The one “problem” with having a home in the Southern Alps is that, once I’m here, I don’t much want to venture far afield. This spring, however, presented us with a dilemma, and, in the end, an opportunity. We always lease a new Peugeot through a wonderful outfit called Auto France, but there were no cars available for pickup before April 15 and we already had our tickets for an April 11 departure. At first, Paris was going to be our stopover, but the ongoing chaos there over President Macron’s determined efforts to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 — I know, zoot alors! — made that detour unappealing.

It didn’t take long to choose an alternative. Champagne, less than two hours to the northeast. Bien sur!

My only previous visits to bubbles country had been during my Tour de France slogs, which left little time for tasting, never mind actually exploring. I considered this a huge hole in my resume. But, although I was way past due for making a real pilgrimage, I didn’t want to visit any of the big champagne houses. I know their wines. I respect their wines. But there was no reason to taste them in France when I can easily taste them in Houston. I also wanted to avoid Reims and it’s big-city traffic snarls, so we instead randomly chose three relatively-off-the-beaten-path family-owned producers:

• Sabine Godmé in Verzenay just across the road from the landmark Phare lighthouse (pictured above)
• Guy Charbaut in Mareuil-sur-Ay, a stone’s throw from the Billecart-Salmon headquarters
• Marion-Bosser in Hautvillers, only a short walk from the abbey where the 17th-century monk Dom Perignon made his name as the spiritual father of Champagne, and also where he’s buried.  

All were excellent in their own ways. Unfortunately, availability for each in Houston seems to be an issue. You’ll see a Hugh Godmé champagne on Shawn Virene’s extensive list at a’Bouzy, but Hugh is Sabine’s brother. Some years ago they divided the 11-hectare grand cru Godmé property on the Montagne de Reims and agreed to disagree, going their separate ways.

A striking common thread among the three multi-generational houses is that each has a new-generation winemaker taking over, determined to reinvent their respective wheels. At Sabine Godmé, son Matthieu is doing is doing his own thing — and replacing his mom’s name with his on the label. His dad, Jean Marie Guillaume (pictured below), said with a chuckle, admitting that, to truly pass the torch, “You have to kill the father.” Or mother, in this case. In three years, the business will be Matthieu’s alone to run. Sabine and Jean Marie are contemplating resettling in Brittany.

At Marion-Bosser, Elodie Marion becomes the fourth woman in her family to call the shots, while Hélène Charbaut has launched her own distinct lineup of wines at Charbaut. Interestingly, the three young vignerons have all put aging in neutral wood barrels front and center in their respective wine-making strategies, something that was once largely unheard-of in their neck of the woods.

What I’d forgotten about the region’s terroir is how stunningly beautiful it is, from the vineyard-covered slopes of the Montagne de Reims south to the visually similar and no less striking chardonnay country in the Côtes de Blancs with bustling yet still charming Épernay in the middle, hard by the Marne River. There, of course, you’ll find the châteaux-lined Avenue de Champagne, a street dating from the 18th century that’s so remarkable it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015. Underneath the pavement? Some 60 miles of champagne-filled caves dug through the limestone that defines the flavors of these wines.

Having barely scratched the surface, we will surely return soon . . . But probably not in mid-April. The weather was, in a word, miserable, equal parts cold and wet. No matter. Those wonderfully therapeutic tiny bubbles proved the perfect antidote.

Cheers!

H-town happenings

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

Tolaini Tuscan Wine Dinner with Lia Tolaini-Banville: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 25, at the Rainbow Lodge. $165 plus tax and gratuity. https://www.rainbow-lodge.com/tolaini-wine-dinner

Follow me

Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy  

Instagram: http://@sportywineguy

Twitter: @sportywineguy

Facebook: Dale Robertson

Others to follow

Jeremy Parzen (http://dobianchi.com)

My podcast partner in crime speaks of rekindling an old love affair on his recent trip to Italy. It’s a restaurant, though, the Dispensa Pani e Vini in the heart of Franciacorta country.

