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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The top two finishers in each category:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 2023 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition champions:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* Top Wine Company – E&J Gallo Winery

* Top Region Wine Company – Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits

* Top All-Around Winery – Becker Vineyards

* Top Texas Winery – Messina Hof Winery

Grand Champion Best of Show wines though the years:

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

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

* 2021 – Alexander Valley Vineyards CYRUS Alexander Valley 2014

* 2020 – Piper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne

* 2019 – Graham Beck Brut Rosé South Africa 

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

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

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

* 2015 – Rombauer Vineyards Diamond Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

* 2014 – Antinori Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore 2009

* 2013 – Alexander Valley Vineyards Cyrus Alexander Valley 2008

* 2012 – Antinori Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore 2007

* 2011 – Alexander Valley Vineyards Cyrus Alexander Valley 2006

* 2010 – Davis Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2005

* 2009 – Vina Robles Suendero Paso Robles 2006

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

* 2007 – Clos du Bois Marlstone Alexander Valley 2003

* 2006 – Raymond Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2001

* 2005 – Hang Time Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley 2003

* 2004 – Alexander Valley Vineyards CYRUS Alexander Valley 1999

I’ve had several memorable visits with wine folks over the last several weeks and I’d like to share their stories with you, at least briefly. In order, they were . . .

Tony Parker

La Mascaronne

Yep, that Tony Parker, the basketball player, the guy who won four NBA championships over his 17 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and who, as of this weekend, is a finalist for the Basketball Hall of Fame. He’s also the part-owner of La Mascaronne, a gorgeous winery on a lovely spot in the Var above St. Tropez that American Tom Bove oversaw until he sold it to the entrepreneur Michel Reybier, who subsequently brought in Parker as a partner. Back in 2000, Reybier paid $115 million for the famed Bordeaux estate Cos d’Estournel and remains its proprietor.

Parker grew up French, of course, and began drinking wine as soon as he was old enough to buy it — well, maybe a little before then — but it was his long, fruitful relationship with Spurs coach Greg Popovich, a hyper-serious oenophile, that turned him into a knowledgeable consumer in his own right. If Parker and Popovich weren’t talking hoops on Spurs flights, they were talking wine. And they are still talking. Parker splits his time between Texas and Lyon, where he owns the men’s and women’s pro teams. He still frequently picks Pop’s brain on matters of personnel and strategy.

And wine.

“It was nice to have a coach share his passion with me,” Parker said. He might have added, “And his palate.”

I spent quality time on the phone with Parker recently and I’m hoping to speak with Popovich, too, when the Spurs return from the All-Star break for a story I’ve been asked to write for the San Antonio Express-News. Basketball-wise, it has been a terrible year for the 74-year-old coach, his worst ever in fact, but he can find some solace in a wine collection that numbers in the thousands of bottles. I’d bet Pop even has a few left from the historically great 1982 vintage in Bordeaux, which also happens to be Parker’s birth year.

An intriguing coincidence, to be sure.

Giorgio Pelissero

Pelissero, a third-generation grape-grower/vintner in Treiso in the heart of the Barbaresco country (pictured above with yours truly), has been making wines under his family name since 1989, 29 years after the first Pelissero vintage was released, and they are across-the-board excellent. He’s especially proud of his dolcettos because, rather than pull out those vines and replace them with nebbiolo like so many of his neighbors have done, he’s defiantly leaving them to thrive right where they are, in places he knows aren’t conducive to making Nebbiolo d’Albas.

Given nebbiolo’s exalted status in the world’s wine pecking order, is it a good business decision? He doesn’t care.

“(Winemaking) for me is a passion, not a business,” Pelissero explained. “I don’t like the word ‘business.'”

You’ll be able to taste Pelissero’s wines at Sofia in the Heights March 3 (see below) and hopefully the Long Now Langhe Rosso, a particularly compelling 50-50 nebbiolo-barbera blend, will be in the mix. The name pays homage to the Long Now Foundation, founded in 1996 to foster “long-term” thinking. Or, as the website explains, “Our work encourages imagination at the timescale of civilization — the next and last 10,000 years — a timespan we call the long now.”

Yes, Pelissero’s wine is age-worthy.

