Updated Oct. 8

A random recent tout led to make a quick trip over the mountain to Italy late last week to check out a possible home base for my Piemontese wine tour next spring. And I needed about 10 minutes, with my head on a 360-degree swivel because of the magnificent views in every direction, to decide to reserve four rooms at the Relais Luigi Einaudi above the gorgeous town of Dogliani in the Langhe.

The only bad news is I wanted seven rooms, but four were all they had left for the last week in May. So me and my partner Pablo Valqui are going to have to bunk elsewhere. Hey, our clients always come first with gourmettours.biz (http://gourmettours.biz). But I do intend to drop by for a dip in the cool wine-bottled-shaped pool, show below.

If the name Luigi Einaudi rings a bell, it should. Long before he became a beloved president of the Italian Republic in the post-war years — 1948-57 — he was an aspiring vintner, having purchase the first of his estates at the age of 23 in 1897. But Einaudi (pictured below) would go on to pursue careers in high finance and journalism until the fascists came to power, ultimately forcing him to flee to Switzerland, not returning to Italy until Mussolini fell in 1943. A liberal in the true European libertarian sense, he is remembered as a vocal, pioneering force in economic federalism, the end result of which would become, long after his death in 1961, the formation of the European Union.

But, despite all the years he would spend in Rome, his heart never left his beloved Langhe hills. Today, Einaudi’s heirs own 10 farmsteads with 111 acres under vine from Barolo (Terlo and Cannubi) to Dogliani, where they were instrumental in creating the DOCG Dolcetto di Dogliani. The Einaudi winery with its 240,000-bottle cellar is conveniently located beneath the lovely albergo where my folks will be based.

I can’t say enough good things about the Barolos and the Dolcettos, but the wine in the Einaudi lineup that’s the most special to me personally is the Langhe Rosso, an juicy, well-extracted blend of nebbiolo (30 percent) cabernet (30 percent), merlot (20 percent) and barbera that represents a perfect intersection between flavor profile and price point ($30). Unfortunately, I rarely see it in Houston, although Enoteca Rosa’s Brian Brossa, bless him, has had it on his wine list in the past.

Our tour is good to go as is, but we can still accommodate one more couple. We start in Turin May 23 and finish in Milan June 1 with lots of crazy good winery detours in between, including Bruno Rocca (http://brunoroca.com), Ceretto (http://ceretto.com), Marchesi di Gresy http://marchesidigresy.com), Oddero (http://oddero.it) and Pio Cesare (http://piocesare.it) in the Langhe and Ca del Bosco (http://cadelbosco.com) in Franciacorte.

As Rachel Maddow is wont to say, watch this space for updates. I’ll be returning to the region in late October to knock around, taste and fine-tune the itinerary. I know, dirty thankless work . . .

The Sports Page

Raising a glass to . . . the Astros

Who, improbably, won their consecutive AL West title on the last night of the season despite having entered their final series of the season two games back of the Texas Rangers. Remember Rudy Tomjanovich’s praising his Rockets’ “heart of a champion” back during their championship run? It should be said of these resilient Astros, too. They’ve gotten knocked down with worrisome frequency in 2023 but never knocked out. Another World Series triumph would surprise no one.

And to . . . C. J. Stroud

No quarterback in NFL history — in NFL history, people! — had thrown for more than 1,200 yards without a single pick during his first four starts until Stroud buckled his Texans chinstrap. Through Sunday night’s 21-19 loss at Atlanta, C.J. has thrown 186 passes for 1,461 yards without being intercepted. At the other end of the spectrum, the Oilers’ Dan Pastorini suffered 13 picks in his first five NFL starts . . . but eventually led the Oilers to back-to-back AFC Championship Games, something no Houston QB had done before or since.

