I recently spend nine days leading friends on a tour of my favorite wine region, which included stops in two of Italy’s greatest cities, Turin and Milan. The former I knew a bit from having covered the Winter Olympics there in 2006 for the Houston Chronicle. The latter was largely a blank canvas for me because, when I’m in Europe, I generally go to extreme lengths to avoid major traffic-choked metropolitan areas.

Why? Because I live in one in Texas. Enough is enough.

However, you may now call me a fan of Milan. It was a crazy weekend to be there, on what amounted to Italy’s Fourth of July, but the weather was perfect — fairly cool, no smog, no clouds — and the energy was off the charts. The Galleria shopping area (pictured above) was teeming with celebratory folks, the bars were jammed and the ubiquitous fashion boutiques were all open. I could have shopped til I dropped except for the price tags on the stuff I was drooling over. I mean, who spends $5,500 on a sports coat even if it’s a Brunello Cucinelli? Pas mois.

Anyway, since this is a wine-and-food-centric blog, I’m going to keep it simple and share links to those spots that deserved a five-star rating. Pretty much every place we wined and dined did, too. Chronologically:

Contesto Alimentare, Turin — From the Michelin guide, which gives it “Bib Gourmand” status: “Situated on the central Via Accademia Albertina, this small, simple and unfussy restaurant with small tables set close together serves top-quality Piedmontese cuisine. Alongside its delicious regional specialities, the menu also features dishes from elsewhere in Italy, including Sicily. The tajarin pasta made from 40 egg yolks and served with a veal ragu is superb, as are the rabbit and pork belly dishes. There’s a focus on meat options, followed by some delicious desserts, which include specialities from Piedmont such as panna cotta and typical bacio di dama biscuits.” contestoalimentare.it

Ristorante Savure, Turin — We learned all about pasta making here, then ate more great pasta than I thought possible in a single seating. In effect, we had six main courses, all of them excellent. Better still, it’s amazingly inexpensive considering the quality. https://www.savure.it

Caffè Gelateria Pepino, Turin — Opened in 1884, when it was given a royal warrant to supply the House of Savoy, it claims to be the oldest gelateria in Italy and the setting on the Piazza Carignano is perfect. The gelatos are sublime, of course, and a full bar adds to the appeal. A special treat was Amista Vermouth (you read about same in my last posting) over a scoop of vanilla. Mama mia! Pepino is also famous for inventing the Pinguino, gelato on a stick covered in chocolate. gelatipepino.it

Le Quattro Stagione, Saluzzo — Although I didn’t personally dine with my group here, some felt this was the best restaurant experience they had over the entire tour. Dreamy Saluzzo is in the foothills of the Alps just below Monte Viso and the resto, set in an historic 17th century building, checks all the boxes, especially for value. I’ll be dining there the next time I’m in Italy, guaranteed. http://ristorante4stagione.com

Poderi Luigi Einaudi, Dogliani — A superb producer founded by Luigi Einaudi, who was elected the first president of the Italian Republic after World War II, the winery’s magnificent hilltop site also includes a lovely boutique hotel, the Relais Luigi Einaudi (shown above). I can’t think of a more beautiful, well-situated place to stay while exploring the Langhe. The tasting room offers to floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the grounds and the surrounding vineyards. poderieinaudi.com 

Locanda del Sorriso, Dogliani — Dogliani, with its gorgeous cathedral, is a seriously underrated town in the Langhe, and this gorgeous resto proved to be a terrific find. Sorriso means “smile” and we did plenty of that while dining. The wine list, of course, features the best Dogliani dolcettos. lalocandadelsorriso.com

Ceretto, San Cassiano — I’ve been friends with the Cerettos since the mid-1990s and have witnessed their remarkable evolution through the years. While the wide range of wines have always spoken for themselves, the modern tasting room with its “Grape” overlook is second to none, as is the tasting experience. And you can buy everything on site, including some rare single-vineyard wines. ceretto.com