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 touts the 2021 Airis’Ele Vineyards Redlin Dry Rosé made from a blend of Farmhouse Vineyards Texas High Plains red grapes.

Jeff Kralick (http://thedrunkencyclist.com)

Jeff reviews wines he has tasted of late and gives a particularly loud shout-out to a bottle of the 2010 Skewis Pinot Noir Lingenfelder from the Russian River Valley.

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.

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

H-town happenings

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

Follow me

Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy  

Instagram: http://@sportywineguy

Twitter: @sportywineguy

Facebook: Dale Robertson

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.

This old house turned into the pour house again Thursday night and a good time was had by almost everyone with the Dionysus Imports French portfolio, co-presented by importer/distributor Douglas Skopp and AOC Selections director of operations Brandon Kerne, taking center stage.

Fifty folks showed up when we were expecting maybe 30. That’s both good news and bad news . . . but mostly good news. It told me people are delighted to return to the Alliance, which through the years Spec’s Bear Dalton had turned into one of Houston’s best wine destinations before his untimely passing in 2020, despite our parking challenges in the heart of Montrose.

Logistically, we were a little overwhelmed given the thirsty crush and things got a little raucous at the end, forcing Skopp (pictured below) and Kerne to shout above the din. But we promise to do better next time. Hey, baby steps . . . Most importantly, the 10 Dionysus wines, all from the Rhone Valley, were outstanding across the board and it was especially fun to converse with people who weren’t familiar with a number of them, or even the region itself.

My favorite by the narrowest of margins proved to be Evan Bakke’s 2015 Clos de Trias from the Ventoux AOC, a red I hadn’t sampled in a number of years and a wine you’ll read more about later in this space. I’ve already bought three bottles through http://aocselections.com, where all the wines presented can be purchased.

Looking ahead, please put June 21 on your calendar and 427 Lovett Blvd. on your GPS. In France, they celebrate the Summer Solstice with the Fête de la Musique and we intend to do the same with a piano concert paired with Madame Zero Champagne, a France-Houston hybrid if ever there was one from Galveston-born Matthew Massey. More details forthcoming as the date draws closer!

Sippin’ with Sporty

WHITE

2015 Fiddlehead Cellars “Bebble” Grüner Veltliner

From the winemaker: “Elegant and sophisticated notes of ground vanilla bean with hints of coriander and citrus, along with the traditional white pepper notes, barely ripe pineapple, cucumber and honeydew melon. There is wonderful leanness buried beneath its weighty expression. You can almost feel the chalky, wet stone minerality translating from our clay soils, littered with chert and shale, to give mineral depth to this beauty.”

From me: You think grüner, you think Austria. Well, think again. This is a lovely effort from winemaker Kathy Joseph, whose just under three-acre Fiddlestix Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills of Santa Barbara County delivers the bracing minerality the hand-picked, night-harvested, field-sorted grapes needs to fully express itself. The name honors her mom, Babette, who answered to “Bebble” around the house.

$42 from http://shopfiddleheadcellars.com

REDS

2020 Notre Dame de Pallières Rasteau

From the winemaker: “Sourced from the Roux family’s plot “Les Ribes” at the top of Ratanaud, the hill that shares the valley of the Aygues and Ouvèze, comes this rustic mouthful of a Rasteau. The old vines here enjoy unusually cold nights and the pebbles on the ground are bountiful.

From the Wine Enthusiast, which scored it a 90: “Cassis and blackberry flavors are ripe but mouthwatering in this full-bodied red. A grenache-dominant blend augmented by smaller proportions of mourvèdre, syrah and cinsault, it’s buoyantly fruity but maintains a twist of herbal freshness. The wine finishes on complexities of crushed stone, bramble and charred cinnamon. Ready now it should hold well through 2025.”

From me: Right in my wheelhouse, this Southern Rhone gem. It’s a wine I’d gotten away from drinking — just forget about it, I suppose — but it’s back on my shelf again, to stay.