Sam Jaoude

Jaoude, who now lives in Houston, had been importing a variety of goods and food items from his native Lebanon for a number of years before he decided to explore the possibility of bringing in wines, too. But, while most consumers had heard of Lebanon’s most widely distributed producer, Chateau Musar, he would be starting ground zero with the wineries he began to consider for his portfolio.

Most were tiny, family-run businesses with no infrastructure for exporting, so they were eager to speak with him. Ultimately, he settled on a group of 15 that checked all the right boxes — from diverse producers, many of them relying heavily on indigenous grapes that grow no place else such as obaideh, merwah, meksassi, and sobbagiegh — then, fingers crossed, submitted samples to the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo International Wine Competition last fall.

He wouldn’t be disappointed. Some 21 of them earned medals with four claiming golds and a fifth, which garnered a silver, being saluted as a Reserve Class Champion. If you’re attending the Rodeo Uncorked! Best Bites event Sunday night, do make a beeline to Jaoude’s table and give them a taste. I have and you will not be disappointed.

I’ve got a comprehensive story coming for the Chronicle as soon as the wines arrive in bulk in Houston and find some kind of retail outlet, so watch this space. It will appear here as well.

“The Trio”

Phelicia Colvin, Sheri Lawal Price and Tamesha Hampton, friends from Pearland who all have good day jobs and kids to raise, thought they needed another plate in the air. So they launched Wine Vibes (https://winevibes.revelup.online), a micro-winery in Missouri City where they make their own non-vintage wines from purchased grape juice from California, North Carolina and even Tennessee while serving chef Phillip Hare’s excellent munchies in a casual, airy bistro with a fine little patio out front.

For the moment, they’ve got a still moscato, a chardonnay, a cabernet and what they call — for obvious reasons — The Trio, an equal parts blend of syrah, petite sirah and zinfandel. It was my favorite, but all the wines are quite quaffable. Two more are coming, a reisling and a rosé, just in time for spring. They’ve also got a sangria they’re quite proud of, but it wasn’t available for sampling the night I visited.

The idea began to germinate for Colvin 14 years ago when she visited Napa Valley to attend a wedding and became intrigued by the whole winemaking thing. Many conversations with her eventual partners later and lots of heavy lifting, made way harder by the pandemic, Wine Vibes opened on Feb. 7 at 9018 Sienna Crossing Dr, Suite 100. They had wanted the business to be located in Pearland for convenience’s sake, but Brazoria County, oddly, doesn’t allow micro-wineries. Its loss, Fort Bend County’s gain.

Steve Matthiasson

Matthiasson, who wanted to be a farmer as far back as he can remember, took his first vineyard job in 1994. By 1999, he had co-authored the California manual on sustainable vineyard practices. He arguably knows as much as the myriad terroirs and micro-climates in Napa Valley as anyone alive or dead. We got to sample six very different Matthiasson cabs at a seminar he led for the Houston Sommelier Association last week at the Texas Wine School and it was eye- or, better, palate-opening.

Best of all, this so-called “new wave” winemaker, whose business attire is a T-shirt and blue jeans, is actually an old-school devotee in his “pursuit of balance” approach, which keeps the alcohol levels in his wines routinely below 13 percent.

He and his wife, Jill, will celebrate their 20th harvest in 2023. Today, they have their own winery and own three vineyards outright, one of which in West Oak Knoll features, besides cab franc, merlot and petit verdot, the way lesser known — in California anyway — ribolla gialla, tocai friulano and schioppettino varietals that are each well-suited for the alluvium soils around the nearby Dry Creek. In all, the Matthiassons farm some 55 acres, all of which are certified organic. 

How much does soil type matter. A lot, he said. Grapes grown in volcanic dirt, for example, tend to deliver the most satisfying tannins.

BUBBLES

2019 MacRostie Sparkling Brut

From the winemaker: “Expressive aromas of white flowers such as jasmine, as well as bright lemon citrus notes that are both lively and inviting. On the full, impeccably balanced palate, the wine’s crisp acidity melds elegantly with the mouth-filling, slow-forming bubbles.”

From me: If you’re intrigued by this delightful sparkler, which was made in the classic champagne style, you better pounce now. It’s listed on the MacRostie website as a “last call.”

$48 at macrostiewinery.com

PINK

2022 Sophie Marie Rose

From the winemaker: “Flavors of freshly picked cranberries, rose petals, and ripe raspberries. This wine has structure, a bright acidity, and light floral notes. It shows shows elegance, youthful sass and the beginnings of boldness and maturity.”

