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

Bubbles

Presto Prosecco

From the winemaker: “Light straw in color with bright yellow highlights, it offers aromas of peach blossom, apple and pear and has a fruity bouquet with a hint of apple and minerality. Delicate notes of peach and pear with a fine perlage.”

From me: It’s a classic aperitif sparkler made from well-sourced glera fruit grown in the Veneto. No further analysis needed. Drink and enjoy!

$13.99 at Whole Foods

Stella Rosa Prosecco DOC Treviso

From the winemaker: “Flavors of bosc pear, yellow apple and lemon. Pairs well with fruit tarts, pies and brunch.” 

From me: Like the Presto, it’s a wine to be enjoyed and not overthought even on cold, gray winter days. However, do note that these bubbles, made from Treviso-grown fruit, earned a 95-point score, a gold medal and Best-of-Class honors at the Los Angeles International Wine Competition.

$14.49 at Spec’s

White

2022 Stout Family Granny Rae Sauvignon Blanc

From the winemaker: “Rich Floral aromas of passion fruit surrounded by citrus lime and grapefruit zest and a slight nutty undertones. Youthful hints of citrus elements combining with neutral French oak aging, created this round and delicious wine with a slightly tart finish. Crisp, dry and clean.”

From me: When I first started writing about wine for the Houston Chronicle, I made it a point to meet Guy Stout, who had recently earned his Master Sommelier lapel pin. We’ve been buddies ever since, but that doesn’t color my opinion about his excellent wines, made in partnership since the 2013 vintage with Napa Valley icon Tom Rinaldi. This is a world-class savignon blanc, truly one of the best I’ve ever tasted, that’s offered at a most affordable price. Kudos to Stout’s Napa Valley-based son Ian for keeping his hands on the reins out there.  

$28 at http://aocselections.com

2019 Diatom Bar-M Chardonnay

From the winemaker: “Like a pent-up wave just about to break, rich and luxurious fruit is harnessed in by bracing acidity and precision. Lemon, citrus blossom, and wet sand on the nose. Precise and balanced textures. Impeccably clean, focused and transportive to the maritime landscape from which the wine emerges. Saline, white peach flavors.”

From Jeb Dunnuck, who scored it a 93: “A rich, medium to full-bodied chardonnay with a killer texture, nicely integrated acidity and a great finish. It gives up a juicy, vibrant nose of tart pineapple, citrus, and honeyed flowers. Pairing wonderfully fresh, complex aromatics with plenty of oomph and richness on the palate, this beautiful chardonnay is ideal for drinking over the coming four to five years.”

From me: Made with grapes sourced from 20-plus-year-old vineyards in Santa Barbara County’s under-appreciated Los Alamos region, where the sandy loam soils give the fruit more flesh and weight, it’s surprises the palate, being neither predictably Burgundian nor Californian in flavor. Winemaker Greg Brewer always thinks outside the box.

$22.99 at Kroger (West Gray)

Pink

Espiral Vinho Rosé

From the winemaker: “Fresh aromas of pineapple and strawberry leads to a palate rich with acidity, peaches and citrus fruit.”

From the Reverse Wine Snob, which scored a 6 of a 10-point scale but a 10 for value: “Opens with aromas of strawberry and watermelon jello, some citrus notes and fruit punch. It’s sweet but not overwhelmingly so. The fruit turns a bit more tart when tasting along with continued citrus notes, strawberry and watermelon. It finishes a bit short, but it would certainly be refreshing on a hot day.”

From me: Or a cold one, which we’ve had a few of lately. It’s a non-vintage pink wine that’s shockingly good at this price point. You’d think the bottle alone would cost this much, never mind the shipping charges.  

$4.99 at Trader Joe’s

Red

2018 Marchesi di Barolo

From the winemaker: “Garnet-red color with ruby highlights. Intense perfume with clean scents of ripe fruit, dog roses, tobacco and spices. Full, elegant and austere flavor with a good body and lingering hints of the olfactory sensations.”

From Decanter, which scored it a 94: “Density of fruit in the mouth with sweet red berries, dried herbs and earthy notes. Stunning intensity. Broad and suave, it has weighty concentrated fruit without excessive extraction with dusty texture to the finish.”

From me: Don’t just take my word for it. This was the 2024 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo’s grand-champion red wine. I was delighted to hear the news because I’ve gotten to know the Abbona family, whose roots in Barolo date to the early 19th century. They’re super people with a super lineup of wines. And what a superb price for a Barolo. Thank you, Spec’s!

$49.97 at Spec’s

2020 Domaine du Cayron Gigondas

From the winemaker: “Rich and hearty mouthfeel with notes of red fruits and aromatic herbs (basil and laurel). A mineral-rich and elegant wine associated with notes of truffles and flowers showing a gorgeously long finish.”

From Vinous, which scored it a 96: “Dark magenta. Vibrant cherry, raspberry and lavender aromas show excellent clarity and a spicy white pepper hint. Sweet and penetrating on the palate, it displays expansive red fruit and spice cake flavors with a subtle touch of candied licorice. Closes sappy and impressively long, with resonating floral and red fruit notes and gentle tannins that build slowly.”

From me: A classic blend of grenache (78 percent) and syrah (14 percent) plus cinsault and mourvèdre, this is Michel Faraud’s only wine. His vineyard plots are scattered throughout the Gigondas appellation, but the most prized fruit comes from the Col du Cayron, which is 1,500 feet above sea level in the Dentelles that rise behind the village. He ages the juice for a couple of years in giant old oak foudres. No new oak for him!

$43.59 at Spec’s

1. Blog on a more regular basis, dropping at least three per month.
2. Well, at least two.
3. Make it back to Napa and Sonoma, and the Texas Hill Country. Especially the Hill Country. It’s close and there’s a lot of good folks in the trenches fighting the good fight in the face of drought everywhere, and Dicamba in the High Plains.
4. Resume doing group blind tastings. There’s no better way to judge wine and I love the personal interaction.
5. Become even more of a regular at Porta’Vino. Superb food and great value — still no entrees over $29 — and BYOB, although Bill Floyd’s small, splendidly curated wine list beats every place in town hands-down price-wise.
6. Call bullshit more often on ridiculous wine-pricing markups. Except I rarely frequent the ripoff artists, and we have plenty, unless I’m invited.
7. Find a way to schedule more tastings at the Alliance Francaise in our nicely redone — or at least repainted — salon. The late, great Bear Dalton made the Alliance an important gathering place for local oenophiles and we sorely miss him. (I say we because I’m the president of the board of directors.)
8. Broaden my wine-drinking horizons although my doctor would probably recommend doing the opposite. But, as Willie Nelson is wont to remind us, “There are more drunks than there are old doctors so, brother, let’s have another round.” Hey, Willie just turned 90. I’ll have what he’s having . . . except the stuff that has to be smoked. All in gummies, however. The wines pictured above? I’ve never tasted any of them, but that’s going to change over the next few days, er weeks.
9. Expend more energy badgering producers to go to screwcaps. For 99 percent of the wine produced annually, they makes way more sense.
10. Dig even deeper than I already have into Italy’s Piemonte, my favorite wine region on the planet. Especially the new Nizza DOCG, where the once lowly barbera is attaining Grand Cru status. I’m excited about leading a http://gourmettours.biz trek through that beautiful region in late May/early June. Still have two spots open, folks!