And to . . . J.J. Watt

A couple of serious, late-career injuries kept him from becoming one of the greatest players in NFL history, but he’ll still be a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer and would be, of course, a no-brainer pick to go into the Texans’ Ring of Honor on Sunday. What he did for Hurricane Harvey relief alone assures he’ll never not be loved by his adopted home town. Speaking of the “L” word, Watt admitted during his on-field remarks, “I’ve got a lot of love flowing through my veins right now and all that love is directed towards Houston, Texas . . . I’m incredibly honored and thankful to be a part of your family forever and all I want to say is H-Town, I love you. Thank you.” His taking out a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle to express his appreciation for what the city gave him made me, no kidding, tear up. Here’s hoping young C.J. will in time become another J.J. He’s certainly off to one helluva start.

And to . . . Billie Jean King

Yep, Mother Freedom herself. She whupped Bobby Riggs, who proudly — and profitably — branded himself a male chauvinist pig, on a magical evening in the Astrodome a half century ago that I was fortunate enough to have been a part of. It was the first tennis match I ever saw live, and the first I was assigned to cover. Billie Jean, who became a friend, will always be on my personal sports Mount Rushmore. What a player, what a lady, what a for-real feminist trailblazer.

H-town happenings

Tastings Every Saturday at French Country Wines: Noon-5 p.m. Free. http://frenchcountrywines.com

Tastings Every Wednesday at Montrose Cheese & Wine: 5-7 p.m. Free. http://montrosecheeseandwine.com

Tastings Every Thursday at Cueva in the Marriott Marquis Houston: 6:30-7:30 p.m. $40 http://eventbrite.com

Symposium Saturdays: 4-5 p.m. at Stella’s Wine Bar in the Post Oak Hotel. $75. http://eventbrite.com

Newsom Vineyards Wine Tasting: 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, at 25200 Grogan’s Park Dr. in The Woodlands. $20 http://eventbrite.com

Seghesio Wine Dinner: 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, at Atkins House. $85. http://eventbrite.com

Celebrity Wine Tasting: Lights, Camera, Wine: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13, at AR Workshop in Cypress. $60. http://eventbrite.com

Light Years Wine Tasting: Noon Saturday, Nov. 4. $50 http://eventbrite.com

Follow me

Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy, wherever you get your podcasts.   

Instagram: http://@sportywineguy

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Facebook: Dale Robertson

Others to follow

Jeremy Parzen (http://dobianchi.com)

My Podcast partner in crime writes: “Most Italian-focused wine professionals in the U.S. face a sticky linguistic challenge: how to distinguish between the classic expression of an appellation and a vineyard-designated or riserva category. And it’s not an issue confined solely to purely anglophone wine pros. Italian speakers often get tripped up by the tongue-tying conundrum. For many, the knee-jerk reaction in such cases is to call the classic wine normale or normal . . .”

Sandra Crittenden (http://winelifehouston.com)

Sandra writes: “Like so many of the great wine regions of the world, a river runs through France’s Rhone Valley. The Rhone River shapes the landscape and lends its character to the wines grown there. Viticulture arrived with the Greeks in the Fourth Century BC, but flourished during the Roman Empire . . . ”

Russ Kane (http://vintagetexas.com)

The Texas Wineslinger writes: “I just wanted to let you know that Heath Family Brands is pleased to announce the Grand Opening of Invention Vineyards on Highway 16 in Fredericksburg on Friday, September 22nd. Invention Vineyards crafts predominantly Texas blends, with a classic presentation of old-world varietals.”

 Jeff Kralick (http://thedrunkencyclist.com)

The DC writes: “Over the course of a week, I taste a bunch of wine, usually with friends, and almost always with my wife.  Here are some of the wines we tasted over the past few weeks. These are wines that were not sent as samples—in most cases, I actually paid for these wines (although a few have been given as gifts).”

Katrina Rene (http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com)

Kat writes: “So your girl had to take some time off and settle into back to school, Thing 2’s surgery, not to mention all of the projects on my desk at the office (all that #LawyerLife stuff). Hence, no September roundup of events in Texas Wine Country. But given that October is Texas Wine Month, I most certainly had to share some of the great events that will be happening to celebrate our great wine region.”

ROSÉ

2021 Bodegas Breca Rosé

From the winemaker: “An elegant rosé characterized by delicate floral aromatics.”