From me: Named for the Messina Hof founders first grandchild, it’s the first Sophia Marie made from sangiovese. Hopefully, it won’t be the last.

$19 at http://messinahoforderport.net

RED

2018 Newton The Puzzle Napa Valley

From the winemaker: “Deep ruby color with a purple hue. Notes of black fruit, bay leaf and sage mingle with iodine and oyster shell characteristics, creating an extremely complex and pleasant bouquet. Wonderful now, but can age for another two decades.”

From James Suckling, who awarded a score of 95: “Dried violets, potpourri, pine, blackcurrants and cloves on the nose. Ash, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, silky tannins. Layers of juicy blue and purple fruit and flowers. So sleek and refined. Builds on the palate. From organically grown fruit.” 

From me: It’s a beautiful cab-centric Bordeaux-style blend with all five grapes playing nicely in the mix. But the percentages vary slightly from year to year, which presumably explains the “puzzle” thing. Suckling suggested holding it until 2024 and I would except, sadly, I don’t have another bottle.

$135 at http://newtonvineyard.com

H-town happenings

Updated Feb. 23

Fantinel Wine Dinner — 7 p.m. Thursday, February 23 at Roma. 713 664-7581. $89 plus tax and gratuity http://romahouston.com

Bordeaux Undiscovered — 6-8 p.m. Monday, February 27, at Studio 3. http://eventbrite.com

A Night in Friuli — 4-Course Wine Dinner with Volpe Pasini & Schiopetto

6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27, at Sofia. $150 713 804-0429. http://www.tratoriasofia.com

A Night In Piemonte with Pelissero Vineyards — 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 3, at Sofia. $22. http://eventbrite.com

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

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

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

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

The Sports Page

Raising a glass to . . . the Astros

Spring is springing and baseball’s back!!!! They return to work in Florida as defending World Series champions, and none too soon with the Rockets and the Texans on the bottom of their respective sports’ heaps.

Follow me

Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy  

Instagram: sportywineguy

Twitter: @sportywineguy

Facebook: Dale Robertson

Others to follow

Jeremy Parzen (http://dobianchi.com)

My podcast partner in crime extolls the virtues of being a blogger over being a mere “influencer.” One of his students at the Slow Food University in Bra, Italy, has launched a blog and Parzen couldn’t be prouder of her.

Sandra Crittenden (http://winelifehouston.com)

Sandra reviews the new Greek-centric tasting menu at March, a restaurant clearly deserving of some love in the form of stars from the Michelin people.

Russ Kane (http://vintagetexas.com)

The Texas Wineslinger goes deep with C. L. Butaud’s Randy Hester about his unique and excellent new Blanc de Noir, a still 50-50 blend of grenache and mourvèdre from West Texas fruit. I can vouch for it, having tasted the wine with Kane.

Jeff Kralick (http://thedrunkencyclist.com)

Jeff weighs in on one of his favorite online wine sites, Last Bottle, which has been sued by Beckstoffer Vineyards for, among other things, breach of contract, false advertising, and trademark infringement. Oh dear.

Katrina Rene (http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com):

Kat’s latest post features six wines she recommended for Valentine’s, but that’s perfectly OK. They’re still good, right?

This post has nothing to do with wine, but those of you who still follow the Texans may find it interesting. I first interviewed DeMeco Ryans on his 23rd birthday, which coincided with his first Texans training-camp practice in 2006. I’ve rarely been more impressed with a rookie than I was with the well-spoken Ryans, who, 17 years later, has returned as the Texans’ head coach . . . still trying to get them to the Super Bowl.

The prospect of having an undersized rookie start for them at middle linebacker this season should make the Texans cringe.

Except for one thing. Last year an undersized rookie started at middle linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks, who weren’t seen cringing until they had lost the Super Bowl.

No, Lofa Tatupu couldn’t beat the Pittsburgh Steelers by his lonesome. That would have been a bit much to ask. But, fresh from the playing fields of Troy, the USC product definitely had a good enough season on Seattle’s behalf for everyone in Houston to keep an open mind about DeMeco Ryans, a Tatupu type who lined up in the middle for the Texans’ defense Monday morning.