The Sports Page

Raising a glass to . . . the Texans

Whether or not they make the playoffs, and it all comes down to their game against the Colts in Indianapolis Saturday, this season has been a stunning success. C. J. Stroud is having one of the finest rookie seasons ever for an NFL quarterback despite playing behind an injury-decimated offensive line, and Will Anderson Jr. has already broken J. J. Watt’s franchise rookie record for sacks. (Right, blasphemy!) There’s no question that DeMeco Ryans deserves serious consideration for coach-of-the-year honors. And it couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of guys, starting with DeMeco himself. I loved conversing with him as a player back in the day.

H-Town happenings

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

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

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

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

Truly Greek, Truly Unique wine tasting: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18. at JMP Wine Tasting Room http://eventbrite.com

Texas Wine Market: Noon-4 p.m. Jan. 24. Bluebonnet Tasting Room, 401 Commerce St., Tomball, $30 presale, $40 at the door. https://checkout.square.site/merchant/MLF89X8DCFFR0/checkout/SSO7TMRRWB7F5JCKE44MGPDX

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

Follow me

Instagram: http://@sportywineguy

X: @sportywineguy

Facebook: Dale Robertson

Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy, wherever you get your podcasts. A new one, hosted by Jeremy Parzen (yep, that’s us pictured above, sharing a bottle of Marchesi di Grésy Barbaresco in the Piemonte), will be dropping over the weekend. You can follow Parzen’s own blog at http://dobianchi.com. (Huge kudos to Jeremy and his wife Tracy for continuing to fight the good fight against a heinous neo-Confederate “monument” marring the landscape in her home town of Orange.)

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

Updated 12-30

I’m closing out what has been a wonderful 12 months of swirling and sipping on two continents with a typically eclectic array of wines, three of which hail from Texas and all of which I have enjoyed recently. And I’m especially happy to report that, with New Year’s Eve less than a week away, my four sparklers can all be found on shelves locally.

Here’s wishing everyone a splendid 2024. Cheers!

Bubbles

Frerejean Freres Grande Réserve

From the winemaker: “Our signature wine is a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir aged for a minimum of five years, producing an elegant Champagne that embodies the richness of the Frerejean Frères terroir. Low brut dosage and late disgorgement mean that it’s both balanced and generous.”

From me: Brothers Guillaume, Richard and Rodolphe Frerejean-Taittinger struck out on their own a few years back, leaving the giant Taittinger brand to other members of the iconic Champagne family. They’re boutique growers and producers in every sense of the term, although their intention wasn’t to reject their famous heritage. Their wine satisfies at a savory price.

$59.84 at Spec’s

Madame Zéro Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru

From the winemaker: “All fruit that we grow is from one village, the iconic village of Vertus in the champagne region of France, and derived from 47-year-old vines. We grow beautiful chardonnay, so we focus on singularity and aging four times longer than traditional champagne. We don’t need the added sugars normally found in champagne to achieve balance like many of the large brands. We are the first champagne house to include nutrition facts on the label out of France.”

From me: Healthy bubbles? Hey, count me in. “House” founder Matthew Massey (quoted above by Texas Lifestyles Magazine) may have grown up on Galveston island, but it didn’t take him long to grasp the glories of champagne after he’d made good money working in the energy sector. As a fitness buff, Massey felt compelled to deliver a low-cal sparkler that can run with the big dogs. He succeeded . . . and then took things to an even higher level with his 2013 vintage brut “Mille,” featured below.

$63.64 at Spec’s

2013 Madame Zéro Grande Vintage “Mille”

From the winemaker: “Offers a delightful nose of honeycomb, lemon zest, and white flower. On the palate, this Champagne exhibits exceptional structure with a silky mousse, chalky minerality, and crisp acidity. The deep and elegant character unfolds in layers, showcasing stone fruits such as peach and apricot, accompanied by fresh lemon, white raspberry, and honeysuckle notes that linger on the long, elegant finish. “Mille” promises to evolve beautifully with time, with its crisp acidity and fine structure maturing and flourishing over 10 to 20-plus years of cellaring. True to the progressive and transparent foundation of Madame Zéro, the our vintage sparkler is also ultra-low sugar with less than half a gram per glass, and openly provides nutrition info on the label.”

From me: The hand-picked fruit, 85 percent chardonnay and the rest pinor noir, grew on 45-year-old vines in Vertus. Aged for more than nine years on the lees, the wine is equal parts complex and in-your-face delicious. Why “Mille?” Only 1,000 bottles were made, and 300 of them come in gorgeous gift boxes largely hand-crafted by Massey’s dad. These bubbles check all the boxes at fair price, given the exquisite quality.

$200 at Central Market

Gran Moraine Brut Rosé

From the winemaker: “Aromas of strawberry shortcake, canned pear, white peach, lightly toasted broiche, and rose petals. The palate flirts with tangerine, kumquat, nectarine on the finish with warm watermelon rind and lemon meringue pie. Balanced fatness and acidity on the texture, vibrant and exceptionally clean all the way through to the finish, phenomenally precise.”

From the Wine Spectator, which scored it a 94: “A rare domestic rosé that captures the vibrant acidity of Champagne, offering delicate strawberry, raspberry flavors laced with steely minerality and sprinkle of graham cracker on the finish.”

From me: It’s a classic Champagne blend of estate-grown pinot noir and chardonnay with a bit of pinot meunier too from the Yamhill-Carlton AVA in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Shane Moore, who has been at Gran Moraine since 2013 after working in cellars all over the world, from Western Australia to the Golan Heights. took charge of the winemaking in 2016. He’s known for picking his fruit early, explaining “that’s how I was going to achieve the tension and energy that I was seeking from my wines.”

$52.60 at Spec’s

WHITE

2021 Cormorant Cellars White Blend

From me: Charlie Gilmore blended the certified organic grenache blanc (64 percent) and marsanne from Preston Family Vineyards deep in the Dry Creek Valley, during fermentation to “combine the aromas of the wine early in its life.” Like all of Gilmore’s offerings, fermented primarily in 7-year-old barrels, it was bottled unfined and unfiltered and could easily pass as a fine white Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This is a superb first-vintage effort at every level from a winemaker best known for his sauvignon blancs. And it comes in at only 12.9 percent alcohol, perfect for an apero.