$22.99 at Spec’s

2020 Bonarrigo Family Wines Heritage Reserve

From the winemaker: “A bold blend of traditional Italian varieties this wine has savory nuances of herbs and spice. Beautiful dark fruit flavors and tannins coat the palate with elegant complexity.” 

From me: I’ve always thought Messina Hof made a world-class sagrantino and that grape, most famous in Umbria, is front and center in this bold, well-structured red, joining forces with primitivo and sangiovese. One of the best bottles I’ve tasted in 2023, it’s a perfect pairing for brisket and a whole lot of other hearty entrees.

$40 at http://messinahoforderport.net

H-town happenings

Charcuterie workshop and Wine tasting: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 29 at JMP Tasting Room in Humble. $75. http://eventbrite.com

“Rascally Rabbits” Spring Taste and Buy — 1-4 p.m. Saturday, April 1 at http://aocselections.com

SERCA Wines Tasting: 4 p.m. Saturday, April 8, at the SERCA Tasting Room in the Heights. . $15. http://eventbrite.com

Katy Sip N Stroll: Saturday, April 15 at The Ballard House. http://sipandstroll.com

JMP Wine Night — Truly Greek, Truly Unique: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 20. $75. JMP Tasting Room in Humble. http://eventbrite.com

The Sports Page

Raising a glass to . . . Jose Altuve

And hoping he returns better than ever after suffering a broken thumb when hit by a pitch in a WBC tournament game two weeks before the Astros begin their championship defense. My guess is he’ll be out until late June. Right, ouch! It’s bad for team, of course, but it’s terrible for a guy who’s viably chasing 3,000 hits. Every day counts.

Follow me

Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy  

Instagram: sportywineguy

Twitter: @sportywineguy

Facebook: Dale Robertson

Others to follow

Jeremy Parzen (http://dobianchi.com)

My podcast partner in crime, shown above, weighs in on the merits, of lack thereof, of organic wines, a favorite topic of his.

Sandra Crittenden (http://winelifehouston.com)

Just back from a whirlwind excursion to Paso Robles, Sandra gives us a review of the city’s cool wine quarter called Tin City.

Russ Kane (http://vintagetexas.com)

The Texas Wineslinger weighs in on the mysterious origins of the Black Spanish grape, also called Jacquez and Lenoir.

Jeff Kralick (http://thedrunkencyclist.com)

Jeff touts more of the top wines he has been sent as samples of late. Two earned “excellent” ratings with 90-point scores.

Katrina Rene (http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com)

Kat tells us everything we need to know about what’s happening in the world of Texas wine this month.

As a rule, Mondays aren’t fun days, but for every rule there’s usually an exception. For example, take my last two Mondays. Most recently, a high-end Duckhorn pairing lunch at Bluedorn overlapped with the again annual Taste of Italy event at the Omni Riverway. There, I sat on a panel with my podcast partner in crime, Jeremy Parzen, and Spec’s wine buyer Tom Dobson discussing the merits of pairing Italian wines with Texas Barbeque, in this case prepared by one of our finest, Ara Malekian, a Swiss-trained chef turned uber-pitmaster at his Harlem Road Barbeque in Richmond.

We’ll get to those wines in a moment. First, let’s speak of Duckhorn, which has long been dear to my heart. One of my earliest wine epiphanies happened while tasting Tom Rinaldi’s mid-1980s Napa Valley Merlots, especially the Three Palms, and we were fortunate to have the opportunity to sample the 2019 vintage of same this week (and note my recommendation for regular 2020 Duckhorn Merlot). It didn’t disappoint. Rinaldi has long since moved on to other projects, including crafting Houston Master Sommelier Guy Stout’s wines, but the current team hasn’t missed a beat.

The star attraction of the lunch, however, were the two new Kosta-Browne offerings . . . from Burgundy.

Really.

