I’m heading back to la belle France Tuesday with mixed emotions. As special as our little Alpine valley may be — can’t wait for those fall colors! — I’m going to be missing out on some great events in Houston over the next several weeks, including a 50-year reunion of the WHA Aeros and a gathering of Luv ya Blue Oilers to celebrate the completion of a documentary about Bum Phillips. I covered both teams for the Houston Post and they remain very dear to my heart. I’ll also be missing out on several wine tastings and winemaker visits.

But, hey, First-World problems, right?

Fortuitously, however, I was still here when Federica Rosy Boffa Pio paid H-Town a visit last week. Her story is remarkable, as of course are the family’s iconic Pio Cesare wines. It’s Federica’s show to run now — never mind that she’s only 25. And she was only 23 when she had to take over for her father, the larger-than-life Langhe legend Pio Boffa, who tragically died way before his time from COVID-19 complications in April of 2021.

She and her cousin, Cesare Benvenuto, who has been involved in the business since 2000, are fifth-generation proprietors. Poised and knowledgeable far beyond her years, Federica speaks proudly of the Pio Cesare team, adding “that’s why it wasn’t so hard” to step into her new role. Benvenuto may have two decades of experience, but he’s practically a new kid on the block compared to Paolo Fenocchio, who has been the enologist and head winemaker since the 1981 harvest.

Breaking news: The tasting tour that I’m leading through Italy’s Piemonte and Lombardy regions next spring (go to http://gourmettours.biz for the dates, itinerary and price) will now include a stop at Pio Cesare. Founded in 1881 by Cesare Pio, it’s the only one located in Alba proper and, hence, it’s the only one that can display the city’s crest on bottle labels as well as being the only a scant grandfathered-in few to produce Barolo outside the legal geographic confines of the DOCG.

The first time I visited Alba — in 1990 while covering the World Cup — I’d already concluded Barolo would forever be a go-to wine for me and Pio Cesare’s Classico was the finest I’d yet tasted. I wanted to go to the winery but, driving in circles, I was never able to find it. There’s no showy presence and the cellars, soon to undergo a significant expansion, are below ground, as all good cellars should be.

Better late than never, I will finally be paying a visit at Federica’s behest in October, getting a chance to taste some of Pio Cesare’s less widely distributed wines, including the beautiful, barrel-aged Fides Barbera d’Alba from the Mosconi Vineyard near Monforte d’Alba. (Pio Cesare also makes a single-vineyard Barolo from grapes grown on that prime piece of real estate.) Note that Fides means “faith” in the Piemontese dialect. The family has always highly valued its barbera wines and Federica promises it always will, which was music to my ears.

These days, producers in the Langhe these days are all too often inclined to pull out barbera and dolcetto vines to plant nebbiolo in order to make far more expensive wines. But, so many of those plots were time-tested for barbera and dolcetto and just don’t work as well for the higher-maintenance nebbiolo.

Federico is also putting her own stamp on Pio Cesare, having immersed herself in bringing a timorasso to the market in the near future. The once-obscure and almost extinct white grape from the Colli Tortonesi neighborhood in the province of Alessandria is trending big-time and she astutely embraced catching the wave.

Losing her father was traumatic when it happened, but the only way to honor his memory was to stay strong and attempt to fill his giant shoes. Like him, Federica enjoys traveling the world to promote the Pio Cesare brand, and she is already an old pro at handling the media attention she’s receiving.

“It is a great honor and I hope my father would be proud,” she told another writer last year. “At the very least, I know he would be happy that I am putting in 100 per cent of my passion, love, care and commitment every day.”

Oh, he’d be plenty proud, Federica.

The Sports Page

Raising a glass to . . . Coco Gauff

Just just 15 in the summer of 2019, Gauff defeated her idol, Venus Williams, and became the youngest woman to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon since Jennifer Capriati in 1991. Less than three years later, she reached the final of the French Open. But Gauff succumbed to the pressure of great expectations both times. In New York Saturday, however, she closed the deal, winning what should, or at least, could be the first of many U.S. Open titles. American tennis badly needs her to stay on form going forward. Ben Shelton, too. He was a surprise Open semifinalist this year. As you know, no American man has claimed a major championship since Andy Roddick in 2003.

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

Three Winemakers, Six-Course Wine Dinner: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12, at Roma. $99. 713 664-7581.