$27 at http://cormorantcellars.com/purchase

2020 Saint Tryphon Clement Sangiovese

From the winemaker: “The wine is supple and fresh, with red plum and dusty cherry lead the charge, and a pleasant floral character and smooth, lively tannins, too. I was aiming for this wine to fall somewhere between a Brunello di Montalcino and a DOCG Chianti. It is broad, but not too big, embracing vivacity over power.”

From me: The quote above from Silouan Branford, Saint Tryphon’s owner-winemaker, was shared by Russ Kane in his http://vintagetexas.com. The “Texas Wineslinger” also shared the wine, bless him. The Brunello clone fruit from Neal Newsom’s High Plains vineyard was subjected to wild fermentation and thrice daily punch-downs. One barrel aged in new French oak.

$45 at http://sainttryphon.com

RED

2018 Rouge Bleu Lunatique

From me: Winemaker Caroline Jones, who hails from Australia, worked only with grenache from Rhone Valley floor vines, most of them growing in Sainte Cecille between Gigondas and Châteauneuf-du-Pape, that were planted in 1910. The “lunatic” reference relates to the fact that the grapes are biodynamically farmed, not to either Jones’ or her French husband Thomas Bertrand’s mental state. The wine is equal parts powerful and elegant.

$53 at French Country Wines

2020 Tenuta Luce LaVite Lucente

From the winemaker: “The nose is rich in black fruits such as blueberries and blackberries, accompanied by a light balsamic and pan brioché note. The palate is soft supported by a nice freshness, with enveloping tannins and a long fruity aftertaste.”

From James Suckling, who scored it a 93: “A rich and flavorful red showing subtle cocoa powder, roasted spices, cassis and sweet berries. Juicy and medium- to full-bodied on the palate with fine tannins and a long, polished finish.”

From me: A beautiful intersection of quality and value, this one. It will pair splendidly with haute cuisine or hamburgers. Interestingly, the winery was initially a visionary collaboration between Vittorio Frescobaldi and Robert Mondavi plus their sons Lamberto and Tim respectively. Lamberto took charge by his lonesome when the Mondavi family pulled out of the partnership in 2005.

$23.99 at http://wine.com

2021 C. L. Butaud Cease & Desist Red Blend

From the winemaker: “For the Cease & Desist wines we have made here in Texas, we start with a base of our flagship tempranillo, tipping our hat to the red blends of Spain from Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Toro, et al. Blended in the past with syrah and mourvèdre, these wines have been voluptuous, showstopper wines, with my artistic focus based more on the hedonistic pleasure of drinking robust and velvety wines.”

From me: Houston native Randy Hester began Ceast & Desist as a California project, with grenache front and center. But that variety struggles in Texas so Hester deftly shifted gears. Note that it comes a very heavy bottle, often a marketing tactic that confers gravitas to wines that lack same. Not in this case, folks.  

$48 at http://clbutaud.com

2021 Juggernaut Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

From the winemaker: “Aromatics of cherries, raspberries, ripe strawberries, caramelized brown sugar with an element of earth and subtle black tea leaf. Flavors of plush red fruits, red plum, rich viscosity and lingering vanilla bean and baking spices.”

From me: Juggernaut says its wines “harness the power of nature to produce robust, compelling wines.” Exhibit A would be this pinot, which spent an average of 12 months in both new and used oak. It packs a lot of flavor — vanilla is prominent — without being overly tannic.

$21.99 at http://wine.com

2017 RIVENYATES Kerrville Hills

From me: John Rivenburgh, who purchased Kerrville Hills in 2018, earned a reputation as a tannat savant during his previous tenure at Bending Branch Winery, which he and Dr. Robert Young co-founded in 2009. Ron Yates, in turn, may be Texas’ greatest champion of the tempranillo grape. Being good friends, they pooled their passions, became “co-conspirators” and created this truly unique bright red gem of a Texas High Plains wine. It opens slowly but closes fast.

$60 at http://kerrvillehillswinery.com

Which is to say, in Italian, the whole world is a country, and a small one at that. The last time Jeremy Parzen and I convened for a podcast, I brought up a favorite new wine of mine, the Smith-Madrone Riesling, which you read about in my most recent “Sippin’ with Sporty” blog. Well, as it happens, Julie Ann Kodmur, who is married to Stu Smith — yep, the Smith in Smith-Madrone — grew up in the same La Jolla neighborhood where Parzen’s family lived. In his words, she “was like a big sister to me.” And, he added, “Julie Ann was just enough older than me to be my baby-sitter.”

Damn.

But then last week I received an email from the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo announcing the winners of its International Wine Competition. In a field of 2,985 wines representing 22 countries, Smith-Madrone’s 2018 Riesling had earned Reserve Grand Champion honors.

Damn again.

Full disclosure: Best as I can recall, I’d somehow never crossed paths with a Napa Valley riesling — never mind one that made me say, “Wow!” — before my fortuitous meeting with the Smith-Madrone, which drinks like a great Alsatian or Mosel riesling.

The fruit grows on the vertiginous Spring Mountain above St. Helena, a place I’d always associated with chardonnay because of the historic Stony Hill Winery located nearby. And you can’t get any higher on Spring Mountain than Smith-Madrone, whose vines grow at elevations of 1,200 to 1,900 feet — and above the fog line, as shown above.

Stuart Smith took a hike through the forests up there in 1970. It was love at first sight, and height. In only a year’s time, he had founded his winery and, in 1973, brother Charlie came on board. (The Smiths are pictured here.) The first vintage put in the bottle was 1977. And, in 1996, Stuart and Kodmur were married. A year later, she launched the marketing/consulting firm (http://julieannkodmur.com) that she still runs all by her lonesome.

So who’s Madrone, you ask? It’s neither a he nor a she but rather a tree species that grows prolifically on Spring Mountain.

Kodmur apologizes for not remembering anything wild and crazy about her childhood friendship with Parzen. “We lived two or three blocks apart on Avenida Cresta,” she said. “Our mothers were close friends, so we saw a lot of each other. We’d go down to the tide pools . . . ride bikes . . . just had fun.” Yet, serendipitously and fortuitously, they both ended up in the business of promoting wine despite educational detours. She would earn a Master’s in art history; he a Doctorate in Italian, which he speaks fluently.

Besides, obviously, Smith-Madrone, Kodmur’s clients include Aridus, Castello di Amorosa, BARRA of Mendocino, Notre Vue Estate, Kelly Fleming Winery, Silver Trident Winery, Hawk and Horse Vineyards, Calla Lily Estate, Meyye, Appellation St. Helena, Spring Mountain District Association and, on a pro bono basis, the Sunrise Horse Rescue, Jameson Animal Rescue Ranch, Nimbus Arts and The Cameo Cinema.