Duckhorn, of course, owns Kosta-Browne and had the financial clout to take on such a seemingly complicated venture, one that had Kosta Browne GM Neil Bernardi “holding my breath” as the project came to fruition. You can almost count on one hand how many Americans have ventured into the fabled French AOC. Duckhorn, it seems, entered into a hush-hush partnership with a Côte de Beaune winery that’s calling most of the shots, certainly when it comes to harvesting decisions.

Working with the negociant model — Duckhorn hasn’t yet tried to acquire any vineyards, which are the world’s most expensive — it has released pinot noirs from Beaune and Gevrey-Chambertin (the two we had the privilege of tasting) as well as Pommard and Volnay, plus a chardonnay from Mersault. The reds will sell for $125 and the white for $120. Mailing list wine club members will get first crack at purchasing the wines, although “select markets” will get some, too. Presumably, Houston will be one, since it did make the cut for Duckhorn’s 2023 Pinnacle Tour itinerary.

The wines were vinified and aged in Burgundy — about 30 percent in new oak, at Kosta-Browne’s behest — then transported via temperature-controlled containers to the home base in Sebastopol, Calif., where they were bottled. Both already-fermented juice and whole grapes/must went into the mix.

I found it interesting that Kosta-Browne choose to have the word’s “pinot noir” and “chardonnay” printed on the respective labels. Bernardi — that’s him below — said it was important “to educate the consumer” as to what varietals they would be tasting, although one would assume anyone who would fork over $100-plus for a burgundy wouldn’t need to be told they were drinking, by French law, pinot noir and chardonnay.

But my top tout in the tasting? The spot-on 2020 Calera Mt. Harlan Jensen Vineyard Pinot Noir. Calera is, of course, now under the Duckhorn umbrella, too. It also sells for $125 and is arguably the closest California cousin to the Burgundian reds because of the limestone in the dirt.

Calera’s visionary founder Josh Jensen, who died last summer at the age of 78, found his perfect location for growing pinot noir on the remote slopes of Mount Harlan in San Benito County about two hours southeast of San Francisco. The Calera Wine Company, taking its name from the Spanish word for limekiln, opened for business in 1975. Jensen, Bernardi pointed out, had paid $53 an acre for the hardscrabble land, which is 2,200 feet above sea level in the Galiban Mountain Range. You couldn’t touch a single vine for that today in Gevrey- Chambertin.

Now, back to Italy. All of Dobson’s selections, shown below, worked splendidly with Malakien’s sublimely smoked brisket and ribs, including, somewhat counterintuitively, a pinot grigio. Better still, all can be purchased at Spec’s for under $30, cash price. And one was the 2018 La Casa in Collina Barbaresco from ViteColte, a steal at $29.44. My other favorite in the mix was a 2020 barbera from the Cerrino cooperative, priced exactly the same as the can of Illy coffee beans I purchased on my Spec’s excursion: $14.99.

As per usual, there were way more lovely wines in the walk-around room than could be possibly be tasted and most were here seeking importers/distributors in Texas. I’d had the same overwhelming experience the previous Monday when a band of Bordeaux brothers and sisters passed through town. But it’s flattering to see how valuable the Houston market has become for the new wave of winemakers around the world. They wouldn’t be arriving en masse if we didn’t matter.

The surprises in the French lineup were the half-dozen cremants from Bordeaux, pictured below. I’d never tasted one before. They dazzled while offering way better value than those from Burgundy. But, for the moment, availability remains limited.

Separate from the Taste of Italy shindig, I also spent quality time with Alessandro Rotolo, who now presides over the Schiopetto wines launched in 1970 by the legendary Mario Schiopetto, and the Rotolo family’s slightly less famous but no less satisfying Volpe Pasini portfolio. (That’s him below with Schiopetto’s world-class “M.”) Nobody does it better in Friulli than Rotolo’s two teams. My pick in that lineup was the Volpe Pasini “Grin” from the 2021 vintage, which might be the most satisfying pinot grigio I’ve ever tasted and it can be purchased through http://aocselections.com for well under $20.