Massimo Camia, La Morra — Michelin gives it a star. Here’s why: “In this restaurant decorated with modern furnishings, the attention is drawn to the picture windows offering fine views of the La Morra hills and the surrounding countryside. The cuisine prepared by Massimo Camia and his daughter Elisabetta includes classic favorites from the chef’s much-loved repertoire, such as the delicious rack of lamb beautifully presented on Luserna stone and served with a barbeque sauce, as well as other elegant dishes, including a few fish options. The excellent selection of Piedmontese cheese is also worth a mention. The chef’s sommelier son Lacopo skilfully and enthusiastically guides guests through the encyclopaedic wine list which includes an extensive choice of Barolo wines and other local labels.” massimocamia.it

Ristorante Modda, Monforte d’Alba — A driving rainstorm made our arrival down a narrow pathway a bit treacherous and kept us from dining on one of the most attractive patios you’ll find anywhere, but, once inside . . . paradise found. The food was universally praiseworthy and the ambience unbeatable. modavenue.eu

Poderi e Cantine Oddero, Santa Maria — Located in a tiny hamlet with a most-impressive church below the hilltop town of La Morra (pictured above), it’s the consummate family winery, dating from 1878 when Giacomo Oddero first bottled the wines in 1878. The current winemaker, Maria Christina, was among the first women to oversee a cellar in the Langhe. Her excellent wines are sold on site, too. oddero.it

Trattoria Il Risorgimento, Treiso — While it almost qualifies as what we Texans call “a hole in the wall,” the food is first-rate and the wine list diverse. Chef/owner Gioele, who’s as local as local gets, may be soft-spoken, but he carries a big stick. We could hear him dressing down Treiso’s mayor while we were lunching because of the noise being made by the machines re-painting street lines beyond the patio. The ruckus quickly stopped. trattoriarisorgimento.it

La Piola, Alba — This is my favorite trattoria anywhere, end of conversation. Situated on the Piazza Risorgimento across from Alba’s Duomo, it offers all the Piemontese classics — the vitello tonnato, agnolotti and tajarin are my holy trinity there — and has a superb wine list to boot. Enrico Crippa, who has earned three Michelin stars for his Piazzo Duomo one floor up, oversees this kitchen, too. lapiola-alba.it

Piazza Duomo, Alba — Crippa, whose food is equal parts edible and artistic as the photo above illustrates, is one of the world’s best chefs and this stylish spot, with its Francesco Clemente mural on the pink main dining-room walls, is most-deserving of its three Michelin stars. We did a lunch there, which offered incredible value at 170 euros per person for four courses. (But Crippa’s justifiably famous salad with upwards of 50 ingredients during high season is a lunchtime add-on for 50 euros.) The Michelin Guide’s assessment: “What is obvious in every single, delicious bite is the chef’s passion for plants, with vegetables, flowers, wild and cultivated herbs harvested daily all featuring in memorable, beautifully presented dishes. The iconic appetisers featuring countless delicious ingredients are a feast for the eyes and the tastebuds alike and were particularly enjoyed by our inspectors. It hardly needs mentioning that this region is passionate about wine, so it’s not entirely surprising that the restaurant offers three different wine lists: Solopiemonte pays superb homage to the region, while Tuttoilresto (divided into two options, white and red) is a celebration of French wines. The efficient and enthusiastic serving staff succeed in taking good care of guests without being excessively formal.” piazzaduomoalba.it

Pio Cesare, Alba — The only winery located in Alba proper and also the only one allowed to produce Barolo outside of the Barolo DOCG because of its historic status, it has a magnificent cellar (shown above) split by a for-real Roman-built wall . Since 1881, five generations of the same family have presided over the Pio Cesare up through the current director, 27-year-old Federica Pio Boffa, who took over for her larger-than-life father, Pio Boffa, after he died of complications from COVID-19 in 2021. Don’t let Federica’s age fool you. She’s got the right genes. piocesare.it

Barolo Bar, Monforte d’Alba — We opted for the elevated outdoor patio across the street from the main bar, which features live music after 8:30 on Wednesday nights, and we weren’t disappointed. Owner Silvia Aiassa’s Langhe-centric wine list is expansive and the small bites were delicious. If you op to take in the tunes, you must order a full meal. Coming off the Piazza Duomo experience, that seemed a tad excessive.