I hope to visit the Smiths and Kodmur in Napa before the 2024 Rodeo (February 27-March 17) and further explore their beautiful story. Also, I haven’t been on Spring Mountain since before the disastrous 2020 Glass Fire and I will likely find it a different place than I remember with such fondness. Fortunately, Smith-Madrone suffered no catastrophic infrastructure losses unlike several of their neighbors, but their forests were devastated. And many trees that didn’t burn had to be felled to prevent future catastrophes.

Smith said of his massive logging effort after the conflagration: “It breaks my heart to do this. The area where the timber is coming from was a beautiful Douglas fir forest. Now it’s not. To protect ourselves and the mountain, we need these trees gone.”

His mantra today? “Fire-safe farming.” Brilliant. Like his riesling.

The 2024 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition champions, determined during a weekend of judging in mid-November, are listed below. To see the medalists, go to http://rodeohouston.com/rodeo-uncorked-wine.

• Grand Champion Best of Show – Beau Joie Brut Champagne AOC, NV
• Reserve Grand Champion Best of Show – 2018 Smith-Madrone Riesling, Spring Mountain District
• Top Texas Wine – 2021 Meierstone Vineyards The Airship Red, Texas High Plains
• Top Red Wine – 2018 Marchesi di Barolo DOCG
• Top White Wine – 2022 Perissos Vineyards and Winery Winemaker’s Reserve Pape Blanc, Texas High Plains
• Top Sparkling Wine – Champagne Telmont Reserve Brut Champagne AOC, NV
• Top Dessert Wine – 2020 Quady Winery Essensia Orange Muscat, California
• Top Region Wine – 2022 TerraNoble CA1 Carmenere Andes, Colchagua Valley DO
• Top Value Wine – 2022 Animus Vinho Verde DOC
• Top Wine Company – E & J Gallo Winery
• Top Region Wine Company – Winebow Imports
• Top All-Around Winery – Nice Winery
• Top Texas Winery – Becker Vineyards
  rodeohouston.com/rodeo-uncorked-wine

The Sports Page

Raising a glass to . . . Alphonse Dotson

Russ Kane and our wives recently had a wonderful visit with Dotson, who was in Houston to check on his 105-year-old mother. Fifty years ago next May I met Dotson, who’s 80 himself now, for the first time. The Houston native had come out of retirement to play for the Houston Texans of the World Football League, which I’d been assigned to cover as a 21-year-old soon-to-be newlywed, and we hit it off straight away.

Those Texans didn’t last long — less than a full season in Houston — and I wouldn’t see Alphonse for a long while. But we reconnected years later when I found out he’d become a grape grower and winemaker in Mason County. Chardonnay from his Certenberg Vineyard helped Fall Creek Winery claim Grand Champion White Wine honors in the Rodeo’s 2017 competition. You can read the story I wrote about this remarkable achievement at https://www.houstonchronicle.com/food/article/Champion-rodeo-chardonnay-from-Texas-a-story-of-10981264.php.

Dotson is delighted to report that his mom is still sharp as a tack, and so is he, although he’s dealing with all the physical issues you would expect of an octogenarian ex-football player. Still, he insists he’s a long way from being finished as a winemaker and I believe him.

Check out what he and his lovely wife Martha have going on at http://dotsoncervanteswines.com. You’ll notice a striking similarity between his bottle label and the logo on the Raiders’ helmet. He may have also played for Kansas City, Green Bay and Miami, plus those hapless Texans, but Alphonse will always be a Raider. He loved Al Davis, and one of Davis’ ownership partners, who lived in Rutherford in the Napa Valley, was responsible for getting interested in wine.

I should also mention that Dotson’s son, Santana, was an NFL star in the 1990s and won a Super Bowl ring with the Packers.

H-Town happenings

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

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

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

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

Sparkling wine tasting: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15. 2515 Harvard St. Free. http://eventbrite.com

The Rado Wine Club Tasting Experience: 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, at the Rado MKT. $50. http://eventbrite.com

Texas Wine Market: Noon-4 p.m. Jan. 24. Bluebonnet Tasting Room, 401 Commerce St., Tomball, $30 presale, $40 at the door. https://checkout.square.site/merchant/MLF89X8DCFFR0/checkout/SSO7TMRRWB7F5JCKE44MGPDX

Follow me

Instagram: http://@sportywineguy

X: @sportywineguy

Facebook: Dale Robertson

Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy, wherever you get your podcasts. A new one, hosted by Jeremy Parzen (yep, that’s us pictured above, sharing a bottle of Marchesi di Grésy Barbaresco in the Piemonte), will be dropping over the weekend. You can follow Parzen’s own blog at http://dobianchi.com.

Friends of mine to follow

Sandra Crittenden: http://winelifehouston.com

Russ Kane: http://vintagetexas.com

Jeffrey Kralik: http://drunkencyclist.com

Katrina Rene: http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com

An eclectic mix for you today, to say the least . . . Cheers!

BUBBLES

Pizzolato Prosecco Fields Brut

From the winemaker: “Aromas of pear, orange blossom, green apple and nettles. Palate delivers lemon zest, pear, white peach and almond, with crisp acidity, consistent refined perlage and a long finish.”

From me: La Cantina Pizzolato, whose organic vineyards cover 58 hectares in the countryside north of Treviso, is said to produce Italy’s best-selling Italian organic wines. Five generations of Pizzolatos have been in the wine business in the Veneto. It seems they’ve got this wine-making thing down pat.

$18.99 at http://wine.com

WHITE

2017 Chêne Bleu Aliot

From the winemaker: “An attractive golden yellow, bright and clear with lime tints. Rich and complex aromas with notes of toasted vanilla, rich ripe white fruits and a touch of hazelnut and brioche. Lovely rich and fresh primary flavors linger, supported by a natural acidity which extends the finish. The palate mirrors the nose with buttery notes, white fruits and a saline minerality.”

From Jeb Dunnuck, who scored it a 96: “It sports a still-vibrant gold hue as well as an awesome nose of buttered pineapple, white flowers, brioche and marzipan. This carries to a medium-bodied white with beautiful overall balance, a rich, layered mouthfeel, nicely integrated acidity and a gorgeous finish. This stunningly good white will stand up to the best from the Rhône. I’d say it’s fully mature now, but guessing the drinking window on Rhone whites is fraught with peril.”

From me: A classic Southern Rhone blend of roussanne (55 percent) and grenache blanc (38) plus clairette and rolle, it over-delivers even at 50-plus bucks and pairs splendidly with hard-to-pair dishes, even those that are asparagus-centric. No, really.