Wine Tasting Event: 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, at The Classy Cork Wine Room. $65. 832-534-1900 or contact@theclassycork.com

Brunello, the Ultimate Sangiovese Tasting with Jeremy Parzen: 6:30-8:30p.m. Tuesday, Sept 19. http://eventbrite.com http://vinellowines.com

Chris Carpenter Wine Dinner: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26, at Mastro’s Ocean Club in The Woodlands. $375 plus tax and gratuity. http://eventbrite.com

Paso Wine Is Headed to Houston: 6-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28, at the Majestic Metro. $65. https://pasowine.com/consumer_events/tasting-tour-houston/

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: “On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was heading to the Atlantic Avenue stop to catch the 2 train that would take me to the Fernet Branca space. Before I left my apartment, I called one of my colleagues to confirm a 9 a.m. meeting. He screamed at me: “Are you fucking crazy? Turn on the TV!” And then he hung up. I went upstairs to my landlord’s apartment and we watched — in absolute disbelief and absolute horror — as the second tower was struck by the plane. Had I not called my colleague, I would have been traveling underneath the World Trade Center right around the time that the second plane hit . . . “

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: “

“We’ve had a phenomenal response to my first Level 2 Advanced Specialist of Texas Wine Course offering and held live via Zoom this past April. Level 1 STW graduates came calling. This first advanced Level 2 class was sold out in less than a month . . .”

 Jeff Kralick (http://thedrunkencyclist.com)

The DC writes: “Over the course of a week, I taste a bunch of wine, usually with friends, and almost always with my wife.  Here are some of the wines we tasted over the past few weeks. These are wines that were not sent as samples—in most cases, I actually paid for these wines (although a few have been given as gifts) . . .”

Katrina Rene (http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com)

Kat writes: “Looking to broaden your white wine horizons? Why not do it for National White Wine Day? Yes, it’s anther “XXX” day, but I do find the wine days are fun ways to explore things I don’t necessarily think about. It’s funny, because when I first started drinking wine, you were hard pressed to get me to drink much white wine. I was all about Pinot Noir and then eventually bolder red wines. You know, after I got past my 5-gallon box of White Zinfandel phase. Hey, we all have to start somewhere! And it was that way for a while. But over the years, things began to shift.”

My circle of friends certainly does its part to keep the wine industry solvent, and my conscience is clear in that regard, too. But lots of folks who have traditionally guzzled wine are dropping the ball to the extent that the French are about to turn 80 million gallons of juice into pure alcohol for the purpose of making hand sanitizer, cleaning products and perfume, and they’re going to be spending some $215 million to do it.

Da hell?

The short explanation is that wine consumption continues to drop globally and the cost of making wine continues to go up, having been dramatically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. The numbers don’t work, so eliminating surplus, France’s agriculture minister Marc Fesneau says, will help “stop prices from collapsing, so that winemakers can find sources of revenue again.”

In 1926, the average French person drank about 136 liters per year. Today, the number is closer to 40. Craft beers and cocktails are a huge part of the reason, but it appears people are also behaving more sensibly, damn them.

France has one of the fastest-growing non-alcoholic drinks markets, Susie Goldspink of IWSR Drinks Market Analysis told the Guardian in late 2022. “Last year, 14 percent of consumers said they were abstainers, whereas this year it was up to 20 percent,” she reported. “Abstainers in France are more likely than in other markets to be from the youngest age group, Generation Z.”

“We have an underlying issue of, ‘How do we better engage with the consumer and make wine more relevant, make wine a relevant choice for consumers that have a lot of options?’” muses Stephen Rannekleiv, the global sector strategist for beverages at Rabobank, a Dutch financial firm specializing in agribusiness.

France, particularly regions in the south such as the Languedoc, went through a similar crisis in the early 20th century when super-cheap Algerian grapes flooded the market and almost destroyed domestic grape-growers. AOC controls first put in place in the 1930s ultimately helped fix that problem, but there’s simply too much wine being made today. High costs — yes, climate change is also part of the problem — plus low demand does not equal a survivable profit margin.

Hence, fewer acres of French land than ever are being used to grow grapes for wine with the government compensating grape growers who rip out their excess vines. Bordeaux grape growers alone, according to the http://winespectator.com, are planning to tear out almost 23,500 acres of vines this year.

And it’s not just French vintners who are suffering. According to the European Commission, wine consumption in 2023 has fallen 34 percent in Portugal, 22 percent in Germany (the same percentage as in France), 10 percent in Spain and 7 percent in Italy. Some doomsayers predict a 20-percent drop in wine consumption by Americans over the next decade.

Most of my Baby Boomer wine buddies have turned 70 or are closing in that milestone, and our doctors insist that we slow down. Therefore, like it or not, we’ll soon become way more of the problem than the solution for our vintner friends. It’s projected that American wine consumption will drop 20 percent over the next decade. Personally, however, I’m going to keep raging against the dying of the light. I will NOT go gentle into the good night without a glass in front of me. No sir!

To sorta quote Willie Nelson, There are more old drunks than there are old doctors, so let’s pop another cork. In vino veritas!

What’s new

Fiora’s Bottle Shop

Natalie Navi, formerly the GM at Paulie’s, and Amir Sed have opened a very cool wine bar/sandwich shop in the Montrose Collective, near the intersection of Montrose Blvd. and Westheimer. Sean McNeely, whom many of us got to know during his tenure at Camerata next to Paulie’s, is the on-site sommelier/manager. Between 15 and 20 wines are available by the glass and some 50 by the bottle, for consumption on site or to take home. The sandwiches, made with Slow Dough bread, are killer — especially the GOAT, which presumably means what it does when people talk about Michael Jordan or Tom Brady . . . Greatest of All Time.