Sippin’ with Sporty

PINK

2022 Revelation by Goose Ridge

From the winemaker: “The blush pink hue with a floral bouquet is only just the beginning, followed by bursting notes of strawberry and watermelon. A reminder that style and strength are more than just this season’s fashion, they come from within.” 

From me: The blend of fruit from the expansive Pacific Ridge Vineyard — Washington’s largest — in the arid southeastern corner of the state is syrah-centric but includes grenache, mourvedre, chardonnay and pinot grigio, surely the first of its kind. The wine has a bit of heft to it and lovely lingering finish. It’s a project of the three generations of women in the Monson family and was released to celebrate International Women’s Day. Brava!

$18 at http://gooseridge.com

WHITE

2017 Capella Sant’Andrea Vernaccia Di San Gimignano Clara Stella

From the winemaker: “Pale lemon in color. Scents of apple, yellow fruits and some white flowers. Fresh acidity and light complexity. Good length with somewhat creamy texture.”

From me: Grape growers and winemakers Flavia Del Seta and Francesco Galgani are organic, minimally interventionist farmers through and through, right down to their use of only spontaneous fermentation. This is a beautiful expression of a wine that often disappoints when made by less meticulous producers.

$22 at Tuttilili Wines and Specialty Foods (http://tuttilili.com)

RED

2020 Duckhorn Merlot Napa Valley

From the winemaker: “Embodying the alluring beauty of great Napa Valley Merlot, this wine reveals vibrant aromas of red currant, ripe plum, black raspberry, cherry and sweet baking spices, with hints of tea leaves and cocoa. The palate is rich and luxurious, with silky tannins and flavors of ripe red berries, pie crust and fig compote gliding to a bright, elegant finish.”

From James Suckling who scored it a 93: “A juicy and fruity Merlot blend with plum, chocolate and hazelnut aromas and flavors. Full and layered with fleshy tannins and a flavorful finish. Velvety texture. Lovely approachability.”

From me: This reference-standard California merlot has a 17-percent cabernet sauvignon component plus tiny amounts of cab franc and petit verdot in the blend. It’s something of a miracle wine given the terrible impact wildfires had on the region in 2020. Renee Ary’s winemaking team did a splendid job of getting the tainted grapes out of the mix. The yield was smaller, of course, but there was no downtick in quality.

$47.99 at http://wine.com

H-town happenings

Boutique wines from Spain tasting: 4 p.m. Friday, March 10, at Memorial Wine Cellar. Free http://eventbrite.com

Downtown Wine and Bear Walk: Noon, March 18, in Rosenberg. http://bit.ly/3WZ81Ja

Bay Area Wine Fest: 4 p.m. Saturday, March 18, at Morgan Falls Event Center, Alvin. http://eventbrite.com 

Rodeo Whiskey and Winefest: 4-7 p.m. Saturday, March 18, at Big Brothers and Sisters. $50 http://eventbrite.com

Dionysus Imports French wines tasting: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 23, at the Alliance Française Houston. 713 526-1121 $25.

Champion Wine Garden Presented by Frost Bank at NRG Carruth Plaza, in conjunction with the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo: http://eventbrite.com

Katy Sip N Stroll: Saturday, April 15 at The Ballard House. http://sipandstroll.com

The Sports Page

Raising a glass to . . . Kelvin Sampson

The real season, a.k.a. March Madness, starts now, but finishing the practice season as the No. 1 team in the country is nothing to sneeze at. This old Coug ar stands in awe of Sampson’s magnificent rebuild of the University of Houston basketball program. Eat ’em up, eat ’em up, rah rah rah!!!

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Jeremy, shown above, gives us the full lowdown on the hot new Nizza appellation for barberas in Italy’s Piemonte.

Sandra Crittenden (http://winelifehouston.com)

Sandra reports on a recent tasting she participated in at the Texas Wine School with Jean Trimbach, whose Maison Trimbach sells more wine in the U.S. than any other Alsatian producer.