$55 at http://doubledecanted.com

2021 Cormorant Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Dry Creek Valley

From the winemaker: “I have been making this Sauvignon Blanc since August 2018. The organic Sauvignon Blanc comes from Martorana Family Vineyards in Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County. The wine is fermented in a few drums and a couple of French oak barrels. Stirring the barrels a few times each year enables the wine to build mouthfeel.”

From me: It’s all unfined and unfiltered savignon blanc from Dry Creek’s Martorana Vineyards. And, at 12.7 percent alcohol, feel free to pour yourself a third glass . . . if you’re not driving. Really refreshing, this one.

$24 at http://cormorantcellars.com

2018 Smith-Madrone Riesling

From the winemaker: “Aromatically, the wine opens with Meyer lemons, pomelo, orange flowers, and just a dab of mandarin orange hiding shyly behind a rose bush. This is all backed up with a solid dose of minerality. On the palate the wine is racy and beautifully balanced with a backbone of juicy fruit acidity. Wonderfully stylish and delicious and built to last.”

From James Suckling, who scored it a 92: “This is bright and full of energy with notes of tangerines, sliced pears and spices. Attractive minerality to it with a medium body and round, creamy texture. Bright acidity and a flavorful finish.”

From me: I’m actually sipping this one as a write, and it’s indeed special — fruity and flowery but surprisingly complex with a veneer of Old World elegance despite its Spring Mountain provenance. I don’t drink a lot of riesling, and certainly not from California, but that may have to change thanks to the folks at Smith-Madrone.

$33.99 at http://wine.com

2022 Goosecross Chardonnay Napa Valley

From the winemaker: “The 2022 vintage displays a beautiful bouquet of vibrant summer peaches, golden pear, banana, toasted brioche, and bergamot lemon. There is a burst of freshness and balance on the palate highlighted with bright flavors of green apple, honeydew melon, kiwi fruit, lemon meringue, graham crackers and green tea.”

From me: Winemaker Bill Nancarrow aged half the wine in steel tanks on the lees and the other half in French Oak, also on the lees. It’s Old World in style but the bright Carneros fruit shines through nonetheless.

$46 at http://goosecross.com

ROSÉ  

2021 ViNO Rosé Sangiovese Columbia Valley

From the winemaker: “Lovely pale pink hue, beautiful, vibrant, and pure. Passion fruit, wild strawberry, watermelon, tarragon and white lilac rise up to a crescendo. Focused and long with orange blossom, hints of star anise and juicy white nectarine. The wine is dry and refreshing like a sunny day in a mountain meadow.”

From James Suckling, who scored it a 92: “A fragrant nose of sliced apple, rose and orange blossom. Medium-bodied. Rather fresh and mineral with good depth and presence. Very tasty.”

From me: Charles Smith strikes again. I can’t think of anyone who delivers more value and quality in the same bottle than the magic man from Washington state. This 100-percent sangiovese pink has been around since 2014, but I only recently discovered it at Costco. My bad!

$11.99 at http://wine.com

2022 Hampton Water

From the winemaker: “This beautiful wine reflects South of France know-how and terroir, paying a tribute to the Hamptons and South of France’s art de vivre.”

From Decanter, which scored it a 90: “A joint-project between Languedoc wine maestro, Gerard Bertrand, Jon Bon Jovi and Bon Jovi’s son, Jesse Bongiovi, this rosé is inspired by those of Provence but has its own identity. Ripe, fresh cherry and strawberry fruit aromas are joined by a herbal touch, while in the mouth it’s impressively sapid and mineral. Flavors of strawberry and herbs lead the way, with some peppery spice emerging on the fresh finish.”

From me: Bertrand first met Bon Jovi when he performed at his annual music festival at L’Hospitalet in the Languedoc and the rest is history. This pink rocks, as it should given the wine’s provenance. As for the name, Bon Jovi has a home in the Hamptons, of course.

$18.99 at http://wine.com

RED

2020 Ridge Geyserville

From the winemaker: “Ripe cranberry and cassis on the nose. Focused dark bramble fruit on the palate, layered with cocoa and clove. Vibrant acidity balances beautifully with opulent fruit and carries through to a long and elegant finish.”

From Decanter, which scored it a 96: “Enormously complex and full of personality. Lots of juiciness and briary-ness, with notes of espresso, soy sauce and gaminess. Very rich, impressive and structured. 2020 was Ridge’s 55th consecutive vintage of Geyserville, a wine that many Ridge collectors consider the winery’s best zinfandel blend. Made from old vines, some of which are more than 125 years old and 60 percent of which are 50 years old or older. That, of course, leads to tiny yields.”

From me: I’ve been a fan of this red field blend since the 1980s but, regrettably, I hadn’t tasted it in recent years. My bad. To be sure, I’m back on the bandwagon.

$37.79 at Specs

2015 Clos de Trias

From Perfectly Provence: “The Norwegian-American winemaker Evan Bakke is known for his sublime winemaking skills. Above all, he specializes in making sultry reds. These get aged for around five years before the date of release, and are grown on the most ancient soil on the planet, over 200 million years old. All of Evan Bake’s collections are biodynamically grown.”

From me: Bakke spent 14 years learning the winemaking craft in California before launching Clos de Trias in the foothills of Mont Ventoux in 2007. He’s got 25 hectares of old vine grenache, the core varietal in this hearty, earthy gem.

$xx at http://aocselections.com

2020 Spicewood Vineyards Tempranillo

From the winemaker: “Aromas of hazelnut and vanilla cream with flavors of cherry cola and figs.”

From me: Ron Yates, the aforementioned winemaker, suggests trying this tempranillo with angel-food cake or a margherita pizza. I can only vouch for how delicious it was with pulled pork, several kinds of mac-and-cheese and leftover Thanksgiving green-bean casserole. Talk about a versatile red . . .

$39.99 at http://spicewoodvineyards.com

2014 Pinea Red Ribero del Duero

From the winemaker: “Fermented and aged entirely in French oak barrels, it comes from Cardisanto, a unique vineyard from which we obtain the best grapes in our Domain. Such an amazing terroir that surprises in the glass due to its structure, acidity, elegant texture and the echo of aromas on the palate.”

From the folks at Timeless Wines: “It’s clean and balanced, and very intense in aromas. As is typical for the varietal, it is rich in black fruit aromas, predominantly blackberry. The use of new oak gives pungent aromas of bitter chocolate, coffee, cedar and smoky notes that give length and depth. It has a powerful attack on the palate, which fills and envelops the palate from start to finish. Full-bodied, it has high tannins and considerable alcohol, although both are very well integrated. It is perfectly balanced on its passage through the mouth, leaving flavors of black forest fruits, blackberries and spices such as clove and black pepper. It leaves a long, harmonious aftertaste. It all comes together in a finish of smoky, slightly bitter notes, which give it great length and a persistence that lasts a long time after drinking.”

