Greg Cropper

Every time we visit Paso Robles, we discover at least one new treasure. This past visit was no exception. Carmody McKnight was one of the first wineries we stopped at on our first visit to Paso last year. We have developed a nice friendship with winemaker Greg Cropper, and when we read they we doing their Cork ‘n Pork again, that was reason enough for us to hit the road. It was a picture perfect Autumn day with plenty of sunshine and temperatures in  the 80s. We arrived at Carmody McKnight, Greg welcomed the attendees and supervised pulling the three sows from their underground pit.

The pork was simply delicious, and we had a chance to meet some new friends and visit over lunch and Carmody McKnight Pinot Noir. Harvest Festival is a busy time and we were on a tight schedule, so it was time to move on.

Our next stop was at Dubost Ranch, a small winery we discovered and fell in love with last year. Kate Dubost is more often than not manning the tasting counter. Her son Jacob Raines is one of the “young guns” producing exceptional wines in Paso Robles. At Dubost, you’ll find wonderful blends like their Homestead Red and unique varietals like Negrette. It’s a stop you don’t want to miss the next time you’re in Paso.

Kate Dubost

We decided to head to Starr Ranch to visit renowned grower and winemaker Judy Starr, but a sign on the way caught our eyes – “Kukkula Winery – Pouring Today”. It wasn’t a name we hadn’t heard before, so we drove through the gates and up a long driveway, soaking up incredible panoramic views as we climbed the driveway. When we got to the top, we were convinced we had missed a turn. Clearly we were in front of someone’s home. There was a basketball hoop and no sign of any winery. I peeked around and decided we were in the wrong place, so we turned around and headed back on our way to Starr Ranch.

Harvest Festival weekend is a busy time, and there was a good sized crowd waiting for us. The drive to the winery is beautiful, especially this time of year with the Autumn colors at their most glorious and Judy’s persimmon trees lining the road. We ran into Phil Stevens who produces one of the most fruit forward Zins I’ve ever tasted under the Del Real label. We had tasted his 2005 vintage previously. This time we had our first taste of the ’07 vintage which promises to be a worthy successor. We met with Judy briefly and made an appointment to see her a few days later so Laura could visit with her for an upcoming feature on her Women on Wine column.

Starr Ranch

The View From Kukkula

While we were visiting Starr Ranch, we asked if anyone had been to Kukkula. We told our story of how we thought we’d taken a wrong turn, and they said no, that was it. We hopped back in the winemobile, drove back to Kukkula, looked around and walked into their den/tasting room. Kevin and Paula Jussila are delightful people and they’re making excellent wines. We tasted through their list and enjoyed everything we tried. That’s not always the case. Kevin told us they hope to have their tasting room open sometime next year. You might be fortunate enough to catch them open by chance on a weekend before then.

Earlier in the day we met David Hardee of Carina Cellars. He invited us to stop by the tasting room and then join us at his home for wine, hors d’oeuvres and a spectacular view. After tasting his wines, we drove up to his home. Perched atop a hillside with sweeping valley views, it was simply gorgeous. David urged me to go up to the top of the hill. I’m sure glad I did.

Carina Cellars View

Howell Mountain With Fiona In The Middle

After some wine and a bite, we called it a night. Sunday morning we made arrangements to meet our friend and partner in crime Deanna Morrison of Wine Country Outings. DeDee met us at Hoover’s Beef Palace in Templeton, where I savored their Chile Verde omelette with biscuits and gravy. A hearty breakfast for a full day of wine tasting. DeDee is a Templeton native and we couldn’t have asked for a better guide. Our first stop was at her parents’ home, also headquarters for Howell Mountain Winery, not to be confused with Howell Mountain Vineyards in Napa Valley. Howard and Linda Howell welcomed us and then took us to their cellar where we met Fiona, the guardian of the wine and barrel tasted Howard’s Cabs and Zins. His estate Zin is already incredible at just a few weeks old.

We paid a visit to Kiamie Cellars in downtown Paso. Sophia Stevens welcomed us for our second visit to this newcomer to the Paso Robles wine landscape. The team of owner Aram Deirmenjian, winemaker Steve Glossner and retail specialist Greg Johnson are doing a masterful job of producing quality wines from the westside hills of the region. The tasting room is charming and their wines are definitely worth a visit.

Laura & DeDee at Kiamie

Linne Calado

Linne Calado was our next destination. The newly opened tasting room is drop dead gorgeous, the wines very tasty, but in my opinion overpriced, and all in all, the place left me cold. If I don’t get a warm and fuzzy feeling, I’m not likely to pay a return visit. I may check back in the future, but I think the overall experience in visiting a winery is nearly as important as the quality of the product they offer. Lucky for us, they are plenty of places that we do feel at home in. Caliza Cellars is one of them.

We met Carl Bowker in June. He is producing some of the finest Syrahs I have tasted in the Paso region. He’s a great host and his wife Pam was serving fresh soft tacos on the patio. His Pink rose and Azimuth blend are also exceptional. We also got to taste the ’07s which are yet to be released. You’re in for a treat.

Our next stop was at Hearthstone Winery. Their tasting room just opened in June of this year. Co-owner Hoy Buell stopped by and gave us the opportunity to taste his Zinfandel. Very, very nice. Winemaker Paul Ayers is a friend of DeDee’s, so after a quick tasting, we hit the road again. Charlie Poallilo has been a fixture on the Paso Robles wine scene for decades. Following a successful career in photography, much of it on the Red Carpet at the Oscars, Charlie and his wife Joyce moved to Paso Robles in the ’70s. Now in their 80s, Charlie and Joyce are both as sharp as tacks. His wines, particularly his Cabs and Zins, are exceptional.

