Updated Feb. 28

A week from tomorrow tonight at the Post Oak Hotel, I’m putting myself on the auction block to benefit the Alliance Française de Houston. In fact, you’ll get two chances to sip and swirl with me and find out, up close and personal, if indeed I do have good taste in wine.

We’ll be celebrating the first 100 years of the Alliance chapter in Houston and the start of our second century — le deuxième siecle, as the French would say — with a black-tie- optional gala featuring all the things you associate with these fund-raising fetes including both silent and live auction items. In my role as president of the board of directors, I’ve been made a co-host of the latter, so I’ll be twice standing up in front of our guests and asking them to spend their hard-earned money for the “privilege” of sharing some of my favorite wines.

I know . . . What could possibly go wrong? Well, worst case, I can bid on myself, although I do hate drinking alone.

Seriously, this is going to be an extraordinary evening of super food (I’ve tasted through the menu and can guarantee there’s no rubber chicken in the mix!) paired with excellent wines in a gorgeous ballroom at Houston’s only five-star hotel. As I type this, I’m delighted to report that just three individual tickets at $250 each remain to be sold so please don’t hesitate to reach out with your credit cards and join the party. Purchases can be made online at http://alliancehouston.org or by dropping a check off at our building, 427 Lovett Blvd., in the heart of Montrose.

The Alliance has for decades brought Houston’s Francophones and Francophiles together through language classes and cultural events, but recent years have been difficult for us in large part because of the pandemic. Although online learning kept most of our students in the fold, income from tastings, concerts, lectures, et. al, and renting our home to other organizations largely dried up just when our also century-old abode began needing a major facelift. Recently, for example, the plaster ceiling in our reception area suddenly came crashing down. Zut alors! Fortunately, no one was in the room at the time.

Needless to say, proceeds from the gala will be largely targeted toward infrastructure repairs and upgrades. To date, we’ve been trying to not spend money we don’t have, but hopefully this soiree will help us turn the corner.

My auctioned tastings (one featuring a lineup of my favorite roses as summer approaches) will be held at Ruggles Black on West Alabama and Porta’Vino on Washington Avenue just north of 1-10. Chef Bruce Molzan at the former and restaurateur Bill Floyd at the latter have long been great — and generous — friends. But a number of other restaurants have offered tasting dinners for auction, including Artisan’s Jacques Fox, who has agreed to be the official chef of the Alliance Française de Houston. Our official purveyor of French goods, the French Farm (http://thefrenchfarm.com), will be prominent in the auction mix, too.

The evening’s wines, still and sparkling, have been generously donated by two board members who also happen to be board members, Jean-Francoise Bonneté (http://bonnete.com) and Douglas Skopp (http://dionysusimports.com). Both have outstanding portfolios as you’ll see by perusing their websites. The cocktail hour starts at 6:30 p.m. Come join the fun and raise a glass, or several, to the beautiful French language and France’s wonderful culture.

Viva Italy, too!

Yep, I’m by-cultural. In late May and early June as many of you may know because, yes, it has been mentioned in this space before, I’m leading a lovely 10-day tour through the heart of Italy’s Piemonte wine country, my favorite wine region on the planet and a place I’ve visited frequently for nearly 30 years.

Our home base for four nights in the Langhe will be the elegant Relais Luigi
Einaudi, which sits on a panoramic hilltop above the town of Dogliani, one of
the region’s hidden gems. (Better still, the Einaudi winery sits right next
door.) From there, we’ll visit two Ceretto venues, the hilltop headquarters in
San Cassiano just west of Alba and the flagship Bricco Roche estate, with its
landmark glass Cube designed and constructed by the same firm responsible for
the Pyramid at the Louvre in Paris.

Note that the Cerettos, great personal friends of mine since the mid-1990s, are
partners with rock-star chef Enrico Crippa at Piazza Duomo, one of the world’s
greatest restaurants where we’ll lunch after a morning visit to the historic
Pio Cesare cellars nearby. The older section dates to the late 19th century and
the cavernous space is split by a 2,000-year-old Roman wall. Pio Cesare is
uniquely situated, being the only winery in Alba proper.