From me: Think I can top that assessment? Nope. So . . . what they said.

$150 at http://timelesswines.com

H-Town happenings

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

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

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

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

Wine Dinner Celebrating the Season and Cabernet Franc: 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, at the Atkins House. $85. http://eventbrite.com

The Rado Wine Club Tasting Experience: 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, at the Rado MKT. $50. http://eventbrite.com

Follow me

Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy, wherever you get your podcasts. A new one, hosted by Jeremy Parzen (yep, that’s us pictured above, sharing a bottle in the Piemonte), will be dropping in the next day or two.

Instagram: http://@sportywineguy

X: @sportywineguy

Facebook: Dale Robertson

Our Gourmet Tours’ spring 2024 ramble through Italy’s glorious Piemonte — bookended by two-night layovers in Turin and Milan with a mid-week chow-down at the three-Michelin-starred Piazza Duomo restaurant in Alba — is shaping up nicely, and we still have four spots available.

I spent three days in the Langhe and environs recently catching up with old friends, all of whom will be hosting our stops, and meeting a few new ones, who will also be in the mix over our nine days in my favorite corner of Italy.

As previously noted in this space, our home base for four glorious 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 well-situated headquarters in San Cassiano just west of Alba and the flagship Bricco Roche estate, with its landmark glass Cube that was designed and constructed by the same firm responsible for the Pyramid at the Louvre in Paris.

Note that the Cerettos are partners with chef Enrico Crippa at Piazza Duomo, one of the world’s great restaurants where we’ll lunch after a morning visit to the historic Pio Cesare cellars nearby. They older section dates to the late 19th century and the 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 four that will be prepared by Michelin-starred chefs. Another, Guido, located at the Fontanafredda winery, has a storied history and personal memories that I’ll be excited to share with you. We’ll also have a lunch catered by a Michelin-starred chef at the magnificent Airbnb owned by the Amistà Winery in Nizza, the happening new DOCG carved out of the Barbera d’Asti DOC in 2014. This is new turf for me and it blew me away.

My partner, Pablo Valqui, will soon begin working on finding the perfect hotels, restaurants and tasting venues in Turin and Milan. We’ll convene in the former, which I got to know well during my nearly three weeks spent there covering the 2006 Winter Olympics, on Thursday, May 23, and wrap up our grand adventure in the latter on Saturday, June 1. There will be a quick day trip out to Franciacorta’s bubbles country, too, in order to visit the spectacular Ca del Bosco property.

And, before we hit the wine trail, we’ll 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.

For more information about our destinations, click on the following links. For pricing and bookings, go to http://gourmettours.biz.

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

***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.

The Sports Page

Raising a glass to . . . C.J. Stroud

The Texans’ prized rookie quarterback out-did himself Sunday, beating Tampa Bay 39-37 with his fifth touchdown pass of the afternoon six seconds before the final gun. Stroud threw for an NFL rookie record 470 yards and once again didn’t suffer an interception. His TD-pick ratio is 14-1 through eight games and the Texans are a playoff-contending 4-4 after going 3-14 last season. By his lonesome, Stroud has turned rookie head coach Demeco Ryans into an early coach-of-the-year favorite while all but locking up offensive rookie-of-the-year honors for himself.

H-Town happenings

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

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

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

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

Balboa Wine Dinner: 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, at The Grotto Downtown. $120. http://eventbrite.com

Wine & Real Estate Tasting: 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, at the Texas Real Estate Investment Center. Free http://eventbrite.com

Texas wines made from Italian varietals: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14. Free. 713 664-7581

Napa Valley Vintners Wine Tasting: 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15, at Station 3. $95. http://eventbrite.com

Bowling & Beaujolais In Celebration of Beaujolais Day: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, at Bowl & Barrel. $35. http://eventbrite.com

The French Food & Wine Festival: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, at the Post Oak Hotel. $2169 early bird, $229 regular. French Festival 2023 | FACC Texas

Catena’s Wine Garden: 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, at Brenner’s Steakhouse. $95. http://eventbrite.com

Vino Vinyasa: 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 19, at the C. Baldwin Hotel. $30. http://eventbrite.com

Wine Dinner Celebrating the Season and Cabernet Franc: 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, at the Atkins House. $85. http://eventbrite.com

The Rado Wine Club Tasting Experience: 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, at the Rado MKT. $50. http://eventbrite.com

Follow me

Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy, wherever you get your podcasts. A new one, hosted by Jeremy Parzen (yep, that’s us pictured above, sharing a bottle in the Piemonte), will be dropping in the next day or two.

Instagram: http://@sportywineguy

X: @sportywineguy

Facebook: Dale Robertson

I could go on and on and on about all the wonderful array of wines I’ve tasted over the past six weeks here in la belle France and Italy’s Piemonte, but I’ve limited my touts today to wines that I know you can find without too much rooting around. I’ve added some salient sports stuff, too, free of charge. Cheers!

White

2022 Ceretto Blange Arneis

From the winemaker: “Crisp and bright, it’s a perfect match for the white-wine person who enjoys freshness (over oak) on their palate. With vibrant acidity and enticing aromas of green apple, Bartlett pear and orange blossom intertwined with subtle hints of almond, this wine will pair well with a wide variety of food and is lovely on its own.”

From James Suckling, who scored it a 90: “This is fresh and floral with notes of lemons, pears, chamomile, jasmine and chalk. Medium-bodied with juicy acidity and vivid, citrusy character. Flavorful finish.”

From me: This was the first arneis I had ever tasted and, hundreds of bottles later, it continues to be my favorite. The Cerettos didn’t save this once-obscure varietal from extinction, but, with their huge production, super-cool label and consistently excellent quality, they deserve as much credit as anyone for its current popularity.

$22.99 at http://wine.com

Pink

2022 Chêne Bleu Le Rosé

From the winemaker: “Fresh but disciplined. A blend of syrah and grenache, our Le Rosé is a finely textured, complex Syrah-Grenache blend.  Importantly, it is made in a multi-step process relying on skin contact – a short maceration, not by the traditional saignée method – in order to reveal the full texture and character of the grape variety and give it nice length and structure.”

From me: This age-worthy pink is a complex blend of grenache (60 percent), syrah (15), vermentino/rolle (12), mourvèdre (8) and cinsault from the Ventoux AOC. It’s equal parts fresh, fruity and floral, with a longer, nuanced finish than you’ll get from most rosés.

$36 at Double Decanted (http://doubledecanted.com)

Red

2020 Pio Cesare Nebbiolo d’Alba

From the winemaker: “The sources of the grapes, enriched by a small proportion of nebbiolo from the Barbaresco and Barolo regions, provide body, structure and a long ageing potential. The fruit is intense and ripe, but at the same time fresh with very sweet tannins. Nice aroma and longevity.”