McNeely, FYI, wrote his Master’s thesis at the University of Houston’s Hilton College on sustainability in wine. Hence, Fiora’s happy hour selections will feature juice in cans kegs, and boxes.

http://fiorasbottleshop.com

KOI

From the folks who brought us Zen (http://www.zenjapaneseizakaya.com) on South Shepherd, it’s a couple blocks east of the Collective, in a dramatically reimagined space where Avondale Food and Wine, L’Olivier and, back in the day, a dirty book store where previously located. The food is upscale Japanese and the eclectic wines are well-chosen (by my great friend Amanda Hu, McNeely’s grad-school classmate at UH) to match the edgy cuisine. Loved the cocktail list, too. Try the Tokyo 75, an Asian take on a French 75, of course.

http://koihouston.com

The Library

Jason Eubanks’ unique Spring Branch wine bar, located at 8510 Long Point, will in fact be a library with some 2,000 books about all things wine available for browsing while sipping on premise and a list with library wines front and center, including 1970s Bordeaux, 1960s Barolo and pre-World War II Madeira. Brennan Harmeier, whose previous postings locally include a’Bouzy and Ciel, will serve as general manager/wine buyer. A soft opening is coming this weekend.

http://thelibraryhtx.com

The Sports Page

Raising a glass to . . . Jose Altuve

The Astros’ little big man was having a rare so-so season largely attributable to injuries. But he recorded his 2,000th hit recently, then hit for the cycle for the first time in what will be a Hall-of-Fame career Aug. 28. Even after going 0-for-5 the next night — to quote Craig Biggio, that’s baseball — he’s still batting .316. He’s had seven three-or-more-hit games since July 30.

Pouring one out for . . . Dave Einsel

The former Chronicle photo chief had no peers when it came to shooting football and, back in the day, he had to carry his lab with him on the road with the Oilers. It was a different world, but Einsel, who passed away last week way too soon at 63, was a transcendent talent, a quiet, no-nonsense guy who let his work speak for itself.

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

Grapes and Grooves Festival: 11 a.m.-11:45 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, at the Agora Haus. $70-$350. http://members.agorahouse.com

South African Wine Dinner with Winemaker Clayton Christians: 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 11, at Central Market. $95. http://eventbrite.com

Three Winemakers, Six-Course Wine Dinner: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12, at Roma. $99. 713 664-7581.

Wine Tasting Event: 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, at The Classy Cork Wine Room. $65. 832-534-1900 or contact@theclassycork.com

Brunello, the Ultimate Sangiovese Tasting with Jeremy Parzen: 6:30-8:30p.m. Tuesday, Sept 19. http://eventbrite.com http://vinellowines.com

Chris Carpenter Wine Dinner: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26, at Mastro’s Ocean Club in The Woodlands. $375 plus tax and gratuity. http://eventbrite.com

Paso Wine Is Headed to Houston: 6-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28, at the Majestic Metro. $65. https://pasowine.com/consumer_events/tasting-tour-houston/

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: “There’s a lot more to that deer in the photo (below) than meets the eye. I grabbed it from the Facebook of one of the Brunello producers that I will be presenting at a tasting September 19 in Houston, San Polino. The folks at San Polino have been instrumental in a new movement of winemakers who are rethinking the role of biodynamics in viticulture today. Their work is so compelling that Master of Wine Jancis Robinson has published their findings on biodiversity and mycelia (fungal networks) on her site.”

Sandra Crittenden (http://winelifehouston.com)

Sandra writes: “While big, bold reds are a staple during the winter months, red wine can also be enjoyed all year, especially after chilling in an ice bucket or refrigerator. Many people are drinking their cabernet sauvignon too warm . . .”

Russ Kane (http://vintagetexas.com)

The Texas Wineslinger writes: “If you’ve been anywhere around Texas wines for the past 15 years or so, either at the winery or in just about any major supermarket you’ve seen Becker Vineyards “Claret – Le Trois Dames”. For many years, this was my “gateway” Texas wine for people that ask me for a suggestion and wanted something they could easily find locally . . .”

Jeff Kralick (http://thedrunkencyclist.com)

The DC writes: “Over the course of a week, I taste a bunch of wine, usually with friends, and almost always with my wife.  Here are some of the wines we tasted over the past few weeks. These are wines that were not sent as samples —in most cases, I actually paid for these wines (although a few have been given as gifts) . . .”

Katrina Rene (http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com)

Kat writes: “Looking to broaden your white wine horizons? Why not do it for National White Wine Day? Yes, it’s anther “XXX” day, but I do find the wine days are fun ways to explore things I don’t necessarily think about. It’s funny, because when I first started drinking wine, you were hard pressed to get me to drink much white wine. I was all about Pinot Noir and then eventually bolder red wines. You know, after I got past my 5-gallon box of White Zinfandel phase. Hey, we all have to start somewhere! And it was that way for a while. But over the years, things began to shift.”