 

The sumptuous lunch at Piazza Duomo will be one of at least three that will be
prepared by chefs possessing Michelin stars. Another, Guido, located at the
Fontanafredda winery, has a storied history and personal memories that I’ll be
excited to share with you. In route to Lake Como, where we will spend a night, we
will also have a catered lunch at the magnificent Airbnb owned by the Amistà
Winery in Nizza, the happening new DOCG that was carved out of the Barbera
d’Asti DOC in 2014.   

On Thursday, May 23, we’ll convene in Turin, which I got to know well while
covering the 2006 Winter Olympics for the Houston Chronicle, and we’ll wrap up
our grand adventure in Milan on Saturday, June 1 with a sumptuous farewell
dinner. Heading to Milan, we’ll make a detour to Franciacorta’s bubbles
country, too, in order to taste at the spectacular Ca del Bosco property.

 And, before we hit the wine trail, we’ll be taking a detour up and over the Alps
into my neighborhood, the Ubaye Valley (http://ubaye.com),
for a special late-afternoon dinner with my great friend, chef Hubert Longeron,
at his gîte in one of France’s most remote and breathtakingly beautiful
corners.

The cost is $7,750 per person, all-inclusive once you step off the plane. Registration can be handled through http://gourmettours.biz.

Here are links to some of our stops:  

WINERIES

Amistà: http://amistapiedmontwine.com

Bruno Rocca: http://www.brunorocca.it

Ca del Bosco: http://cadelbosco.com

Ceretto: http://www.ceretto.com

Domenico Clerico: www.domenicoclerico.com

Oddero: http://www.oddero.it

Pio Cesare: http://piocesare.it

Poderi Luigi Eiunadi: http://www.poderieinaudi.com

 HOTELS

Relais Luigi Einaudi (Dogliani): http://www.relaiseinaudi.com

Villa Morelia (Jausiers, France): http://villa-morelia.com

RESTAURANTS (*Michelin stars)

***Piazza Duomo: http://piazzaduomoalba.com

*Massimo Camia (La Morra) : http://massimocamia.it

*Guido (Serralunga): http://guidoristorante.it

Le Quattro Stazione (Saluzzo): http://le-sanssouci.com

Sans Souci (Jausiers): le-sans-souci.com

Ristorante Moda (Monforte d’Alba): http://modavenue.eu

La Locanda del Sorriso (Dogliani): http://lalocandasorriso.com

Tratorria Il Risorgimento (Treiso): http://risorgimento.yolasite.com

La Piola: http://lapiola-alba.it

 OTHER

Wine Museum (Barolo): http://wimu.barolo.it: We’ll visit on Monday morning, May 27, for big-picture purposes and to give everyone a chance to take a stroll through the town of Barolo.

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

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

Orin Swift Wine Dinner: 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 29, at Kiran’s. $195. 713-960-8472  info@kiranshouston.com

Wine Tasting & Pasta Celebrating Black & Women’s History: 11 a.m. Saturday, March 2, at 2515 Harvard St. $10. http://eventbrite.com

Instagram: http://@sportywineguy

X: @sportywineguy

Facebook: Dale Robertson

Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy, wherever you get your podcasts. That’s me with my sidekick Jeremy Parzen above.  

Friends of mine to follow

Sandra Crittenden: http://winelifehousthon.com

Russ Kane: http://vintagetexas.com

Jeffrey Kralik: http://drunkencyclist.com

Katrina Rene: http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com

Sparkling

Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose

From the winemaker: “It’s a blend of chardonnay, pinot meunier and pinot noir vinified as red wine. Radiant color with graceful effervescence, a persistent mousse, and fine bubbles rising slowly in the glass. Subtle and fine aromas leading to an expressive red berry flavor with citrus zest. Creamy and smooth on the palate, evolving to strawberries notes and a raspberry finish. Light, balanced, and precise.”