From James Suckling, who scored it a 91: “A textured rose with subtle raspberries, strawberries and stones. Crisp and bright with fresh acidity and pretty red berries on the palate.”

From me: We have Bodegas Breca’s owner, Jorge Ordóñez, to thank for introducing Spanish garnacha to the U.S. market at a time when we rarely got anything other than the tempranillos from Rioja. He founded this winery in Calatayud in 2010 and made his wines with the garnacha de Aragon, said to be the original and most genetically untouched grenache clone in the world. The vineyards, at 2,600 to 3,500 feet in elevation, routinely experience temperature fluctuations of 45 degrees over a 24-hour period. In other words, the terroir couldn’t be more perfect.

$14.99 at wine.com

WHITE

2020 La Chablisienne Le Finage Chablis

From the winemaker: “Pale gold in color, this Chablis is fairly discreet on the nose at first, revealing notes of sweet spices, particularly vanilla. After opening, more fruity aromas appear with slight vegetal and lemon hints. The palate is fresh with well balanced acidity. The whole is simple and rich with great energy.” 

From Natalie MacLean, who scored it a 91: “A crisp, clean and vibrant 100-percenet cardonnay with zesty green apple, laser lemon acidity.”

From me: The La Chablisienne cooperative has been around since 1923 and sources fruit from some 300 growers, who have 17,000 acres in 20 villages on both sides of the River Serein under vine. The sheer volume explains the very friendly price point.

$26.99 at wine.com

2021 La Crema Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

From the winemaker: “Aromas of Meyer lemon, pear and white flowers are supported on the nose by subtle hints of oak. Followed by flavors of crisp apple, tangerine, and pineapple. On the palate, the wine is concentrated and juicy with a lingering finish.”

From the Wine Enthusiast, which scored it a 92: “Hints of almonds and savory herbs in the aroma accompany Bosc pears and vanilla on the palate as this handsome, toasty wine balances fruitiness and an oak-aged spiciness for a complex and complete expression.”

From me: La Crema has been one of my go-to chardonnays for a long, long time. It’s well-made, inexpensive and easy to find.

$14.99 at Costco

RED

2018 Hestan Vineyards Grenache Napa Valley

From the winemaker: “The wine exhibits highly expressive notes of allspice, white pepper, and ripe red fruits, with a medium body mouthfeel it expresses a rich red intensity on the palate.”

From me: I loved this wine, made by Thomas Rivers Brown. It’s 100-percent grenache — we don’t see a lot of these from California — that spent 20 months in neutral French oak and it held its own against the grenache-centric French wine that follows, which happens to be one of the world’s best.

$60 at hestanvineyards.com

2019 St. Cosme Gigondas

From the winemaker: “The wine shows intense blackberry and fig fruit with licorice, violets, and charcoal on the finish.”

From the Wine Spectator, which scored it a 95 (as did Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and the Wine Enthusiast): “Dark and winey, this structured offering packs red and black currant paste flavors together with threads of charcoal, warm stone, bay leaf and savory, ending with a long tug of cast iron through the finish. A blue chip for cellaring.”

From me: The St. Cosme wines never disappoint, and I’ve tasted every vintage since 1996. The cellar dates from Roman times and the Barruol family has owned the property since 1570. Louis Barruol has been the winemaker since 1992. Nobody in the Southern Rhone does it better.

$61.74 at Spec’s

2018 The Paring Red California

From the winemaker: “This Cabernet-inspired blend displays classic notes of cassis, tobacco and chocolate. Focused fruit and shapely tannins shine as hallmarks of what we’ve come to expect from the sandy soils and slightly cooler climate of the winery’s outstanding vineyard sites.”

From Jeb Dunnuck, who scored it a 90: “It’s a medium to full-bodied, ripe, rounded, nicely concentrated blend with lots of ripe currant and blackberry fruits as well as an herbal kick in its tobacco, earth, and ripe herb aromas and flavors.”