My focus today is on big-boy cabs — plus an all-the-boxes-checked merlot and two kick-ass malbecs — that I’ve tasted recently. I know, that sounds insane, given how poorly said wines tend to pair with our relentlessly oppressive heat. But each remains currently available on line, which might not be the case when you feel like drinking them in the dead of winter. In other words, don’t tarry.

Six of wines showcase some of the best mountain-fruit vineyards on both sides of Napa Valley and another is made from grapes grown high above Paso Robles. The provenance of two of the cabs and one of the malbecs is Mount Veeder.

2019 Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon

From the winemaker: “a Deep ruby color with aromas of black plum, blackberry, fig and ripe cherry, framed by toasted oak and caramel. A hint of dried herb and floral notes. The concentrated fruit flavors and integrated tannins introduce a rich, full-body structure. Sweet fruit is balanced with acidity and savory notes of leather and wet stone, ending with a lengthy finish of dark berry, baking spice, and mocha.”

From the Wine Spectator, which scored it a 92: “Ripe and fresh, with sassafras, sweet bay leaf and savory details that lead into a juicy, compact core of cassis and dark plum compote flavors. The modestly toasty finish lets the fruit and savory sides play out, while acidity and tannins underscore everything.”

From me: The three ranches on the Mayacamas slopes where the grapes grow are at elevations of 1,000 to 1,600 feet. When Mount Veeder came on line in 1970 it was the first winery in the area and the first California winery to plant all five of the primary Bordeaux varietals. This vintage includes four, missing only malbec.

$55 at http://mtveeder.com

2019 Peak Edcora Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

From the winemaker: “Showcasing the concentration and complexity of Edcora Vineyard, this wine offers remarkable depth and richness, with powerful aromas of wild berry, cassis, mountain sage, roasted coffee, graphite, smoke and sweet oak. On the beautifully structured palate, rich tannins and and a natural underlying density provide a sense of balance and cohesiveness to luxurious layers of dark berries and wild herbs, with notions of oak spice and adding sweetness and freshness to the dark fruit and volcanic minerality.”

From the International Wine Report, which scored it a 94: ” The wine begins with an inviting aromatic profile of ripe cherries, blackberries and red plums, which are laced with fresh-tilled soil, dried exotic spices, dried florals, herbs and suggestions of cigar box that all emerge from the glass. On the palate this is full-bodied, structured and well-balanced. It continues to impress with its wonderful concentration as well as a gorgeous combination of ripe red/dark fruits, herbs and earthy nuances that extend through the long polished finish. This is impressive in its youth, but should go on to evolve beautifully in the cellar over the course of the next decade.”

From me: Peak’s 78-acre Edcora Vineyard, situated well above the fog line on the eastern side of the valley, abuts the famed Stagecoach Vineyard and also features shallow, iron-rich volcanic soil atop a hard layer of volcanic andesite. The small, thick-skinned grapes are classic mountain fruit.

$175 at http://acumenwine.com

2018 Duckhorn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

From the winemaker: “On the nose, this stunning wine offers a bevy of mountain-fruit aromas including sweet baking spices, black raspberry, currant, and blackberry, with hints of anise, clove, and fresh mint adding nuance and complexity. On the palate it is robust and generous, echoing the aromas in waves of ripe dark berries and spice, with firm tannins and dusty minerality carrying the flavors to a remarkably long, lush finish.” 

From James Suckling, who scored it a 95: “So complex and beautiful now with blackcurrants, olives, bark, and oyster shells. Full to medium body. Resolved, velvety and juicy tannins. Then turns firm and beautiful. Drinkable now but will age beautifully.”

From me: Howell Mountain’s vineyards have long been my reference standard, offering the perfect terroir for growing cab and merlot. Wines made there as early as the late 1890s, when more than 600 acres were already under vine, earned a global reputation for excellence before Prohibition temporarily killed the party.

$109.99 at http://wine.com

2018 J. Lohr Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles

From the winemaker: “Beck Vineyard, in the Creston District of Paso Robles, is a unique, high elevation site that sits at 1,700 feet above the early morning fog line. Its calcareous soils and cooling afternoon winds are perfect for growing cabernet sauvignon. The Cabernet from this vineyard ripens early with excellent color, purity of fruit and phenolic maturity. Incorporation of the rare Bordeaux variety Saint-Macaire brings density, color, and savory elements, while a small amount of Malbec contributes bright fruit notes to the finish. The hand-harvested grapes were destemmed and berry-sorted at the winery followed by a 12 percent saignée which brought concentration to the must prior to fermentation. A short, seven-day maceration revealed luxurious color potential with ideal tannin extraction before pressing.”

From the Wine Enthusiast, which scored it a 96: “Toasty aromas of charred pecan, cocoa nib and espresso give a savory edge to the blackberry-paste base of this luxury-­level bottling. Smoothed-out tannins carry hearty flavors of coffee, cocoa and coconut on the palate, where dark fruit flavors carry deep into the finish.”

From me: Aged 20 months in new French oak, the wine was released on January 1 in honor of founder Jerry Lohr’s 85th birthday.