From Jeb Dunnuck, who scored it a 94: “Attractive pale salmon hue, with a fresh perfume of wild strawberry, ripe peach, white and red flowers, a hint of tropical fruit, and grapefruit. The palate is rounded, with fruit up front and through the mid-palate, and it has a silky and fresh lift. There is a wonderful ease and drinkability to this wine, which delivers balance and finesse.”

From me: I’ve touted this sparkler before in this space, but it deserves another mention with Valentine’s Day looming. These chic, tasty and sexy bubbles check all the boxes for clinking glasses with your love.

$89.79 at Spec’s

Iron Horse Vineyards Winter Cuvee

From the winemaker: “Ripe and opulent with baking spices and brioche. A full, round mouth-feel is accented with notes of fresh roasted nuts, citrus curd, and warm apple pie with notes of honeysuckle. This beautifully structured wine ends with a long, lingering finish and a siren song calling for another glass! It’s made for hearty feasts, roasted s’mores and general revelry.”

From the Wine Enthusiast, which scored it a 93: “This may be Iron Horse’s richest cuvée, made from two-thirds Pinot Noir and one-third ChardonnaySoft, ripe-tasting and mouthfilling, this easy-drinking bottle of bubbles is ripe in Bosc pear, Fuji apple and vanilla bean flavors backed by a hint of sweetness.”

From me: An iconic American winery, named after a railroad stop which crossed the Green Valley property in Sonoma County the 1890s. it was rediscovered as a vineyard site in 1970 by winemaker Rodney Strong, who planted the original 55 acres of chardonnay and 55 acres of pinot noir. Laurence Sterling runs the show there today, overseeing the replanting of 82 acres to create a new generation of single-clone small blocks.  

$75 at http://ironhorsevineyards.com

Red

2018 Silvio Grasso Barolo Bricco Manzoni

From the winemaker: “The nebbiolo fruit grows in La Morra’s calcareous clay soils. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel, then ages in new French oak barriques (30 to 40 percent new) for 24 months, followed by 12 months in bottle before release.”

From James Suckling, who scored it a 91: “Good, nutty red-fruit aromas follow through to a medium-bodied palate with integrated tannins and a medium finish.”

From me: The Grassos have been making wine since 1927 but only began bottling their wines in 1980. Federico Grasso, the current Grasso calling the shots, routinely delivers spot-on Barolos at eminently reasonable price points.

$59.97 at Spec’s

2021 Zenato Valpolicella Superiore

From the winemaker: “Ruby red in color, this Valpolicella Superiore offers fleshy aromas of wild berries, black currants, black cherries, and spices, with hints of chocolate. On the palate, the wine is dry and robust with velvety texture.”

From James Suckling, who scored it a 90: “Vibrant nose with spiced cherries, plums, dried herbs, cloves and some bark. It’s medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins and juicy cherries. Fruity and caressing mouth-feel, before a medium finish.

From me: A blend of corvina (80 percent), rondinella (10) and oseleta, it has become my new favorite Valpolicella, a Veronese wine that has been a fixture in the U.S. market since I was a kid but rarely wowed anyone. Modern technology and the decision in 2003 to revamp the DOC regulations requiring the inclusion of the blah molinara varietal in the blend has made a world of difference in the overall quality.

$16.99 at http://wine.com

2018 Liberation de Paris Côtes du Rhône

From the winemaker: “It’s a blend of the aromatic, smooth grenache grape with syrah for its length and power and mourvèdre for its fine tannins. The vines grow on slopes that are protected from the Mistral wind at an altitude of 300m in the Drôme, where the stony marl-based soil yields classy, harmonious, powerful wines, and also on the flatlands in the Gard in predominantly sandy soils where the Grenache grape can express itself fully and lend the wine its aromatic complexity and smoothness. 

From me: The man behind it, Jean-François Bonneté happens to be a great friend and fellow Alliance Francaise board member, but that’s not why this Rhône red is getting a tout from me. There’s a lot going on in this Rhone red despite it’s bargain-basement price. It’s equal parts fruity and peppery with a long finish.