From me: This Bordeaux-style blend — 60 percent cab, 20 percent cab franc, 18 percent merlot and a pinch of petit verdot — checks every box at an outstanding price. It’s from the vineyard and winemaking team behind Jonata & The Hilt Estate with most of the fruit coming from Ballard Canyon and the Santa Rita Hills.  

$25.99 at wine.com

I’m heading back to la belle France Tuesday with mixed emotions. As special as our little Alpine valley may be — can’t wait for those fall colors! — I’m going to be missing out on some great events in Houston over the next several weeks, including a 50-year reunion of the WHA Aeros and a gathering of Luv ya Blue Oilers to celebrate the completion of a documentary about Bum Phillips. I covered both teams for the Houston Post and they remain very dear to my heart. I’ll also be missing out on several wine tastings and winemaker visits.

But, hey, First-World problems, right?

Fortuitously, however, I was still here when Federica Rosy Boffa Pio paid H-Town a visit last week. Her story is remarkable, as of course are the family’s iconic Pio Cesare wines. It’s Federica’s show to run now — never mind that she’s only 25. And she was only 23 when she had to take over for her father, the larger-than-life Langhe legend Pio Boffa, who tragically died way before his time from COVID-19 complications in April of 2021.

She and her cousin, Cesare Benvenuto, who has been involved in the business since 2000, are fifth-generation proprietors. Poised and knowledgeable far beyond her years, Federica speaks proudly of the Pio Cesare team, adding “that’s why it wasn’t so hard” to step into her new role. Benvenuto may have two decades of experience, but he’s practically a new kid on the block compared to Paolo Fenocchio, who has been the enologist and head winemaker since the 1981 harvest.

Breaking news: The tasting tour that I’m leading through Italy’s Piemonte and Lombardy regions next spring (go to http://gourmettours.biz for the dates, itinerary and price) will now include a stop at Pio Cesare. Founded in 1881 by Cesare Pio, it’s the only one located in Alba proper and, hence, it’s the only one that can display the city’s crest on bottle labels as well as being the only a scant grandfathered-in few to produce Barolo outside the legal geographic confines of the DOCG.

The first time I visited Alba — in 1990 while covering the World Cup — I’d already concluded Barolo would forever be a go-to wine for me and Pio Cesare’s Classico was the finest I’d yet tasted. I wanted to go to the winery but, driving in circles, I was never able to find it. There’s no showy presence and the cellars, soon to undergo a significant expansion, are below ground, as all good cellars should be.

Better late than never, I will finally be paying a visit at Federica’s behest in October, getting a chance to taste some of Pio Cesare’s less widely distributed wines, including the beautiful, barrel-aged Fides Barbera d’Alba from the Mosconi Vineyard near Monforte d’Alba. (Pio Cesare also makes a single-vineyard Barolo from grapes grown on that prime piece of real estate.) Note that Fides means “faith” in the Piemontese dialect. The family has always highly valued its barbera wines and Federica promises it always will, which was music to my ears.

These days, producers in the Langhe these days are all too often inclined to pull out barbera and dolcetto vines to plant nebbiolo in order to make far more expensive wines. But, so many of those plots were time-tested for barbera and dolcetto and just don’t work as well for the higher-maintenance nebbiolo.

Federico is also putting her own stamp on Pio Cesare, having immersed herself in bringing a timorasso to the market in the near future. The once-obscure and almost extinct white grape from the Colli Tortonesi neighborhood in the province of Alessandria is trending big-time and she astutely embraced catching the wave.

Losing her father was traumatic when it happened, but the only way to honor his memory was to stay strong and attempt to fill his giant shoes. Like him, Federica enjoys traveling the world to promote the Pio Cesare brand, and she is already an old pro at handling the media attention she’s receiving.

“It is a great honor and I hope my father would be proud,” she told another writer last year. “At the very least, I know he would be happy that I am putting in 100 per cent of my passion, love, care and commitment every day.”

Oh, he’d be plenty proud, Federica.