Russ Kane (http://vintagetexas.com)

The Texas Wineslinger takes a far-afield detour from his usual stomping grounds and samples the wines from Sojourn, which works with some of the best vineyards in Napa and Sonoma Counties.

Jeff Kralick (http://thedrunkencyclist.com)

Jeff touts the best wines he has been sent as samples of late. All of them, as it happens, are French.

Katrina Rene (http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com)

Kat tells us everything we need to know about what’s happening in the world of Texas wine this month.

Most of what follows appeared in the Houston Chronicle’s Rodeo Section a week ago. But I’ve made a few updates, too.

Although it may seem incongruous at first glance, bubbles and bull riding will share almost equal billing during the 2023 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. But it makes perfect sense considering that promoting agriculture through a vast array of scholarships is at the center of the Rodeo’s mission and grape-growers are most definitely farmers.    

However, the man behind the current Grand Champion Best of Show bottle is the rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, which segues nicely, too. Music, of course, is a critical component of the 20-day jam on the NRG grounds that’s part sports spectacle, part music festival and part wine-tasting. Once again, the Rodeo’s Champion Wine Garden at Carruth Plaza between NRG Stadium and the Astrodome, will become the city’s most visited wine bar for 20 evenings – Feb. 28 through March 19 – and Jackson’s Le Chemin du Roi Brut Champagne figures to be flowing freely there, along with the other most decorated wines.

Jackson considers Houston home these days, so his Le Chemin du Roi champagne’s topping a field of 3,071 entries from 18 countries is all the more special. A regular bottle of his bubbles sell for about $142 at Spec’s, but a special nine-litter bottle brought in a record $325,000 at the Rodeo Uncorked Champion Wine Auction and Dinner Sunday night. Le Chemin du Roi had previously claimed Reserve Grand Champion honors in 2021.

Jackson stepped up personally, too, spending $165,000 for a nine-litter bottle of the Reserve Grand Champion Best of Show, the 2020 Bernhardt Winery Antiquity Reserve Chardonnay Danube Plain.

Live music adds to the Wine Garden’s nightly energy and there’s an added educational component with almost daily seminars featuring food and wine pairings presided over by some of Houston’s leading oenophiles. The series kicks off Wednesday evening with Ryan Levy’s presentation about pairing wine with “decadent” chocolate.” Levy, co-owner of the Houston-based Nice Winery, is himself a former Rodeo scholarship recipient, and he readily credits that assistance for helping make his career in wine possible.

His 2018 Cabernet Franc from California’s Paicines AVA was the Reserve Grand Champion for 2022 and a nine-liter bottle of same sold for $200,000 at the Champion Wine Auction. Three of his wines earned double golds this year. Levy will also conduct a a tasting of the competition’s highest-scoring bubbles on Thursday, March 9.

Master Sommelier Guy Stout presides over a tasting of the top award-winners Tuesday, March 14. Reservations for the complete seminar lineup can be made at rodeohouston.com/wine.        

The Wine Garden will be open from 4 to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4 to midnight on Friday, 11 a.m. to midnight on Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. on Sunday. And everything you need about the 77 wines in the lineup can be found at http://rodeowinegardenwine4me/home. My wine friend Amy Gross did a remarkable job of setting up this app. Brava!

The Rodeo wine “season” officially kicked off with the Round Up and Best Bites competition at NRG Center last Sunday, when more than 450 wines and signature dishes from 100-plus local restaurants were available for tasting.

The top two finishers in each category:

Outstanding Showmanship Award — 1, Eculent. 2. Brother’s Produce.

People’s Choice Award — 1. Cotton Culinary, The Cotton Pearl (duck fat crostini with wagyu beef and lemon verblanc pearl). 2. Patra Lee’s Kitchen (caramel stracciatella ice cream with praline ethiopie and whiskey caramel swirl).

Tasty Tradition Award — 1. Joyce’s Seafood & Steaks (white chocolate bread pudding). 2. Carrabba’s (meatballs and romano cheese with homemade pomodoro sauce).

