Assuming the tennis at River Oaks ever gets done, and the weather sure isn’t cooperating, I’m heading back to France for a couple months come Tuesday. It’s going to be a great stay punctuated with a nine-day wine tour through the (hopefully) sunny south that I’m helping lead with my friend Pablo Valqui. But I do very much regret not being here to cover The Chevron Championship at Carlton Woods April 19-23 — formerly the Dinah Shore, it’s one of the five majors on the LPGA Tour — and I’m going to miss by a single day the opening of a hip new wine outpost, Padre’s, in the Heights.
At least William Farley’s stylish “bottle shop by day and a “speakeasy” by night,” which goes live next Wednesday at 3522 White Oak, will still be here when I return, whereas the lady golfers will be long gone. Padre’s represents a major life course correction for the Louisiana-born, Houston-reared Farley, who, in 2019, quit his day job in oil and gas to travel to Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, where he threw himself into the fascinating world of wine. Bottles from those countries will be front-and-center in the Padre’s portfolio, although France and Italy will be well-represented, too.
There’s a membership component, too. Monthly is $75, good for three wines and five-percent off bar purchases. Quarterly costs $300, but you get 12 wines — delivered free on the last Monday of each quarter — plus the five-percent discount in house.
As for the name, Farley explains, “It honors my father, who friends, family and strangers alike endearingly referred to as ‘Padre.’ Padre’s Wine is an effort to not only share and teach about good wine but to create a space in the Heights for people to come together as a community, enjoy good wine, taste new things, kick back and relax.”
Farley hired Nick Nguyen, a 20-year veteran of the Houston hospitality scene, to serve as his manager, sommelier and restaurant operations specialist. You’ll recognize Nguyen if you frequented Musaafer, Riel, Kata Robata and most recently Da Gama, his previous postings. It seems the two of them (shown above) first met, then bonded, over indoor bouldering. Well, why not?
“William’s vision and passion for wine aligns with mine,” Nguyen said. “We can talk for hours about anything while enjoying it over a glass of wine. That’s what we want for our guests at Padre’s. We want to make sure that attention to detail is never missed, from stylish furniture to the smell of the trees and the sound of the music to soothe your inner soul.”
Best of luck and cheers, guys! As for me and my inner soul, we can’t wait to drop by this summer.
Sippin’ with Sporty
BUBBLES
Chandon Garden Spritz
From the winemaker: “It’s a blend of an exceptional sparkling wine and a unique bitters recipe crafted with locally sourced fresh oranges macerated with dry orange peels, herbs and spices carefully selected from the finest terroirs in the world. We bring nature to the world of spritz. No artificial flavors and no artificial colorants are used at any stage in its production.”
From me: One fellow reviewer nailed this spot-on spring/summer aperitif perfectly, describing it as being “an orange version of a kir royale where the fruit flavor is provided by a thick rich liqueur instead of fruit juice.” In fact, no actual fruit juice from the Valencia oranges goes into the wine. I wasn’t expecting all that much when I saw the bottle, to be honest, but I’m all in now. While it’s super easy to drink, it’s got plenty of nuance, too, with a very pleasing price.
$18.99 at Total Wine
WHITES
2021 C.L. Butaud Blanc de Noir
From the winemaker: “Blanc de noir is a white wine made from a red grape, a technique you see all the time with pinot noir and pinot meunier in Champagne, where base wines are blended in the creation of a single wine. It is more unusual to make it as a still wine. Here red grapes are gently pressed just until very clear, pale juices run out of the fruit. Since the skin doesn’t imprint any color or tannin, the wine expresses the aromatics of the grape, allowing the brightest, purest expression to come through. This is what makes it interesting to me: it’s a different way to explore the taste of a grape.”
From The Terroirist, Isaac James Baker, who scored it a 90: “The aromas pop with tons of flowers and dandelion, along with crunchy white cherries and red apple peel, and there are also these cool tobacco, mint, and sliced cucumber elements. The palate sports crunchy acidity on a medium-bodied, steely frame. Flavors of white cherries and tart green apple mix well with notes of white pepper, basil, and dandelion flowers.”
From me: A half-and-half blend of grenache and mourvedre, it’s a wine that I think, in many ways defines Randy Hester, who, by the way, grew up in Houston. In short, he’s always looking for ways to think outside the box. Note that Hester suggests we don’t try to over-analyze the flavors (Baker, it seems, had other ideas) but rather just kick back and enjoy it. I’m with you, Randy.
$48 at http://clbutaud.com
2021 The Paring Sauvignon Blanc
From the winemaker: “Defined by powerful fruit and balanced by mouthwatering freshness; an exotic, decadently textured and electrically framed bottle of sauvignon blanc. The nose is deliciously exotic, with lemon, melon and white peach soaring out of the glass. The wine’s laser beam of acidity refreshes and cleanses the palate, while its decadent texture demands another sip.”
