blend we’ve ever made with dozens of components from vineyards across the realm of Napa Valley. This vintage includes new vineyard sources from Calistoga, Rutherford and Oak Knoll AVA, allowing us to broaden our painter’s palette. The Bard is generally more approachable in its youth than some of our single vineyard bottlings, but we expect it to age for many years to come. This is our first time using a technical cork for this

wine, which should guarantee consistency and improve longevity.”

Critical acclaim – From Jeb Dunnick, who scored it a 98: “This beauty has a killer bouquet of cassis, spring flowers, graphite, chalky minerality, and violets. This carries to a full-bodied, seamless, silky, flawlessly balanced effort revealing fine tannins, a good sense of freshness, and a thrilling finish.” And from James Suckling, who scored it a 97: “The purity of fruit here is impressive with blackcurrants, bark and black mushrooms. Full-bodied but light-footed and fresh with integrated tannins that melt into the wine. Real transparency and focus.”  

My take – Full disclosure: I didn’t pay anywhere near this much for the Bard (I knew a guy!), but it’s not overpriced by any means. I can’t imagine a more perfectly constructed cab.    

Price – $174.99 at wine.com

Same ol’ Same ol’

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The NFL crowned two conference champions Sunday and the Super Bowl LX matchup has been set. It’s New England’s Patriots vs. the Los Angeles Rams in Santa, Clara, Calif., on Feb. 8. For the LXth time – that’s 60th for you non-Romans – it will not include a team from Houston. Also, if you’re counting (and I am), this became the 45th year in a row that a team from Houston failed to even reach the penultimate game, never mind the ultimate one.

Our fair city’s record in the Division Round since the Oilers pulled off the Mission Valley Miracle in San Diego in the 1979 playoffs, beating the Air Coryell Chargers without Dan Pastorini, Earl Campbell and Ken Burrough? That would be 0-11. Afraid so.

During said sad span, the Warren Moon-era Oilers went 0-4, stumbling in 1987, 1991, 1992 – when, as you may recall while recoiling again in horror, they led the Bills 35-3 in the middle of the third quarter – and also 1993. As for the Texans, after going belly up at New England last weekend, they are 0-7, having succumbed in 2011, 2012, 2016, 2019, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

All of their losses have been to the Patriots (three) and Ravens (two) and the Chiefs (two). Their Buffalo meltdown equivalent was the 24-0 second-quarter lead they squandered in Kansas City six Januarys ago, back when we thought Deshaun Watson was the future of the franchise.

Is there any consolation to be found in the fact that four of the Texans’ six defeats this season were to the four conference finalists by a combined 28 points? That’s for you to decide. Me, I’m tired of finding any consolation is losing.

It’s fair for you to ask what any of this has to do with wine? Welp, it has caused me to drink probably too much of same. In the weeks ahead, I’ll be sharing my favorites consumed over the course of this holiday season and yet another non-dry January, a personal streak that goes back as far as I’ve been of legal age.

Oh, if you’re wondering about the identity of the dapper gent pictured above, he will figure prominently in my next blog. That’s Salvatore Ferragamo of, yes, that Ferragamo family, except, as he’s proud to say, he’s the “farmer” in the bunch. I was tasting with Ferragamo last Sunday at Murray’s Wine & Cheese – crazy good pie, by the way – while C. J. Stroud was busily throwing his four first-half interceptions.

Fortunately, Murray’s didn’t have a TV so I was spared the misery first-hand. Also, fortunately, Ferragamo’s wines are outstanding, including a beautiful bottle of bubbles. Much more to come on that.

Cheers!           

History Hopefully Repeats

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This missive has nothing to do with wine except for one of the most memorable post-game quotes of my 50-plus years of writing about sports. It was spoken by Russ Francis, one of the NFL’s best tight ends of his day, and it came at the end of a disastrous afternoon for Francis and his New England Patriots, who had just been face-planted by the Houston Oilers 31-14 in a Division Round playoff game on their own turf in Foxboro.

Having admitted he’d expected to be celebrating an ass-kicking – instead of lamenting one – Francis said of the bottle(s) of bubbles waiting for him back home that New Year’s Eve: “Dom Perignon is the truth the light and the way. But tonight . . . it’s going to be light’s out.”

The memory is relevant, of course, because H-town’s current NFL franchise, the Texans, visits Foxboro Sunday for another Division Round game (albeit in a different stadium), hoping to end our town’s 45-year conference championship game drought, which happens to be the longest among the league’s current cities by a full decade.

Both those 1978 Oilers and the 1979 team – the first to be officially christened the “La Ya Blue” Oilers – would lose AFC Championship Games in Pittsburgh, where the Texans at least finally sort of made amends with their 30-6 AFC Wild-Card Round stomping of the Steelers Monday night. A stunningly lopsided victory that ended Mike Tomlin’s storied coaching career in Pittsburgh, it earned the Texans a spot in the Division Round for the seventh time.