From James Suckling, who scored it a 92: “Perfumed and floral with hints of citrus. Strawberry. Medium-bodied with firm and fine tannins, and a bright and fresh finish. Pretty. Baby Barbaresco. Drink or hold.”

From me: A mid-1980s Pio Cesare Barolo turned me on to nebbiolo and my love for same has only heightened through the years.

$38.99 from http://wine.com

2021 Pio Cesare Fides Barbera d’Alba

From the winemaker: “Shows full body, balance and concentration. Ripe fruit with a spicy edge. Can be laid down for a very long life in the cellar.”

From James Suckling, who scored it a 94: “A linear and fresh barbera with dark fruit, bark, walnuts and orange peel. It’s medium-bodied with well-integrated tannins. Focused and fine. Sophisticated. Tangy finish. Very long.”

From me: Back in the day, oenophiles didn’t take barbera seriously. These days, that would be a big mistake. Complex, concentrated barberas like this — and those coming out of the relatively new Nizza DOCG — must be taken seriously. I’d also suggest you try the two crazy-good Nizza from Amista that are on the list at Andiron. You’ll very quickly taste what I’m talking about here.

$55.99 at http://wine.com

2020 Domaine de Mourchon Grand Reserve

From the winemaker: “This wine is deep purple in colour with a nose suggesting spices, liquorice and cooked red fruit. The palate is full bodied with elegant fruit intensity, some spice and harmonious tannins.”

From me: A blend of grenache (65 percent) and syrah grown on 60-year-old vines around the lovely village of Seguret in the Southern Rhone Valley, it’s vinified in a mix of barrels and concrete vats. I’ve tried every vintage since 2000 and have never been disappointed.

$31 at http://aocselections.com

2021 St. Pierre de Mejans Côtes de Luberon Rouge Vielles Vignes

From the winemaker: “This red wine from our most beautiful plots delivers strength and power, all coated in sweetness. It’s a beautiful balance between the sun of Provence and the spices of Syrah.”

From me: In a word, it’s simply delicious and pairs splendidly with all manner of meat, fish and fowl. I’d be a huge fan even if the winery’s owner, Wendy Heineken Gobbi wasn’t from the Houston area.

$33 at http://aocselections.com

The Sports Page

Raising a glass to . . . Dusty Baker

They simply don’t come any better than Dusty, who retired this week after the Astros’ Game-Seven ALCS loss to the Texas Rangers. I was of the opinion he should have said his farewells after he became the oldest manager to win a World Series last year, but, in retrospect, Baker made the right call at every level by returning because that’s who he is. If he could claim one championship, he reasoned, why not try to go for a second? And, by sticking around, Dusty treated his players, the media and the fans to an extra priceless year of Dusty.

Sadly, I barely got to know the man because he arrived in H-town just as I was bidding adieu to the city’s press boxes, so I’ll leave to my friend and former colleague Jerome Solomon, the Chronicle sports columnist, to put in proper perspective the remarkable scope of Baker’s first-ballot Hall-of-Fame career:

“The story of baseball cannot be told without including Johnnie B. Baker . . . He broke into the majors as a 19-year-old outfielder in 1968. He shared a box score with Hank Aaron in his first game as a player and carried Satchel Paige’s golf clubs as a rook with the Braves. He finished his playing career on a team with Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco. In Baker’s first game as a manager, 25 years after his debut as a player, Barry Bonds was on his roster. Baker was in the on-deck circle when Aaron hit home run No. 715, and he was in the dugout as a manager when Bonds hit a record 73 homers in 2001.”

Yea, we were truly blessed to have Baker in our midst for four seasons, which became four of the greatest in Astros history:

Pouring one out for . . . H-town’s sports fans

We’ve been through worse times — check out the Oilers’, Rockets’ and Astros’ records in 1972, for example — but have we ever had a more thoroughly disappointing seven-day stretch? Not in my 50-plus years as a resident of Space City. To wit:

• Monday, Oct. 23: The Astros were deprived of an historic third consecutive trip to the World Series by getting blown out 11-4 on their own field by a Rangers team they had routinely pounded all season long.
• Wednesday, Oct. 25: After a promising preseason in which they went 4-1 under new coach Ime Udoka, the Rockets suffered a 30-point thumping in their season-opener at Orlando.
• Thursday, Oct. 26: Dusty retired.
• Friday, Oct. 27: The Rockets succumbed in overtime to the San Antonio Spurs, who were led by their top draft pick, Francis Wembanyama, the generational talent who would have landed in Houston if not for the NBA’s friggin’ draft lottery, which robbed the Rockets of the No. 1 slot.
• Saturday, Oct. 28: The University of Houston Cougars were thoroughly humiliated at Kansas State, going down 41-0 and incurring their first shutout in 23 years and a span of 291 games. They have lost four of their first five games as members of the Big 12.
• Sunday, Oct. 29: Playing at Carolina against the 0-6 Panthers — the NFL’s lone remaining winless team, the Texans were beaten by a walk-off field goal for the second time in three games. Later, the Rockets watched old Warriors nemesis Steph Curry bury them in a flurry of late three-pointers in their home-opener to fall to 0-3.

I should probably also mention the Tennessee Titans’ galling decision to wear throwback Houston Oilers uniforms in their game against Baltimore in Nashville Sunday, At least the scumbags lost.

H-Town happenings

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

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

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

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

VinellIo Wine Club presents Piedmont Collectibles: 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 30. $45. http://eventbrite.com

A Taste of Tuscan Legends: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at Morton’s Steakhouse Downtown. $169. http://eventbrite.com

The Magic of Tuscany: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at Morton’s Grille The Woodlands. $159. http://eventbrite.com

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

Balboa Wine Dinner: 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, at The Grotto Downtown. $120. http://eventbrite.com

Wine & Real Estate Tasting: 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, at the Texas Real Estate Investment Center. Free http://eventbrite.com

Bowling & Beaujolais In Celebration of Beaujolais Day: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, at Bowl & Barrel. $35. http://eventbrite.com

The French Food & Wine Festival: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, at the Post Oak Hotel. $2169 early bird, $229 regular. French Festival 2023 | FACC Texas

Catena’s Wine Garden: 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, at Brenner’s Steakhouse. $95. http://eventbrite.com

Vino Vinyasa: 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 19, at the C. Baldwin Hotel. $30. http://eventbrite.com

Wine Dinner Celebrating the Season and Cabernet Franc: 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, at the Atkins House. $85. http://eventbrite.com

The Rado Wine Club Tasting Experience: 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, at the Rado MKT. $50. http://eventbrite.com

Follow me

Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy, wherever you get your podcasts. A new one will drop in the next day or two. Lots to talk about, particularly regarding my guided tour next spring to the Piemonte. Anyone up for lunching at a three-star Michelin restaurant? Welp, we’ve got four spots open.   