Trailblazer Appetizer Award — 1. Low Tide Kitchen & Bar (Ceviche with Cilantro Citrus Sauce on Corn Tortilla Chip). 2. Terrace 54 Bar & Table (Bang Bang Shrimp tossed in its signature bang sauce.

Lone Star Entrée Award — 1. Patagonia Grill & Café (sausage-ribeye outside skirt Steak). 2. Calavera Mexican Kitchen (Taco Al Pastor with grilled pineapple, salsa taquero with onion and cilantro, corn tortilla)

Two-Steppin’ Dessert Award — 1. Mostly Chocolate (Tequila añejo 2.0, barrel aged tequila chocolate bonbon, a caramelized, lime sea salt & tequila infused ganache layered with a creamy milk chocolate tequila ganache). 2. Whisky Cake (whiskey cake).

Rookie Award — Patra Lee’s Kitchen (caramel stracciatella ice cream with praline ethiopie and whiskey caramel swirl).

The Barbeque Cookoff champions will be determined this Sunday, while the Champion Wine Auction happens Sunday night. It figures to raise in excess of $1 million through both live and silent bidding. In 2022, a consortium of bidders paid a Rodeo record $250,000 for a nine-liter bottle of the Grand Champion Best of Show, the 2017 J. Lohr Vineyards Cuvee PAU Red from Paso Robles. 

Once the Rodeo starts, the Wine Garden will be open from 4 to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4 to midnight on Friday, 11 a.m. to midnight on Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. on Sunday.

The 2023 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition champions:

* Grand Champion Best of Show: Le Chemin du Roi Brut, Champagne AOC, NV

* Reserve Grand Champion Best of Show: Bernhardt Winery Antiquity Chardonnay Reserve, Danube Plain, 2020

* Top Texas Wine: Becker Vineyards Barbera, Tallent Vineyards, Texas Hill Country, 2019

* Top Red Wine: Bernardus Marinus Estate Red, Carmel Valley, 2015

* Top White Wine: Chateau Saint-Roch Old Vines White, Cotes du Roussillon AOP, 2020

* Top Sparkling wine: Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Reserve Exclusive Brut Rosé Champagne AOC, NV

* Top Dessert Wine: Dandelion Vineyards Legacy of Australia Pedro Ximenez, Australia, NV

* Top Region Wine: Henschke Henry’s Seven Red, Barossa, 2020

* Top Value Wine: Risata Wines Moscato d’Asti DOCG, 2021

* Top Wine Company – E&J Gallo Winery

* Top Region Wine Company – Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits

* Top All-Around Winery – Becker Vineyards

* Top Texas Winery – Messina Hof Winery

Grand Champion Best of Show wines though the years:

* 2023 – Le Chemin du Roi Brut, Champagne AOC, NV

* 2022 – J. Lohr Cuvee PAU Red Paso Robles 2017  

* 2021 – Alexander Valley Vineyards CYRUS Alexander Valley 2014

* 2020 – Piper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne

* 2019 – Graham Beck Brut Rosé South Africa 

* 2018 – J. Lohr Vineyards Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2014

* 2017 – Arinzano Gran Vino Blanco, Pago de Arinzano 2010

* 2016 – Orin Swift Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Mercury Head Napa Valley 2013

* 2015 – Rombauer Vineyards Diamond Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

* 2014 – Antinori Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore 2009

* 2013 – Alexander Valley Vineyards Cyrus Alexander Valley 2008

* 2012 – Antinori Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore 2007

* 2011 – Alexander Valley Vineyards Cyrus Alexander Valley 2006

* 2010 – Davis Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2005

* 2009 – Vina Robles Suendero Paso Robles 2006

* 2008 – Stags’ Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2003

* 2007 – Clos du Bois Marlstone Alexander Valley 2003

* 2006 – Raymond Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2001

* 2005 – Hang Time Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley 2003

* 2004 – Alexander Valley Vineyards CYRUS Alexander Valley 1999