$109.99 at http://wine.com

2019 Kelly Fleming Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

From the winemaker: “When poured, black cherry, wild raspberry, cedar and lavender aromas begin to emerge. With a bit of time in the glass, these aromas transform into cassis, plum and black licorice notes. The elegantly layered palate gives first impressions of black currant, kirsch, crushed river rock and cocoa dust. It offers finely integrated tannins and balanced acidity.

From me: It’s 100 percent cab, all of which grew in Fleming’s Estate vineyard near Calistoga. Aging also lasted 20 months with 85 percent of the juice in new French oak.

$185 at http://kellyflemingwines.com

2020 Priest Ranch Snake Oil Cabernet Sauvignon

From the winemaker: “It has a beautiful deep and rich ruby color. On the nose, there are pleasant complex aromas of earth and spice with notes of warm chocolate mocha. Hints of blueberry, black cherries, and berry cobbler immediately scream from the glass. This wine has muscular tannins that grip at the beginning and linger to a beautiful silky long finish. Although graceful now, you can cellar for 10 to 15 years.”

From me: The historic Priest Ranch, originally settled by Joshua James Priest in 1849, is now part of the Somerston Estate, which covers 1,615 acres with 222 of them under vine above Soda Valley. Aging of this cab lasted 24 months in oak, 75 percent of it new French barrels.

$110 at http://priestrachwines.com

2019 Brandlin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder

From the winemaker: “The wine is fruit forward with blackberry, and boysenberry notes intertwined with a bouquet of allspice, cardamom and black tea. On the finish, savory hints of cassis, tobacco and olive surf gracefully on the palate and are rounded out by an inviting bed of rich but supple tannins.”

From the Wine Spectator, which scored it a 94: “Very expressive, with zesty anise and apple wood mixed with sassafras and sweet bay leaf flavors, all backed by a dense, polished core of blackberry and açaí berry fruit. Features a hint of tar that adds spine and textural contrast to the finish. Big all around, but everything is well-proportioned.”

From me: The Brandlin family, having emigrated to California from Switzerland in the 1870s, settled on the steep, rocky slopes of Mount Veeder and felt right at home there. Five decades later, in 1926, Henry Brandlin planted his first vines . . . just in time for Prohibition. Things turned out fine, though. Note the provenance of the next wine. Steve Rogstad is on a roll.

$110 from http://brandlinestate.com

Malbec

2019 Brandlin Estate Malbec Mount Veeder

From the winemaker: “From a south-facing slope in the middle of our Brandlin Estate, our 2019 Brandlin Estate Malbec has a lovely bouquet of violets and sandalwood that give way to currant and boysenberry fruit with a hint of cocoa, camphor and black tea. The wine feels expansive, silky smooth and velvety on the finish, belying its mountain origins.”

From me: This beautifully expressive wine, which includes all of the Bordeaux varietals in the blend except merlot, spent 22 months in French oak, half of it new.

$75 at http://brandlinestate.com

2018 Corazon del Sol Gran Riserva

From the winemaker: “A beautiful expression of our finest Malbec barrels from a cooler vintage in Los Chacayes. Small berries and low yields resulted in balanced wines with vibrant acidity. Only a few barrels were hand-selected from our seven acres of estate fruit in pursuit of producing the highest quality malbec in the world.”

From Vinous, which scored it a 93: “Purple in the glass with a garnet sheen. The nose presents notes of fresh plum, hints of violet and aromas from the aging process such as cigar box, and hints of cherry, jam and thyme. It’s a nimble, juicy wine with a refined texture and finely grained tannins with compact freshness. The finish lingers at length.”

From me: Houston cardiologist Madaiah Revana initially made his mark with Revana Family Vineyard in Napa Valley and Alexana Vineyards and Winery in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, but a visit to the high Uco Valley on the Eastern side of the Andes in 2008 convinced him he needed to have a footprint in Argentina’s Mendoza neighborhood, too. Revana scored a major coup in securing the services of the famed Santiago Achaval as consulting winemaker.

$90 at http://corazondelsol.com

Merlot

2019 La Jota Vineyards Howell Mountain

From the winemaker: “The 2019 vintage unequivocally contributes to the rich story of Merlot grown in the volcanic soils of Howell Mtn. Rich and dense, the wine sings with flavors of plum, raspberry and graphite. Beautiful at this youthful stage, this Merlot will surely age gracefully over the next decade or two.”

From James Suckling, who scored it a 95: “Lots of black olives with some conifer and mushrooms. Raspberries, too. Full-bodied with soft and round tannins. Really savory and juicy.”

From me: Chris Carpenter, who has overseen the La Jota cellar since 2005, used petit verdot and tannat to round out this intensely flavored, multi-layered merlot that more than lives up to this storied winery’s history. Winemaking pioneer W.S. Keyes planted some of the first vines on Howell Mountain in 1888 and, a decade later, Frederick Hess established the La Jota Vineyard Co., named for its location on the Mexican parcel Rancho La Jota. Both men won medals for their Howell Mountain wines in the Paris Exposition of 1900.