La Baia di Moltrasio, Moltrasio — On the shore of Lake Como, this cozy spot with its eclectic, inventive menu proved a superb find on a night that became too windy and rainy to take our scheduled boat ride. No regrets, to be sure. They had me with the asparagus,egg and parmigiano appetizer. labaiadimoltrasio.com

Senato Caffe, Milan — This lovely wine bar in the Senato Hotel puts Franciacorta front and center, and it thereby saved us a drive to Franciacorta country, about 40 miles east of the city. Thanks to a partnership with the Franciacorta consortium, the wine list offers a superb selection of Italy’s best bubbles, which were the first in Italy to be made exclusively with a second fermentation in the bottle. Franciacorta and its 7,500 acres of vineyards of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot blanc, has had DOCG status since 1995. senatohotelmilano.it

Marchesi 1824, Milan –– This extraordinary bakery, which has been in business since 1824, offers the best panettone I’ve ever tasted — by far — and is said to have invented this famous leavened Christmas cake (pictured above). Marchesi’s is made with raisins from Sei Corone, naturally candied fruit, Bourbon vanilla from Madagascar, Italian honey, and eggs from free-range chickens. The other pastries looked no less fabulous, too. marchesi1824.com

Locanda Perbellini, Milan — With a kitchen overseen by the highly acclaimed, Michelin-starred Veronese chef Giancarlo Perbellini, this stylish, high-energy off-shoot osteria in Milan’s fashionable Brera district offers an eclectic menu featuring classic dishes from all over Italy. The divinely creamy, perfectly textured seafood risotto blew me away. locandaperbellini.it

Il Marchese Osteria, Milan — The most beautiful stop on our culinary adventure with excellent live music to boot (at least on Saturday nights), its Roman food played to somewhat mixed revues within our group, but I’ve never had a better carbonara pasta (pictured above) anywhere. Note that its sister restaurant in Rome has a Michelin star. ilmarchesemilano.it

H-town happenings

Fireworks! Best of the ’80s covered by the Spicolis — 8:30 p.m. Thursday, July 4, at Deep Roots Vineyard in Plantersville. $24. http://eventbrite.com

Summertime UNCORKED — 2 p.m. Saturday, July 20, at Barcelona Wine Bar. $65. http://eventbrite.com

Wine Symposium — 4 p.m. Saturday, July 20, at Stella’s Wine Bar in the Post Oak Hotel. $75. http://eventbrite.com

Cheers for Charity — 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17., at Red Oak Ballroom Norris Meetings & Event Center. $65-$125. http://cheersforcharity2023.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. A new one will drop soon, as soon as we both have our feet back on the ground in H-Town.     

Friends of mine to follow

Sandra Crittenden: http://winelifehousthon.com

Russ Kane: http://vintagetexas.com

Jeffrey Kralik: http://drunkencyclist.com

Katrina Rene: http://thecorkscrewconcie

White

2022 Landmark Vineyards Damaris Reserve Chardonnay

From the winemaker: “It’s a blend from the Flocchini Vineyard in the Petaluma Gap AVA and the Kiser Vineyard in the Western Sonoma Carneros AVA. The ever-present cooling winds of the San Pablo Bay dictate the climate for a moderately cool and highly desired long growing season. The combination of clone, climate, and, ultimately, harvest timing decisions, allow the chardonnay fruit for this blend to develop fully mature flavors while maintaining fine balance and acidity.”

From me: The late Damaris Deere Ford, the great-great-granddaughter of the tractor magnate John Deere, founded the winery in the Sonoma County foothills of the Mayacamus mountain, half-century ago, and the first Damaris was released 14 years later, in 1988, as an homage to her. Classically Californian in style, it has been presented at White House dinners under three presidencies.