$13.99 at Spec’s

2023 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau

From the winemaker: “Displays a brilliant garnet color with purple reflections. It offers fresh aromas of black cherries and blackberries, as well as a dense texture, and an admirable richness. Refreshing, fruity and supple on the palate, this vintage is a perfect expression of Nouveau.

From the Wine Spectator, which scored it an 87: “Maraschino cherry and loganberry fruit has substance in this version, while slightly tangy acidity keeps it moving along through the violet-tinged finish.”

From me: I’m almost never impressed by a Beaujolais Nouveau, but this one got my attention. I fully agree with the Spectator’s description, but I would have scored it at least an 89, were I still into awarding scores.

$11.99 at Spec’s

2020 Malabaila Bric Volta Roero

From the winemaker: “Bright garnet red, it offers red fruit aromas of raspberry, strawberry and blackberry and also spice, balsamic touches and mountain herbs. The already announced red fruits emerge in the mouth. It’s powerful and elegant but with soft tannins.

From me: Wine has been made by the family on their perfectly situated property northeast of Alba since the 14th century. Lucrezia Carrega Malabaila, the current winemaker and commercial director, represents the 65th generation. That’s staying power.  

$19.97 at Spec’s

Taylor Fladgate 20 Year Old Tawny Port

From the winemaker: “Intense amber tawny colour. Opulent and voluptuous nose of complex spicy, jammy and nutty aromas, hints of orange flower and a fine oakiness coming from the long period of aging in cask. The palate is full of very rich and concentrated flavor and has a long mellow finish.”

From James Suckling, who scored it 95 points: “The aromas to this beautiful tawny port are saturated with burnt orange peel, caramel, candied fruit and hints of honey-coated nuts. Full-bodied, very fruity and dense with intense nut and mahogany flavors. Hints of sultanas, chocolate and coffee. Extremely creamy, long and flavorful. Delicious all the way. Better served slightly chilled.”

From me: Speaking of staying power, this legendary port house is celebrating its 325th anniversary. Job Bearsley, an English merchant, travelled to Portugal in 1692 and founded the company we now know as Taylor Fladgate. The current team at the helm has been in place since the early 1990s, and nobody does tawny port better than head winemaker/technical director David Guimaraens.

$45.99 at Spec’s

One day recently, after sampling a slew of great Bordeaux wines from the 2021 vintage, bottles with labels that any for-real oenophile would recognize in an instant, I signed off for the evening with an obeidy from Chateau Oumsiyat. By any measure, it more than held its own with the iconic labels of Bordeaux.

Only the most serious and worldly of oenophiles would know without going to Google that obeidy is an indigenous white grape from Lebanon, one of the oldest wine-growing regions on the planet. But, if Sam Jaoude’s hunch proves correct, lots of Texans will soon be familiar with not just obeidy but also meksassi, merwah and sobbagiegh. All, of course, are varietals native to the country, particularly the high Bekka Valley, where the terroir couldn’t be more ideal for growing world-class fruit.

“They have 300 days of sun, nice breezes off Mediterranean, limestone in the soil and reservoirs of clean water,” Jaoude said. “It’s perfect.”

A proud Lebanese-American who originally moved to Texas to sell pharmaceuticals a decade or so ago, he then began importing foods from Lebanon and that led him to take the obvious next step — wine. He built a carefully culled portfolio of tiny wine producers, some 15 in all, with significant logistics support and financial assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development. (http://usaid.gov).

Two Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo International Wine Competitions later, the wines have collected a slew of medals, including three golds in the 2022 judging and another two last November. The Atibaia Red Blend from the Batroun District has gone two-for-two, winning golds for both the 2014 and 2015 vintages.

The only problem for Jaoude has been getting the bottles into local consumers’ cellars. But that’s about to change in a big way. You can soon expect to see a smattering of Jaoude’s wines on the shelf in Central Market and H-E-B stores. The aforementioned Oumsiyat Obeidy, from the 2021 vintage, is already for sale at the Phoenicia stores. Both fruity and flowery with traces of exotic spice, it’s a steal for $19.99.

“It’s all about creating good partnerships,” Jaoude said.