Instagram: http://@sportywineguy

X: @sportywineguy

Facebook: Dale Robertson

And, finally, from my Podcast Partner in crime, Jeremy Parzen, at http://dobianchi.com . . .

“On Friday of last week, the Consorzio dei Vini d’Abruzzo (Abruzzo wine growers association) published this video of its president Alessandro Nicodemi talking about the current peronospora (downy mildew) crisis in Abruzzo. The average drop in production in the 2023 vintage in Abruzzo, he says, is 70 percent, with estimates exceeding 90 percent in some cases. The cause, as has been widely reported, was peronospora, downy mildew, a fungal disease that affects the vines after excessive rainfall. Last week, I led a group of top U.S. sommeliers through the region. Nearly every where we traveled, we saw entire vineyards that had been left unharvested. We also saw many sites where the plants had lost all their vegetation . . .”

Updated 10-17

I used to tell people who asked me — and they would frequently — how I morphed from a sports writer into a wine writer. My pat answer was that covering sports in Houston drove us all of us local ink-stained wretches to drink, and I just happened to choose wine to kill my pain.

During the 20th-century chapter of my career, which began in 1972, H-town’s teams reached at least the semifinals in their respective sports’ playoffs only 11 times with long-gone the hockey Aeros accounting for three of those. In the 21st century? We’ll we’re still waiting for the Texans to get there and the Rockets have done it exactly twice.

By their lonesome, however, the Astros, however, have evolved from being reasonably decent to becoming inarguably dynastic since I turned in my press pass in February of 2019. Their showdown with the Texas Rangers for the American League pennant, which begins tonight at Minute Maid Park, extended their streak of seven consecutive ALCSs to an AL-record seven. And it’s their ninth opportunity — ninth! — to play for a league pennant since 2004.

Hence, my why-sports-to-wine explanation would hardly hold water anymore. Only the 1990s Atlanta Braves, with eight, have played for more pennants in a row. And that record comes with a qualifier because those weren’t consecutive. Remember, there wasn’t a postseason in 1994 thanks to baseball’s last major labor squabble.

Early on, I was fortunate enough to be thrown onto the Houston Aeros bandwagon when they were the twice-defending World Hockey Association champions. And they made it to the finals again in 1976, although, on my watch, they got swept 4-0 in the Avco Cup Finals by the Winnipeg Jets.

The Love ya Blue Oilers reached back-to-back AFC Championship Games after the 1978 and 1979 seasons, only to lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers badly (34-5) in the first, then again a year later when a blown call negated a Mike Renfro touchdown and ruined their chances of pulling off an epic upset that would have sent them to the Super Bowl. No Houston NFL team has played in a conference championship game since . . . not that anyone in our neighborhood needs reminding.

The Rockets reached their first NBA Finals in 1981 — 10 years after relocating from San Diego — despite a sub-.500 record during the regular season, then returned in 1986 with a shocking victory over the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Both times, though, the Boston Celtics put them back in their place, as did the Mets to the Astros in the 1986 NLCS in their first-ever chance to claim a pennant — almost a quarter-century after they joined the National League.

The Larry Dierker-era Astros fell short of the NLCS three years running and four times in five seasons. Phil Garner got them there in 2004 — after which the St. Louis Cardinals shut the door in a gripping seven-game series — and, finally, into the World Series a year later. But a 4-0 sweep by the Chicago White Sox left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. Still, our baseball franchise has now advanced this far on 10 different occasions, compared to nine by the Rockets (seven), Oilers (two) and Texans (zero) combined.

By any measure, no matter how much the Texans and the Rockets of late have disappointed us, we’re living in the golden age of sports in Houston, all thanks to the Astros. When I raise or, better, quaff a glass to what they’ve accomplished on Jim Crane’s watch, there’s no pain to be killed.

So, cheers, Jim! And thank you for making me regret my exiting, stage right, just when the going got great. Terrible timing, obviously. But, hey, I got old waiting.

H-Town happenings

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

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

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

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

Houston Chronicle Culinary Stars: 6:30-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, at the Houston Chronicle. $125-$175. HC Live Series: Events & Ticketing | Houston Chronicle Culinary Stars (evvnt.events)

Annual Texas Wine Dinner, featuring Ready Vineyards: 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, at the Rainbow Lodge. $165. www.rainbow-lodge.com/texas-wine-dinner

VinellIo Wine Club presents Piedmont Collectibles: 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 30. $45. http://eventbrite.com

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

Marvino’s Italian Steakhouse Wine Dinner: 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16. $99 plus tax and gratuity. http://marvinositaliansteakhouse.com

The French Food & Wine Festival: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, at the Post Oak Hotel. $2169 early bird, $229 regular. French Festival 2023 | FACC Texas

Follow me

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

Instagram: http://@sportywineguy

X: @sportywineguy

Facebook: Dale Robertson

Others to follow

Jeremy Parzen (http://dobianchi.com)

My Podcast partner in crime writes: “I’ve never owned a gun. Never wanted to own a gun. Have always tried to avoid guns. Once, back when I was a teenager and my father was living in Arizona, one of his friends shamed me into using a rifle to kill a rattlesnake we discovered while on a hiking trip. It was one of the worst experiences of my adolescence.It was the last time I handled a gun. Tracie and I share a personal aversion to guns. We are avid supporters of anti-gun groups. Yet, last night, a friend wrote me to share his family’s solidarity with ours and in case I felt the need, he’d be happy to give me a weapon . . .”

Sandra Crittenden (http://winelifehouston.com)

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

Russ Kane (http://vintagetexas.com)

The Texas Wineslinger writes: “

I hope you are enjoying the cooler weather.

It’s Fall and it’s time for some Hill Country wine at the Hill Country Wineries Fort Worth Road Show on November 6, 2023, at Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. This event will feature wines from 20 Texas Hill country wineries. See details below . . .”

 Jeff Kralick (http://thedrunkencyclist.com)

The DC writes: “I am currently experiencing a phenomenon that I could not have fathomed a decade ago: I am awash in samples. According to my inventory, I am currently hovering around 200 bottles that were sent to me to taste. Since I am a bit of a math geek, I did some calculations: If I average going through 15 bottles a week (three a day—I try not to “work” on the weekend), that comes out to about 13 weeks of wine. A quarter of a year . . .”

Katrina Rene (http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com)

Kat writes: “I absolutely love the Wedding Oak Wine Train and had an absolute blast when I rode it last summer. Check out my video recap as well as my blog post . . .”