$50 at http://landmarkwine.com

Red

2019 J. Lohr Signature Cabernet Sauvignon

From the winemaker: “The cabernet from this vineyard ripens early with excellent color, purity of fruit, and phenolic maturity. Adding the rare Bordeaux variety Saint-Macaire to the blend brings dense savory elements, while a small amount of Malbec contributes bright fruit notes to the finish.”

From the Wine Enthusiast, which scored it a 95: “Nearly opaque in the glass, this luxury-level bottling lays all of J. Lohr’s extensive tools on the table, and succeeds with an intense, complex package. Aromas of dark fruit, densely packed flowers, cocoa and coffee leads from the nose into a palate wrapped in expertly polished tannins. They’re firm, but relent at the right time to allow cassis, graphite and cappuccino flavors to shine.”

From me: Jerry Lohr also founded his eponymous winery in 1974, a very good year it would seem. (My wife Debbie and I will be celebrating our 50th anniversary, too, in June!) Lohr planted his first vines in Monterey in 1972 and followed suit in Paso Robles in 1986. Today J. Lohr has more than 4,000 acres under vine in Monterey’s Arroyo Seco and Santa Lucia Highlands appellations, Paso Robles, and St. Helena in the Napa Valley. This big, expressive cab is the family’s flagship and never fails to deliver the goods. If anything, it’s underpriced.

$100 at http://jlohr.com

2020 Sallier de la Tour Nero d’Avola Sicilia

From the winemaker: “Arguably the most well-known grape from Sicily, Nero d’Avola is perfectly suited for the island’s terroir given its ability to thrive in saline-rich soils and maintain its acidity in the heat. Low yields guarantee a high quality and concentrated harvest. Choosing to age wine partly in wood and partly in steel tanks, allows the wine to display the fresh and fruited notes of a young wine as well as elegant, spicy and licorice aromas of wines with more aging potential.”

From James Suckling, who scored it a 91: “Firm and lightly chewy with earth and spice and some mushroom undertones. Medium body, solid tannins and a fresh, savory finish.

From me: Located on the outskirts of Palermo in the Alto Belice, where the Monte Jato archaeological park presents structures built by the ancient Greeks, Sallier de la Tour has itself been around for more than a century with the La Monaca winery having been completed in 1909. The modern era began in 2008 when Filiberto de la Tour approached his cousin, Alberto Tasca, with the idea of joining forces with the renowned Tasca d’Almerita family of wineries.Under the current manager, Costanza Chirivino, the winery farms all its grapes sustainably.

$16.99 at http://wine.com

2022 G. D. Vajra Barbera d’Alba

From the winemaker: “Lively purple red in color, the nose opens with loads of raspberry and blackberry, purple flowers and a reminiscence of dark fig. The palate is juicy yet fragrant, with enticing and thirst-quenching red and purple fruits.”

From the Wine Advocate, which scored it a 90: “Nicely concentrated with dark cherry fruit, blackberry and cinnamon-like sensations from the grape skins. With that extra density comes extra fruit weight and a powerful (15 percent) alcohol content. The wine does carry muscle for sure, but the results are firm and tight.”

From me: Another wine from an historic winery. The Vajras have farmed Bricco delle Viole, the highest cru in Comune di Barolo, since the 1880s. At the age of 15 — yes, 15 — Aldo Vajra took over the estate in 1968 and by 1971 had acquired the first organic certification in the region, then subsequently created private biotype selections of nebbiolo and dolcetto, pioneered the renaissance of the nearly vanished freisa varietal and began cultivating Rhine riesling.

$26.99 http://wine.com

2019 Zenato Alanera Rosso Veronese

From the winemaker: “Brilliant ruby in color, theAlanera delights the senses with a variety of aromas and flavors that include fresh and dried cherries and prunes, sweet spice, and hints of coffee and tobacco. On the palate, Alanera is full-bodied with elegant and velvety tannins. Vibrant acidity brings balance and freshness, and supports a long and harmonious finish.”