$109.99 at http://wine.com

Casey Barber’s back story as it relates to wine makes little sense . . . until you have a sit-down conversation with her. Then it’s easy to grasp how she became one of the world’s least likely vintners, although perhaps a more appropos description of her seems to be “entrepreneur.”

But suggest that to her and she laughs out loud.

“Me? I’d never thought of myself as any kind of business person,” Barber insists. “That’s not me.”

Uh, we beg to differ. Barber doesn’t actually make Rose Gold, her Côtes-de-Provence rosé that has become one of Texas’ most popular summer sippers over the past five years and now has a foothold in 38 states with, by her count, 850 total store shelf placements in 38 states after recent big-deal sales to Targets and Total Wine outlets. The Omni Hotels made it their house rosé pour nationally last summer. Chef Charles Clark, who has become a good buddy, struggles to keep it in stock at his Brasserie 19 resto on West Gray.

Barber’s sales skills are impressive, especially considering that marketing is another self-taught, by- the-seat-of-her-blue-jeans skill set. Now 45, she studied nursing at the University of Texas-Tyler and assumed, at least early on, that her life’s work would revolve around health care.     

Growing up country in Palestine, Texas, she had never tasted pink wine save for her mom’s white zinfandel until she went on her honeymoon to Provence in her mid-twenties.  Subsequently, their marriage became a whirlwind of food- and wine-centric adventures. She confesses that they stalked Michelin-starred chefs at every turn, from Manhattan to Europe’s foody meccas.  

Well, at least until in her early 30s when she gave birth to three beautiful children over a span of four years. Sadly, not long thereafter she and her husband split up. But from those lemons poured forth gallons of lemonade, pardon the mixed beverage metaphor.

“I’ve said this a thousand times,” Barber admitted. “My marriage didn’t last, but my love of rosé did.”

It was as a twentysomething newlywed on her honeymoon, not so far from where Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie also thought they’d found their personal paradise with the purchase of Miraval, that she first tasted Provençal rosé at a café on the outskirts of Cannes. It was love at first sip – and sight. (Fortunately, Barber and her ex didn’t go down “Brangelina’s” nasty divorce path. Today they live “down the street from each other” in a leafy Dallas neighborhood and are coping with co-parenting duties just fine.)

“I can still picture it in my mind today, these tanned and beautiful French people, all of them drinking this wonderful pink wine morning, noon and night,” Barber recalled, wistfully. “I was immediately enthralled. Once you’ve been bitten by the food and wine bug, there’s no going back. It wasn’t a world I’d known nothing about before then, but Pandora’s box had opened.”

Still, it’s a giant leap from sipping somebody’s else vino as a stay-at-home single mother of three to hitting the streets and convincing prominent restaurants and retailers to listen you, Ms. Nobody, as you try to explain to them why they must carry your pink wine, a pink wine they’ve never heard of.

Being the first to admit she didn’t know what she didn’t know, however, Barber plowed bravely forth nonetheless, first finding a boutique production venue in St. Tropez to partner with – “I can only imagine what they were saying behind my back in French when I first came steamrolling in with my big ideas,” she said – and then bravely schlepping a Yeti full of wine from one resto to the next across Dallas, her proverbial hat in hand.

At least many of the sommeliers/managers she visited already knew her as a customer. Barber’s engaging personality and gorgeous countenance aren’t easily forgotten. As the cliche goes, she could have sold ice to Eskimos. But COVID-19 forced her to focus more on retail sales and, as the stats above would indicate, she keeps gaining more and more traction.    

A 50-50 blend of grenache and cinsault, Rose Gold is both wonderfully evocative of sunny Provence and offers excellent value (under $18 at Spec’s/Richard’s cash price). The clean, elegant, raised-letter label – her design, of course – turns heads. So does the name, which evolved from her love for rose-hued gold jewelry.

“It’s the only kind I wear,” she said.  “I knew somebody in the wine business and started batting around my naming idea with him. He gave me a 30-minute spiel about names and labels, but I told him I already had one. ‘What?’ he asked. ‘Rose Gold, I told him.’ He thought about it for a moment, then said, “Hey, that’s good, really good.”

Production of Rose Gold has doubled every year since the first vintage – 2017 – and has now reached 13,000 cases, with presumably greater quantities coming in the future, to keep up with demand. Fortunately, the Côtes-de-Provence has a bountiful supply of grapes. Those that go into Rose Gold come from vines around Cuers in the Var some 10 miles inland from Toulon with production at Maitres Vignerons Saint-Tropez.

Her winemaker? Florian Lacroux, the boss vintner at Saint-Roch-les-Vignes, and the man who brought Fleur de Mer to market for E. J. Gallo.

Barber, you see, didn’t try to re-invent the wheel. Rather, she simply reinvented herself. Now, if she could only clone herself, too. Barber remains a one-woman band.

“I could use 20 of me,” she said, laughing.  