And, of course, bringing in great wines, then educating the public. Fortunately, many of Jaoude’s are blends of vinifera grapes we all know well, particularly the varietals favored by the French. Some believe cabernet sauvignon, merlot, et. al., were first domesticated in what’s now Lebanon more than 2,000 years ago, but they were probably brought by the Phoenicians from the South Caucasius  via Mesopotamia or the Black Sea.

The Israelite prophet Hosea (780–725 BC) is said to have urged his followers to return to God so that “they will blossom . . . like the wine of Lebanon, (and) their fragrance will be like that of Lebanon”.

The Lebanese Rodeo gold medalists follow. Detailed information on the wineries can be found at http://lebanonwines.com. And you’ll find all the medalists at  rodeohouston.com/rodeo-uncorked-wine.

• 2014/15 Atibaia Red Blend Batroun District.
• 2018 Chateau Mont D’Almaz Red Blend.
• 2020 Karam Maison Red
• 2019 Muse du Liban Chateau Ainata Rouge des Cedres Cabernet Sauvignon

The Sports Page

Raising a glass to . . . Patrick Mahomes

He should have been a Texan, dammit! Instead, the Chiefs traded up to pluck him away before Houston had a chance to call his name. Still, at the time, it seemed an OK tradeoff. DeSean Watson looked to be no slouch, either, coming off a national championship at Clemson while Mahomes had quarterbacked only decent teams at Texas Tech. And Mahomes wouldn’t start as a rookie in 2017, instead playing behind and learning from the veteran Alex Smith. However, when he finally took over . . . Geez Louise! A first-team All Pro in 2018, he’s off to the best start of any quarterback in NFL history save for perhaps the GOAT himself, Tom Brady, leading KC to three Super Bowls and five consecutive AFC title games. At least there’s some solace in knowing the Texans now have C.J. Stroud under center instead of the Watson, who had talent but couldn’t have been more of an off-the-field disaster.

Pouring one out for . . . David Casstevens

David and I were colleagues and confidantes at the Houston Post from 1972 through 1980. I inherited the Oilers beat from him in 1976 when he received a much-deserved promotion to columnist, so we got to cover the Luv ya Blue Oilers together. I’ve never worked with a better writer, or one who suffered so much while scripting what ultimately was always the perfect column. My favorite memory — among dozens — was entering his room at the Pittsburgh Greentree Marriott the day before the first Oilers-Steelers AFC Championship Game matchup in January 1979. It was littered with crumpled-up pages, at least 20 false starts for what would, of course, become a delightful read in the end. We stayed close for the next 30 years, me writing columns for the Post and then the Houston Chronicle while he wrote columns for the Dallas Morning News and the Arizona Republic, before returning to his roots with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. But we had drifted apart in recent years and I blame myself fully for that. Sadly, David passed away recently. RIP, DC.

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

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

Brovia Barolo Estate Showcase with Elena Brovia and Alex Sanchez: 5 p.m. Tuesday at AOC Selections. $95. http://aocselections.com/products/brovia-vertical-tasting

Brovia wine dinner: Thursday, Feb. 8, 6:30 p.m., at Ostia. $180. http://eventbrite.com

Red wines from our cellar pairing dinner: Thursday, Feb. 8, 6 p.m. $105. http://eventbrite.com

Romantic Wine Pairing Experience: Tuesday, Feb. 13, at Stella’s Wine Bar. $45. http://eventbrite.com

Charcuterie Workshop and Wine Tasting: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15 at JMP Wines Tasting Room. http://event.brite.com

Wine Tasting Soirée: 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, at Postino Montrose. Free. http://eventbrite.com

Wine Down Wednesday: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, at The Library. $25. http://eventbrite.com

Follow me

Instagram: http://@sportywineguy

X: @sportywineguy

Facebook: Dale Robertson

Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy, wherever you get your podcasts. That’s me with my sidekick Jeremy Parzen above.

Friends of mine to follow

Sandra Crittenden: http://winelifehousthon.com

Russ Kane: http://vintagetexas.com

Jeffrey Kralik: http://drunkencyclist.com

Katrina Rene: http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com