From the Wine Enthusiast, which scored it a 91: “Aromas of black plum and blueberry pie. Though not an Amarone, the winery partially dries 50 percent of the grapes for a few months creating a wine made from both fresh fruit and dried fruit, creating a wine that’s lush and rich on the palate, but vibrant and intense in equal proportions. It’s silky smooth, with a long finish of spiced plums and dried herbs.”

From me: Sergio Zenata’s winery occupies a prime spot near Lake Garda, where corvina thrives, although this complex wine includes rondinella, corvinone, cabernet sauvignon and merlot in the blend. The wine ultimately spends 12 months in a mix of French oak barrels and stainless steel tanks.

$17.95 at http://vivino.com

2021 Flora Springs Trilogy

From the winemaker: “A dark, concentrated rendition of our most iconic wine, this bottling is redolent of warm, brambly blue and black fruits and metered aromatics of mint, eucalyptus and cola berry. It’s sleek, focused and concentrated, with supporting tannins that bring a refined element to the wine’s finish.

From: Jeb Dunnuck, who scored it a 94: “Medium to full-bodied, ripe, concentrated, satisfying e ort has lots of blueberry and darker raspberry–like fruit, some chocolaty oak and dusty minerality, ripe tannins, and a great finish. I love its overall balance, it has notable purity.”

From me: Trilogy is a longtime personal go-to California red for me. This is the 38th vintage and arguably one of the best yet, over-delivering even at a hundred bucks a bottle. Owner/winemaker John Komes says it “allowed me to take all I’ve learned in 45 years of farming my vineyard and honing my winemaking craft and creating the wine I’ve always envisioned.. We accomplished a big thing by remaining small.”

$100 at http://florasprings.com

2019 Quadro Monleale Barbera Colli Tortonesi

From the winemaker: “All the classic Barbera cherry and raspberry fruit, with the grape’s high acidity honed into a tightly-knit complexity.”

From falstaff.com, which scored it a 92: “Luminous, deep ruby, bright. Opens on the nose with notes of hazelnuts and pomegranate, ripe cherry. Juicy and savoury on the palate, develops very well, with an abundance of dark cherries, fine tannins, and a dark chocolate finish.”

From me: This is the golden age of barbera, from the relatively new Nizza DOCG to the less well-known Colli Tortonesi. Fortunately, the prices haven’t yet gone crazy, so the value remains.

$29 at Tuttililli

Updated April 22

Sorry, folks, lots of ground to cover today. We’ll start with sports because I was away from the blog for a couple of weeks while covering the Texas Children’s Houston Open (that would be Houston’s PGA Tour golf tournament for you non sports folks) and the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U. S. Men’s Clay Court Championship. (Right, tennis.) In short, both proved to be extraordinary.

The final round of the golf sort of summed up for me why I squandered my life going to ball games, etc. (It wasn’t for the big bucks, to be sure.) We woke up Sunday morning with five men tied for the lead, four of them guys I really hadn’t heard of before Sunday morning, and Scottie Schleffer, the former Texas Longhorn who’s the world’s best golfer and who was trying to win his third consecutive Tour start. Had he prevailed at Memorial Park, he would have won four in a row because, after he left Houston, he went to Augusta, Ga., and won a second friggin’ Masters.

But, in H-town, Scottie blinked. The German Stefan Jaeger, ranked 43rd on the same leader board that Scheffler is the runaway No. 1, didn’t and therefore claimed his first-ever PGA title. Hey, that’s why we play the games and the tournaments. Nothing is pre-ordained on the field, in the arena, or on the course. On any given Sunday . . .

Except on the LPGA Tour? Nelly Korda did what Scottie couldn’t do, extending her Tour-record tying win streak to five events with a dramatic closing round of her own Sunday in the Chevron Championship at Carlton Woods.

Meanwhile, at River Oaks, arguably the best man — because he was the No. 1 seed — won, never mind that said best man is all of 21 years old and had never prevailed on red dirt anywhere. Kid’s name is Ben Shelton (pictured below). Remember it. He’s special. The Rivers Oaks final was special, too, pitting two Black American men in an ATP Tour final for the first time ever. And it happened at a venue that that has a somewhat murky racial past.