Since 1979, Houston’s franchises are 0-10 when reaching the AFC semifinals. Hall-of-Famer Warren Moon went 0-for-4 when he got this far during his Oilers years. Subsequently, Matt Schaub was 0-2 as the Texans’ QB of record, while Brock Osweiller and Deshaun Watson failed in their only shots. (Both Schaub and Osweiler also came up short in their respective visits to Gillette Stadium.) Now C. J. Stroud, admirably back for his third try in three seasons, again hopes to break Houston’s Division Round curse.  

The Oilers’ breakthrough romp came in their first-ever Division Round game in their ninth season in the NFL and followed a no-less surprising 17-9 Wild Card-round beat-down of the Dolphins in Miami. While, on paper, the Pats paddling was considered a mild upset at the time, Houston had previously pulled off an astonishing comeback on the same field in mid-November and the Patriots subsequently found themselves in a chaotic state for the high-stakes rematch.

Only a few weeks earlier Chuck Fairbanks was suspended as head coach after owner Billy Sullivan learned that Fairbanks had already been secretly hired to take the reins at the University of Colorado (Where he would go 7-26 before being fired. Yep, karma can be a bitch).

Anyway, the first quarter ended deceptively 0-0, but the final 45 minutes mostly belonged to Houston. The Oilers built a 21-0 lead, starting with a 71-yard Dan Pastorini touchdown pass to Kenny Burrough. A Mike Reinfeldt pick of a Steve Grogan pass then gave the Oilers the ball at their 1-yard line, from where they drove 99 yards with the final 19 coming on a Pastorini-to-Mike Barber strike. Another Pastorini-Barber TD hookup left the Pats reeling.

The flummoxed Grogan would be benched right before the half after completing only three of 12 passes for 38 yards. Trailing 24-0 following a Toni Fritsch field goal, the Patriots offered a bit of resistance late behind Grogan’s backup, Tom Owens, but a Gregg Bingham interception sealed the deal, setting up a clinching 2-yard touchdown run by Earl Campbell. The Oilers, for better or worse, were Three Rivers Stadium-bound.  

Interesting fact: The Patriots wouldn’t lose another home playoff game for 31 years.

“Oh, wow, how about that?” Wade Phillips responded when I told him that in a conversation Thursday.

Phillips, who was his late father Bum’s defensive line coach that day, remembers how “confident we were after beating them up there already with that comeback. We just knew we were going to win.”

“That comeback?” On Nov. 12, the Patriots had stormed out to a 23-0 lead only to have the Oilers respond with 26 unanswered points. A deftly executed field goal – a variation of Phillips’ patented “Bumerooski” – preceded a second-effort Earl Campbell 1-yard touchdown plunge that cut the margin to three, and Pastorini subsequently found Rich Caster for the winning points.

“We had a great defense . . . Hall-of-Famers across the front,” Phillips said, referencing nose tackle Curley Culp, end Elvin Bethea and outside linebacker Robert Brazile. “We were good, really good.”

Alas, not good enough to deal with the hand they were dealt in the next weekend in icy Three Rivers Stadium. Although the Oilers’ defense forced five turnovers, the offense coughed up the football nine times – five Pastorini interceptions and four lost fumbles – in a 34-5 thumping.

Like me, Wade found it interesting that the Texans earned their latest golden opportunity at the expense of the Steelers.

“Kind of amazing, isn’t it?” he said.                  

Note that Phillips, me and John McClain will share the dais on Jan. 31 for Sports Night at the Pearl Fincher Museum (pearlmfa.org) in Spring. Tables go for $3,000 and individual tickets for $300. Wines from the excellent, locally-owned Nice Winery will be served and it’s a slam-dunk given that a slew of great memories will be shared.

Phillips holds the distinction of having served as the head coach of more NFL franchises – six – than any man ever. Wade and I initially met in 1976, his first year on his dad’s staff and my first year covering the Oilers for the Houston Post. McClain and I battled it out as rival beat reporters for the Post and the Chronicle from 1980 through 1983, forging a lifetime friendship in the process.

OK, enough ball talk. Let me close with a wine note. There will be a Burgundy “class” at the Alliance Française de Houston (427 Lovett Blvd., in Montrose) from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, conducted by Spec’s eminently knowledgeable fine-wine buyer James Barlow. It renews a long tradition of Spec’s tastings at the Alliance (alliancefrancaise.org) begun by the late Bear Dalton. The price is $55 for Alliance members and $65 for non-members. Yes, I fully intend to be there.