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
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Friends of mine to follow
Sandra Crittenden: http://winelifehousthon.com
Russ Kane: http://vintagetexas.com
Jeffrey Kralik: http://drunkencyclist.com
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