I’ve been blessed to to have covered tennis at that gorgeous venue for 48 years now, and my first tournament in 1977 came only two years after Arthur Ashe made his first and last appearance on the grounds. There’s probably no one left alive who really knows the truth, but the indisputable fact is this: Ashe didn’t play in Houston until seven years after he had won the U. S. Open. Some will tell you he wasn’t invited because of the color of his skin. Others will say he didn’t think he would feel welcome because of the color of his skin and rejected the club’s overtures for that reason.

Anyway, Shelton’s three-set victory over Frances Tiafoe, the 2023 champion, was a near-classic between two gifted, immensely athletic players who also understand life’s bigger picture better than most jocks I’ve met. Note that Tiafoe hadn’t been the first Black to conquer the Stadium Court at River Oaks. That distinction belongs to Bryan Shelton, Ben’s dad, who won the River Oaks International in 1992, and was back on site this spring as Ben’s coach.

It’s important to add that both Shelton and Tiafoe insisted they have never been treated better anywhere on the ATP circuit than at River Oaks. All credit to the current members and, of course, to tournament director Bronwyn Greer and her right-hand person, Haley Wallace. Real pros, those two. Cool stories any way you slice them. Let’s raise a glass to Jaeger and both Sheltons. May many more titles follow!

And kudos to the Texans for landing Stefon Diggs, a huge addition on several levels. An elite receiver by any measure, he’s is going to be very good for young C. J. Stroud. And, yes, vice-versa.

As for the Astros . . . Da hell! Say it ain’t so, Joe. We should be worried, very worried, especially with the bullpen in collective free-fall mode. Two years ago, in route to winning a second World Series, they hadn’t lost their 16th game until May 23. Even last season’s so-so start — 11-10 through April 22 — seems red-hot by comparison. They’ll have to go 84-56 the rest of the way just to equal their so-so 90-72 finish in 2023.

Now, back to wine . . .

The day before I left for France I attended a tasting of Portuguese products, where I encountered an old friend . . . in a bottle. Anybody remember the Mateus Rose? Full disclosure: That was my go-to wine as a teenager with a fake ID in El Paso. I probably hadn’t tasted the stuff in more than 50 years and I would have expected it to be sickly sweet, given my, shall we say, unrefined taste back in those days.

Nope. The Mateus was a bit on the sweet side but not overly so. It was bright and fresh and, at under 10 bucks a bottle, a for-real bargain. Winemaker Diogo Sepulveda calls his wine, which has always been non-vintage and is a blend of baga, rufete, tinta barroca and touriga franca, “very appealing with a bright hue. On the whole, it is a fresh and seductive wine with fine and intense bouquet and all the joviality of young wines. In the mouth, it is a well balanced and tempting wine, brilliantly complemented by a soft and slightly fizzy finish.”

I liked the Mateus so much I made it a point to taste every Portuguese pink wine at the event, and there wasn’t a disappointing one in the bunch. Unfortunately, most of the others didn’t have distributors. Or such a lustrous history.

And, speaking of old friends, I made it point to catch up with two of the human kind on my third day in France, Domaine de Mourchon founder Walter McKinlay and Wendy Heineken Gobbi, who, with her French husband Jean-Marc Gobbi, owns the Château Saint Pierre de Mejans winery in the Luberon. Both have strong Houston ties because McKinlay began doing business in our fair city in the 1960s — North Sea oil shipping — and Heineken Gobbi grew up in Kingwood.

The Mourchon and Mejans wines, brought to Texas by my buddy Douglas Skopp’s Dionysus Imports, offer remarkable quality and value, not to say consistency. (Four of my current favorites are pictured below.) That has a lot to do with the face that McKinlay’s winemaker Sebastian Magnouac has been in the cellar near Seguret in the Southern Rhone Valley since the turn of the century, while Mejans’ Brice Doan de Champassak is celebrating his 27th year, having long preceded the Gobbis who bought the winery from Brice’s family only a few years back.