The hard work notwithstanding, the rewards speak for themselves. A huge ancillary benefit of being the woman behind Rose Gold is how many new friends she has made schlepping her wine. Clark for one, as previously mentioned. And she never doesn’t have a glass or two with Ruggles Black proprietor Neera Parador, another loyal supporter, when she’s in Houston (That’s Casey pictured above at the Ruggles Black bar) .

“You meet unbelievably cool people wherever you go – restaurant owners, chefs, bar managers, sommeliers. Barber said. “I’ve added hundreds of contacts in my phone. Some of my nearest and dearest friends today are because of Rose Gold. They tell me, ‘You’re great and your juice is good.’ Hey, that’s where the rubber meets the road.”

But nothing feels more satisfying, or makes her prouder, than when the kids come home wide-eyed from the grocery store and say, breathlessly, “Mom, guess what? They had a big display of your wine.’ There’s  another level of emotion involved when your children can see and appreciate what you’re doing.”

Barber flies a lot, to say the least. Because, she says, “I always get cold” (and it’s also good marketing) on planes, Barber’s travel top of choice is a Rose Gold sweatshirt. Recently, while “zoning out” on the tarmac to take off from somewhere – “I think it was New Orleans,” she said. “We sell a bunch there.” – a woman lugging a carry-on down the aisle startled her by stopping and saying, “Hey, that’s my favorite wine!”

Flashing a Texas-sized smile, Barber replied, “Mine, too.”           

H-town Happenings

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

Free Tastings every Wednesday: 5-7 p.m. at Montrose Cheese & Wine

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

Pinor Noir Tasting: 5:30-7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 15, at We Olive & Wine Bar. $35-$140. http://eventbrite.com

Free Tasting: 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 15, at Roma. 713 664-7581

Stella’s Wine Games: 7 p.m. Tuesdays at Stella’s Wine Bar in the Post Oak Hotel. $50. http://www.thepostoakhotel.com/restaurants/Stellas-Wine-Bar/Stella-Wine-Games.asp

Cheers for Charity Benefiting Second Chances: 4-7 p.m. Saturday at Red Oak Ballroom at Norris Conference Center. $75-$125 http://eventbrite.com

JMP Wine Night Featuring Hope Family Wines: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24. $75 http://eventbrite.com

SERCA Gran Corte Vertical Tasting: 4-6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, at the SERCA Tasting Room. SERCA Wines – Upcoming Events $80 ($64 members)

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: “Man, what a trip it was to roll up to my friend’s new bar on the Sunset Strip in LA . . .”

Sandra Crittenden (http://winelifehouston.com)

Sandra writes: “For Galveston Monthly’s July issue, I wrote about chillable red wines to beat the heat during the hot days of summer and beyond. Try one of these wine recommendations and keep your cool today . . .”

Russ Kane (http://vintagetexas.com)

The Texas Wineslinger writes: “Texas Native Grapes: Know Them, Grow Them… Cherish Their Worldwide Legacy – Part 1 (click here), we reviewed what are native grapevines, how they can benefit wildlife with cover and sustenance and humans providing grapes, jellies and jams, and wine. We also discussed how to identify some of the more common Texas native grape varieties in the wild. Now, we are moving on to the roles of Texas native grapevines in history up to modern day, and finishing with how to grow them . . .”

Jeff Kralick (http://thedrunkencyclist.com)

The DC writes: “This morning, my wife and younger son, Sebastian, left me and my older son, Nathan, and took the TGV from Lyon up to Charles de Gaulle airport outside of Paris. Sebastian will be starting school this week in Houston and they therefore needed to cut their trip a little bit short. Nathan and I are soldiering on, as it were, and we are currently on a Frecciarossa train headed to Milan and then on to Lake Como. We will eventually make our way back to Lyon, where Nathan will be starting his semester abroad in about eight days.”

Katrina Rene (http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com)

Kat writes: “Looking to broaden your white wine horizons? Why not do it for National White Wine Day? Yes, it’s another “XXX” day, but I do find the wine days are fun ways to explore things I don’t necessarily think about. It’s funny, because when I first started drinking wine, you were hard-pressed to get me to drink much white wine. I was all about Pinot Noir and then eventually bolder red wines. You know, after I got past my 5-gallon box of White Zinfandel phase. Hey, we all have to start somewhere! And it was that way for a while. But over the years, things began to shift . . .”

And this time we’re off to my favorite corner of Italy — the Piemonte — but with a few far-afield adventures, too.

We start in Turin and we finish in Milan. In between, we’ll be making an overnight excursion over a gorgeous high Alpine pass back into my neck of the French woods, the Ubaye Valley, before hunkering down in the environs of Alba for four days of winery visits and evenings spent enjoying exceptionally fine-dining. The Langhe, the Roero, Monferrato and the new Nizza DOCG will be our playground. In route to Milan, we’ll taste bubbles in Franciacorta and spend a night on Lake Como.