The Sports Page

Raising a glass to . . . Coco Gauff

Just just 15 in the summer of 2019, Gauff defeated her idol, Venus Williams, and became the youngest woman to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon since Jennifer Capriati in 1991. Less than three years later, she reached the final of the French Open. But Gauff succumbed to the pressure of great expectations both times. In New York Saturday, however, she closed the deal, winning what should, or at least, could be the first of many U.S. Open titles. American tennis badly needs her to stay on form going forward. Ben Shelton, too. He was a surprise Open semifinalist this year. As you know, no American man has claimed a major championship since Andy Roddick in 2003.

H-town happenings

Tastings Every Saturday at French Country Wines: Noon-5 p.m. Free. http://frenchcountrywines.com

Tastings Every Wednesday at Montrose Cheese & Wine: 5-7 p.m. Free. http://montrosecheeseandwine.com

Tastings Every Thursday at Cueva in the Marriott Marquis Houston: 6:30-7:30 p.m. $40 http://eventbrite.com

Symposium Saturdays: 4-5 p.m. at Stella’s Wine Bar in the Post Oak Hotel. $75. http://eventbrite.com

Three Winemakers, Six-Course Wine Dinner: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12, at Roma. $99. 713 664-7581.

Wine Tasting Event: 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, at The Classy Cork Wine Room. $65. 832-534-1900 or contact@theclassycork.com

Brunello, the Ultimate Sangiovese Tasting with Jeremy Parzen: 6:30-8:30p.m. Tuesday, Sept 19. http://eventbrite.com http://vinellowines.com

Chris Carpenter Wine Dinner: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26, at Mastro’s Ocean Club in The Woodlands. $375 plus tax and gratuity. http://eventbrite.com

Paso Wine Is Headed to Houston: 6-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28, at the Majestic Metro. $65. https://pasowine.com/consumer_events/tasting-tour-houston/

Follow me

Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy, wherever you get your podcasts.   

Instagram: http://@sportywineguy

X: @sportywineguy

Facebook: Dale Robertson

Others to follow

Jeremy Parzen (http://dobianchi.com)

My Podcast partner in crime writes: “On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was heading to the Atlantic Avenue stop to catch the 2 train that would take me to the Fernet Branca space. Before I left my apartment, I called one of my colleagues to confirm a 9 a.m. meeting. He screamed at me: “Are you fucking crazy? Turn on the TV!” And then he hung up. I went upstairs to my landlord’s apartment and we watched — in absolute disbelief and absolute horror — as the second tower was struck by the plane. Had I not called my colleague, I would have been traveling underneath the World Trade Center right around the time that the second plane hit . . . “

Sandra Crittenden (http://winelifehouston.com)

Sandra writes: “Like so many of the great wine regions of the world, a river runs through France’s Rhone Valley. The Rhone River shapes the landscape and lends its character to the wines grown there. Viticulture arrived with the Greeks in the Fourth Century BC, but flourished during the Roman Empire . . . ”

Russ Kane (http://vintagetexas.com)

The Texas Wineslinger writes: “

“We’ve had a phenomenal response to my first Level 2 Advanced Specialist of Texas Wine Course offering and held live via Zoom this past April. Level 1 STW graduates came calling. This first advanced Level 2 class was sold out in less than a month . . .”

 Jeff Kralick (http://thedrunkencyclist.com)

The DC writes: “Over the course of a week, I taste a bunch of wine, usually with friends, and almost always with my wife.  Here are some of the wines we tasted over the past few weeks. These are wines that were not sent as samples—in most cases, I actually paid for these wines (although a few have been given as gifts) . . .”

Katrina Rene (http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com)

Kat writes: “Looking to broaden your white wine horizons? Why not do it for National White Wine Day? Yes, it’s anther “XXX” day, but I do find the wine days are fun ways to explore things I don’t necessarily think about. It’s funny, because when I first started drinking wine, you were hard pressed to get me to drink much white wine. I was all about Pinot Noir and then eventually bolder red wines. You know, after I got past my 5-gallon box of White Zinfandel phase. Hey, we all have to start somewhere! And it was that way for a while. But over the years, things began to shift.”