But both guys are still thinking outside the box and have recently released new reds into the market, although not yet the Texas market. I haven’t tasted either but intend to in the very near future.

Walter and Ronnie are living pretty much full-time in London now — his mobility ain’t what it used to be, but, then, who’s is? — so daughter Kate is running the business side at Mourchon. She has turned her parents’ hilltop villa, with a perfect view of Mont Ventoux to the east, into a rental residence that couldn’t be more perfectly situation for touring the Southern Rhone Valley. Ditto the ancient castle and neighboring mas at Mejans for taking in the many wonders of Provence.

Go to http://vrbo.com/france to book the former (http://domainedemourchon.com) and http://airbnb.com to book the latter (http://saintpierredemejans.com). Gorgeous destinations both, and only about an hour apart.

H-town happenings

Wine and Live Art Dinner: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25, at Potente. $250.

Butcher’s Wine-Pairing Dinner: 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, at Central Market. $100. http://eventbrite.com http://eventbrite.com

Kemah Boardwalk Spring Wine Fest : 2 p.m. Saturday, April 27. $59.95. http://eventbrite.com

Derby Wine Fest: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at Brenner’s on the Bayou. $150.00. http://eventbrite.com

Wine Dinner with a four-year vertical of Serca reds from Argentina: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 9, at the Aktins House. $105. http://eventbrite.com rom $105.00

Wine Lovers Run Houston: 7:30 a.m. Saturday, May 11, at Eleanor Tinsley Park. $35. http://eventbrite.com

Revana Wine Dinner: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 16, at La Griglia. $250. http://eventbrite.com

Wagyu and Wine Night: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 16, at R-C Ranch. $100. http://eventbrite.com

Six-Course Dinner and SERCA Wines Pairing with Chef Kristin Qassom: 6 p.m. Friday, May 17, at SERCA Wines. $195. http://eventbrite.com

Bazaar Food and Wine Festival: 5 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at Sugar Land Town Square. $150. 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. Expect a new one sometime this week, or next. Hey, we’re busy blokes!     

Friends of mine to follow

Sandra Crittenden: http://winelifehousthon.com

Russ Kane: http://vintagetexas.com

Jeffrey Kralik: http://drunkencyclist.com

Katrina Rene: http://thecorkscrewconcie

White

2021 Kosta Browne One-Sixteen Chardonnay Russian River Valley

From the winemaker: “Expressive aromatics of fresh mango, honeyed lemon peel and toasted brioche encompass the senses. Stunningly balanced with a refined, smooth palate, lively acidity, and a weightless texture on the finish.”

From James Suckling, who scored it a 96: “Aromas of gunpowder, dried peach and sliced cooked apple. Sea shell. Pineapple. Medium to full body with a creamy texture and lots of fruit but still reserved at the end. Hints of brioche and caramel and then cream. Plenty of fruit and length.”

From me: You think of Kosta Browne and you think pinot noir. Well, think again. This is a world-class chardonnay and, yes, priced accordingly. But, having said that, try buying a bottle of Le Montrachet for 100 bucks.

$99.99 from http://wine.com

Rosé

2023 Figuière Méditerranée

From the winemaker: “Pale salmon pink in color. Nose has notes of white flowers that then develop into white peach skin. The palate expresses the velvety texture of citrus peel and the zestiness of an essential oil. Not mandarin, not lemon, not orange, more like kumquat. There’s something astringent, green, tight and fresh.”

From me: This family-owned domaine with its 210 acres of vines overlooks the Iles d’Or on the French Riviera. It may not be in the high-rent grape-growing neighborhoods of the South of France, which explains the price, but this wine fully captures the best of the sunny South of France in the bottle.

$16.99 at Whole Foods

White

2021 Kosta Browne One-Sixteen Chardonnay Russian River Valley

From the winemaker: “Expressive aromatics of fresh mango, honeyed lemon peel and toasted brioche encompass the senses. Stunningly balanced with a refined, smooth palate, lively acidity, and a weightless texture on the finish.”