Until COVID shut down travel, I had made a pilgrimage to the Piemonte at least once a year from 1997 through 2019, then again in 2021 and 2022. I’ll have visited three more times before we begin our nine days in culinary/oenological heaven. As for Turin, I spent almost three weeks there covering the 2006 Winter Olympics. Believe me, there is no finer place on this planet to enjoy cutting-edge cuisine paired with Italy’s greatest wines and gorgeous scenery.

We’ll gather in Turin on Wednesday, May 22, and say our fond farewells in Milan on Saturday night, June 1. Lots of tweaking and fine-tuning remains, but, just to provide a sampling of where we’re going and who we’ll be seeing, a list of links for places that are certain to be on our itinerary are listed below.

It’s $7,750 per person — all inclusive once you’re on the ground, and only four of our maximum 10 spots remain. Contact Pablo Valqui (pablo@gourmettours.biz) to secure your reservation.

Hotels

http://villatiboldi.com (Shown above; It will be our base for four nights in the Alba area)

http://villamorelia.com (For our night in the Ubaye Valley, with a chef-prepared dinner at my home)

Wineries

http://ceretto.com (shown above)

http://visit.oddero.it

http://malvira.com (adjacent to Villa Tiboldi)

http://marchesidigresy

http://marchesibarolo.com

http://domenicoclerico.com

http://lucamarengo.it

Restaurants

http://massimocamia.it

http://enotecadelbarbaresco.com

http://lapiola-alba.it

http://reginadellealpi.com

http://lapiola-alba.it

H-town Happenings

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

Free Tastings every Wednesday: 5-7 p.m. at Montrose Cheese & Wine

Tastings every Thursday at Cueva in the Marriott Marquis Houston: 6:30-7:30 p.m. every Thursday. $40

Stella’s Wine Games — 7 p.m. Tuesdays at Stella’s Wine Bar in the Post Oak Hotel. $50. http://www.thepostoakhotel.com/restaurants/Stellas-Wine-Bar/Stella-Wine-Games.asp

Nickel and Nickel Winery dinner: 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10, at the Atkins House. http://eventbrite.com $130

Platinum Wine Vault Luxury Tasting Event: 6:30-9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11, at Bayway Cadillac in The Woodlands. https://www.wineandfoodweek.com/events/2023/platinum-wine-vault-2023

Women & Wine Empowerment Weekend: 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, at Norris Conference room at CityCentre. http://eventbrite.com $97-$1,500.

SERCA Gran Corte Vertical Tasting: 4-6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, at the SERCA Tasting Room. SERCA Wines – Upcoming Events $80 ($64 members)

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: “Traveling across small-town country in the U.S. is always a reminder that an overwhelming number of Americans care little about fine wine. In big and medium-sized U.S. cities today, it’s almost impossible not to find at least a handful of venues where the wine program is thoughtfully authored and managed. But as our recent trip to Orange Beach (near Gulf Shores), Alabama revealed, even in popular tourist destinations like the pristine white beaches of the Alabama coast, wine is just another adult beverage like the tequila, vodka, and beer etc. restaurateurs use to fill their bar wells . . .”

Sandra Crittenden (http://winelifehouston.com)

Sandra writes: “For Galveston Monthly’s July issue, I wrote about chillable red wines to beat the heat during the hot days of summer and beyond. Try one of these wine recommendations and keep your cool today . . .”

Russ Kane (http://vintagetexas.com)

The Texas Wineslinger writes: “

In the 1600s, Spanish missionaries heading north from Mexico brought vine cuttings to plant when they crossed the Rio Grande and entered the frontier land of Tejas, now called Texas. Their vines were Criolla, a cultivar of a European vinifera wine grape that made its way from Spain to Argentina and on upward to Mexico and finally into Texas. These days, many people just referred to the Criolla grapes by the name “Mission” because they were used to make wine for sacraments in the Catholic services at the missions. Fast forward to the 1970s, May 1974 to be exact, when a young UT grad and Houston marketing consultant Dean Joyner announced that his Haversack Wine Company would be opening its general office in Fredericksburg. He also announced that his wine company had a partner, a California wine producer. The goal was to begin a brand merchandising program built around the “haversack” theme. What’s a haversack? Well, read further and you’ll find out . . .”

Jeff Kralick (http://thedrunkencyclist.com)

The DC writes: “At the beginning of August, our family hopped on a plane and left Houston for France. Although the purpose of the trip was to travel a bit and to deliver our older son Nathan to Lyon where he will be studying for the semester, it sure was nice to get away from the heat in Houston . . .”

Katrina Rene (http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com)

Kat writes: “Looking to broaden your white wine horizons? Why not do it for National White Wine Day? Yes, it’s anther “XXX” day, but I do find the wine days are fun ways to explore things I don’t necessarily think about. It’s funny, because when I first started drinking wine, you were hard-pressed to get me to drink much white wine. I was all about Pinot Noir and then eventually bolder red wines. You know, after I got past my 5-gallon box of White Zinfandel phase. Hey, we all have to start somewhere! And it was that way for a while. But over the years, things began to shift . . .”