“Ideally, it’s nice to have a veteran in that position,” concedes defensive coordinator Richard Smith, who is quick to remind that Ryans isn’t yet permanently ensconced as the MLB. “But if the cards are dealt another way, that’s all right, too. Right now the position is competitive. We moved him to the ‘Mike’ today. You never know what might happen tomorrow. Everybody’s trying to earn a position.

“We’re really pleased with what we saw in the mini-camps and off-season work. DeMeco is very knowledgeable and was obviously well-coached in college. (The job) isn’t too big for him. We think his movement skills are perfect for the position. He’s smart. He’ll handle it. He upgrades the athletic ability at the position.”

Defying conventional wisdom, the Seahawks had reached the same conclusions last summer about Mosi Tatupu’s son and look how nicely things panned out for them. The conference title was the first for the franchise in its 30 seasons.

Like Tatupu, Ryans comes from a college football colossus, Alabama. He knows what big games in front of big crowds are all about, so he’s psychologically prepared for the aura of the NFL, as was the former Trojan. Also, Ryans and Tatupu weigh about the same, close to 240 pounds. And, although Ryans lost points with the pickiest draft analysts because he’s “short” for an NFL linebacker, he’s 6-1, which makes him an inch or two taller than Tatupu.

The Texans love his intelligence and athleticism. They have concluded there’s only one real question to answer about the man they made the first pick of the second round of the draft: Can he handle calling the defensive signals and still play instinctively? Smith will spend the preseason ferreting out the answer.

“As with anything,” the coach said, “he’s going to learn with experience and game-time situations. If he can, it’s a bright spot for the organization.”

Ryans intelligence isn’t at issue. He made the SEC’s Academic All-Conference team in each of his last two seasons at Alabama.  Head coach Gary Kubiak calls him “studious” in the classroom and “accountable” on the field.

“The kid loves to play,” he said. ” If you could see him in a meeting room and the way he goes about his business for Joe (Marciano) and our team, he’s like a seven or eight year veteran already. He’s a great kid, and we knew that. His character is tops, and is football is pretty good, too.”

Ryans, for his part, doesn’t appear to be overly stressed by the responsibility he may be asked to bear.

“It’s a little harder,” he said. “In college everybody turned to the sideline and got the signals. Here, one person gets them and relays to the defense. I did it in high school. For me, it’s like going back to high school a little bit.

“You’ve got to have your mental part cleaned up so you can go out and be confident with what you’re doing. If you’re having to think too much you can’t get the job done.”

All things being equal, Ryans admits he prefers  being the MLB to playing on the flanks, but he’ll go where he’s put. After his NFL career officially began on his 23rd birthday – with the opening of his first training camp Friday – he seems excited just to walk onto the field every morning, the heat and the drudgery be hanged.

“I think it was hotter in Alabama,” he said, flashing a smile you’ll see often when he speaks. “I’m just glad I have the opportunity to come out here and compete for a starting job. I’m trying to get better, to hone my skills. I like the middle, but it doesn’t matter. I feel blessed to have the opportunity. A lot of people wish they could be in your shoes. Honestly, I don’t think I could have ended up in a better place.”

Ryans grew up near Tuscaloosa, breathing in the Alabama football tradition from the day he was old enough to know what a football was. The Texans’ comparatively sterile environs couldn’t be more different. He’s taken by the newness of everything,  not the least of which is Kubiak’s coaching staff.

So far, the NFL’s 32nd franchise has only known defeat in its four seasons. Ryans sees a role for himself in changing that.

“I’m in a place where I have a chance to prove something,” he said. “Other teams have had the great players who paved the way. Now I’ve got a chance to be one of those for this organization. Here we’re a new team with new coaches that’s up and coming. I like that. It’s a way to establish our own tradition and get things going in the right way. It’s time to put the bad seasons behind us.”

Coincidentally or not, the Seahawks put their bad seasons – close to three decades worth – behind them with the arrival of Tatupu, who was also a second-round draft pick, taken 45th overall to Ryan’s 33rd.  Informed of the many parallels between the two of them, Ryans replied: “You know, I hadn’t thought about that. But I’d like to go to the Super Bowl, too.”

While might be getting a little ahead of himself there, the Texans have to appreciate his way of thinking.

And they still do. OK, back to wine with my next blog. Gonna be talking about stuff I’ve tasted, fun folks I’ve met and a very cool French tasting event coming up Thursday, March 23, at the Alliance Française Houston in Montrose.