From James Suckling, who scored it a 96: “Aromas of gunpowder, dried peach and sliced cooked apple. Sea shell. Pineapple. Medium to full body with a creamy texture and lots of fruit but still reserved at the end. Hints of brioche and caramel and then cream. Plenty of fruit and length.”

From me: You think of Kosta Browne and you think pinot noir. Well, think again. This is a world-class chardonnay and, yes, priced accordingly. But, having said that, good luck trying to buy a bottle of Le Montrachet for 100 bucks.

$99.99 from http://wine.com

Red

2019 J. Lohr Signature Cabernet Sauvignon

From the winemaker: “The cabernet from this vineyard ripens early with excellent color, purity of fruit, and phenolic maturity. Adding the rare Bordeaux variety saint-macaire to the blend brings dense savory elements, while a small amount of malbec contributes bright fruit notes to the finish.”

From the Wine Enthusiast, which scored it a 95: “Nearly opaque in the glass, this luxury-level bottling lays all of J. Lohr’s extensive tools on the table, and succeeds with an intense, complex package. Aromas of dark fruit, densely packed flowers, cocoa and coffee leads from the nose into a palate wrapped in expertly polished tannins. They’re firm, but relent at the right time to allow cassis, graphite and cappuccino flavors to shine.” 

From me: Again, $100 is real money. But, like the Kosta Browne chardonnay, it still over-delivers. It’s the best red I’ve tasted so far this year, and it has been a good year for tasting reds.

$100 at http://jlohr.com

2018 Hestan Vineyards Grenache Napa Valley

From the winemaker: “The grapes are pressed using 100-percent whole cluster fermentation and aged 20 months, providing the wine with great structure and freshness throughout the palate.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 tasted this side by side with one of my reference-standard wines from Gigondas. It was a wash. Impressive, to say the least.

$60 at hestanvineyards.com

2021 Hahn Pinot Noir Arroyo Seco

From the winemaker: “Ruby red in color, with aromas of black cherry, ripe red berry and subtle hints of vanilla and warm spice. On the palate, soft and delicate flavors of cherry and raspberry are followed by creamy nuances and spicy minerality, culminating in a pleasantly long finish.”

From me: Arroyo Seco couldn’t be more perfectly situated for growing great fruit. The rocky soils drain well and the ocean breezes blowing off Monterey Bay through the Salinas Valley ensure gradual ripening of the grapes. Longer hang times equals riper fruit. Location, location, location . . .

$17.99 at http://wine.com

2019 Zenato Alanera Rosso Veronese

From the winemaker: “Brilliant ruby in color, Alanera delights the senses with a variety of aromas and flavors that include fresh and dried cherries and prunes, sweet spice, and hints of coffee and tobacco. On the palate, Alanera is full-bodied with elegant and velvety tannins. Vibrant acidity brings balance and freshness, and supports a long and harmonious finish.”

From, the Wine Enthusiast, which scored it a 91: “This wine has forward aromas of black plum and blueberry pie. Though not an Amarone, the winery partially dries 50 percent of the grapes for a few months, creating a wine made from both fresh fruit and dried fruit that’s lush and rich on the palate but vibrant and intense in equal proportions. It is silky smooth, with a long finish of spiced plums and dried herbs.”

From me: Sergio Zenata, whose estate is located not far from the eastern shore of gorgeous Lake Garda, is known for making great wines that don’t cost a lot. I love people like Sergio Zenata.

$17.95 at http://vivino.com

2020 Malabaila Bric Volta Roero

From the winemaker: “Bright garnet red color. Red fruit aromas like raspberry, strawberry and blackberry that grow in elegance with spices, balsamic touches and mountain herbs. Powerful and elegant but with soft tannins.”

From the Wine Spectator, which scored it a 90: “Intense and sappy, featuring rose, strawberry, currant and tobacco flavors. On the elegant side, with firm, yet refined tannins and a lingering finish.”

From me: The estate, near Canale, has been owned by the Malabaila family since the beginning of the 15th century. That’s staying power. This nebbiolo is a baby Barbaresco, way overdelivering for the price.

$19.97 at Spec’s