From me: My wife is the family’s most savvy sav blanc taster and she absolutely loved it. I did, too. Winemaker Matt Dees aged the wine for 10 months in a combination of new and neutral French oak as well stainless steel, then bottled it unfined and unfiltered. A marvelous effort for under 25 bucks.
$23.99 at http://wine.com
RED
2020 Juggernaut Hillside California Cabernet Sauvignon
From the winemaker: “Dense and velvety with vanilla and ripe black currants. French oak beautifully transforms intense hillside fruit into a wine with uncommon richness and smooth, luxurious texture. Juggernaut Hillside Cabernet is a wine that is fierce, brave, and delicious.”
From Wilfred Wong of wine.com, who scored it an 8.9: “The wine is a medium red with satisfying textures on the palate. It shows aromas and flavors of savory spices, dried earthy notes, and light berries.”
From me: I’ve long been partial to cabs made from hillside vineyards so this one checks that box bigtime. Exactly which hillsides are in play doesn’t get explained anywhere that I can find, but, even if the fruit isn’t sourced come from the highest-rent districts, it’s plenty satisfying, certainly at this price point.
$18.99 at http://wine.com
2019 Relevant Cabernet Sauvignon Crown Point
From the winemaker: “An inspiring introduction to Crown Point, it aptly mirrors the attributes of the 2019 vintage with dark fruit, balanced, smooth structure, trademark Mediterranean spice and finishing with length and tension. The after-palate is tremendously pleasurable, bringing notes of violets and rhubarb.”
From the Wine Advocate, which scored it a 95: “Deep ruby, it features pure aromas of cassis, grilled meats, warm chocolate, dried herbs, roasted peppers and hints of violet. The medium-bodied palate is powdery and fresh, striking a balance between ripe blackcurrant fruit, classy new oak spices and alluring herbal streaks. It’s a balanced, drinkable style of Cabernet that’s a pleasure to drink! Best after 2022.
From me: Truth to tell, I got a crazy good deal through a buddy on this wine made from grapes grown in an aptly named corner of Santa Barbara County called Happy Canyon, but it offers bigtime value even at the price below, having spent 20 months in French oak, including some new barrels. I know what you’re thinking, though: Cab from Santa Barbara? Wut? Well, apparently the microclimate is perfect for the varietal with the narrowness of the valley concentrating heat and keeping that cold damp wind off the Pacific away from the vines.
$89.99 at http://wine.com
SERCA Wines Tasting: 4 p.m. Saturday, April 8, at the SERCA Tasting Room in the Heights. $15. http://eventbrite.com
Three-Course wine tasting: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, at Roma. Free. 713 664-7581. http://romahouston.com
National Malbec Day Tasting Celebration: 6-8 p.m. Saturday, April 15, at SERCA Wines tasting room. $72 (Club members $60) http://eventbrite.com
Katy Sip N Stroll: Saturday, April 15, at The Ballard House. http://sipandstroll.com
Vin de Table: Noon, Sunday, April 16, at 1412 W. Main. $70. http://eventbrite.com
JMP Wine Night — Truly Greek, Truly Unique: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 20. $75. JMP Tasting Room in Humble. http://eventbrite.com
Black Wine: 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, at Agora Haus. Free. http://eventbrite.com
Central Coast and Paso Robles wine dinner: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 4, at Atkins House. $85 http://eventbrite.com
Derby Wine Fest: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at Brenner’s on the Bayou. $150. http://eventbrite.com
Mother’s Day Charcuterie Workshop & Wine Tasting: JMP Wines Tasting Room, Humble. $75. http://eventbrite.com
Wagyu and Wine Night: 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, at R-C Ranch. $125. http://eventbrite.com
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Others to follow
Jeremy Parzen (http://dobianchi.com)
My podcast partner in crime, shown above, speaks of pairing matzah with wine, both of which will, of course, be served for this year’s Passover Seder.
Sandra Crittenden (http://winelifehouston.com)
Sandra shares the comprehensive piece she wrote about Italian pinot grigios for Galveston Monthly.
Russ Kane (http://vintagetexas.com)
The Texas Wineslinger announces his next Level 1 Zoom class in May for those interested in becoming certified Texas wine experts.
Jeff Kralick (http://thedrunkencyclist.com)
Jeff offers a visual tour of his current Napa-Sonoma tour, where he’s catching up with old friends and sampling as much wine as possible. A full tasting report, no doubt, will follow.
Katrina Rene (http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com)
Kat tells us everything we need to know about what’s happening in the world of Texas wine in April.
The Sporty Wine Guy 