Paul, Laura, DeDee and I said our goodbyes and stopped by Denner Vineyards, where Paul makes his Hearthstone wines. The production facility at Denner is immense. Paul let us sample from several barrels and I’m here to tell you there are some magnificent wines down the road. We met Amy Butler, winemaker for Edward Sellers, who was appropriately purple. We decided to wind down with a taste at Club Comus, the Denner wine club’s private facility for its members. Denner opened the doors to their current facility in 2005 and it is truly stunning. They also produce some magnificent wines.

Ken Denner

This really turned into one of our favorite visits to one of our favorite spots. The next morning we visited with Judy Starr. Laura is working on a story for her Women on Wine column and it will be available soon. We met Neil Roberts of Clavo Cellars for lunch at Ian McPhees’ Grill in Templeton. Clavo is Spanish for nail, and years ago, some of the Mexican-Americans he worked with gave him the nickname as a sort of play on words on his first name. Now his winery bears the name. Neil’s a busy guy. Neil’s been involved in every aspect of the wine business for more than 20 years. He settled on his Templeton location because of its proximity to Paso Robles. For now, his is the only tasting room in town, but he hopes to eventually get some company. He believes, correctly, that you can’t make good wine without good fruit, and devotes a lot of care into growing the best grapes he possibly can. His tasting room, elegantly decorated by his girlfriend Julie, is warm and inviting. Julie prepared a selection of cheeses, chocolates and desserts to pair with our wines and her touch was perfect. His Reckless Moment Syrah is named after one of his grandfather’s race horses. As a kid, he made silks for the riders. He says deciding to enter the wine industry was a reckless moment in his life. Don’t visit the Paso Robles area without a visit to Clavo. It’s a great find.

Neil Roberts

Our final stop was at Sculpterra. The first thing that hits you when you pay a visit to Sculpterra is the dramatic artwork that greets you as you enter. Towering sculptures by John Jagger of horses, elephants, pumas and more are breathtaking. Inside, winemaker Paul Frankel was behind the tasting bar. Paul is another of the area’s young winemakers and he is honing his craft well. We enjoyed every wine we tasted, especially his blends. Our timing was perfect as artist John Jagger stopped by to drop off a mock up miniature of his elephant sculpture. We’ve already planned a return visit to Paso for March’s Zinfandel Festival. I wouldn’t be surprised if we manage to sneak in another visit before then.

John Jagger

Edward Sellers' Winemaker Amy Butler

Buzz and Kimberly Olson wanted to build a bed and breakfast in Temecula Wine Country. They still do. Life has a funny way of putting a few detours in your path, and those detours have landed Buzz and Kimberly in Old Town Temecula with Tesoro Winery‘s tasting room. In 2002, the Olsons sold their house in Torrance and purchased property on Rancho California Road with the intention of building their B & B. Some of the early backers they had on board wound up backing out. In the meantime, Buzz had been growing grapes and after a few years he began producing wine from the grapes he was growing. He had a decision to make – keep his wines in a warehouse or open a tasting room. They didn’t have the funds to build on their property, so they began exploring other options. When they found an available building in Old Town Temecula, they decided it was the right place at the right time. Peter Poole from Mt. Palomar had tried without success years before, but they believed that people’s perception of Old Town was changing. It was fairly close to wine country and was zoned for a wine tasting room. They opened the tasting room in March of 2008 and started their wine club “almost out of desperation”.

With winemaker Etienne Cowper guiding his grapes, Buzz was confident he had a quality product. They were the only winery with a tasting room in Old Town for nearly a year. Now there are six with more to come. Buzz and Kimberly have led the way with the Old Town Wine & Dine Walk, two different packages that include a custom logo glass and discounts at various Old Town businesses.

Kimberly and Buzz are devout Catholics. That’s not a detail I would normally include, but their faith plays a huge role in their business. They are active church members and belong to church groups. At the Fall Wine Classic in Yorba Linda, a woman member of their church group told them she wanted to invest with them. She has helped bring them that much closer to their dream of a wine country tasting room and bed & breakfast a reality. They even hope to build a small chapel on the grounds and have it consecrated by a Catholic Bishop so they can hold wedding ceremonies there. They also met football legend Vince Ferragamo through a church member and have not only developed a close relationship with him, but they carry his Libeccio wines in their tasting room. Tesoro, by the way means treasure in Italian. And in Spanish. And in Portuguese. And in Tagalog.

Buzz told me has was looking through some notes he jotted down in high school and in them read he wanted to open a winery and a bed and breakfast. Some dreams do come true. Kimberly tasted me through several of their wines and I was thoroughly impressed by the ’07 Riesling, the ’06 Sangiovese, the ’06 Petite Sirah and their Tribordo non vintage Syrah Port. They have clearly found the right man in Etienne Cowper. God has blessed the Olsons. Recent legislation will alllow them to sell full glasses of wine beginning January 1st, whereas now they are only able to offer tastings. Future plans include expanding their patio. They hope to have the Rancho California Road facility open by the ened of next year. Buzz’ focus is on remaining small, keeping his production under 10,000 cases a year, enough to support their wine club, tasting room and a few restaurants. He wants to provide “the best possible wines grown and produced in Temecula Valley.” More importantly, they’re making new friends every day. I hope you get a chance to experience their hospitality. Follow Tesoro Wines on twitter.

When your grandfather’s name is Gershon Bachus, you have to give serious consideration to entering the wine business. Ken Falik and his wife Christina Lesch decided to do just that, although they took a few detours getting there. They have a marketing company that specializes in creating loyalty programs for businesses as well as brand marketing for luxury products. In 2001 they paid a visit to the Temecula Valley with their staff for a retreat at the Temecula Creek Inn. It was their first visit to Temecula’s wine country and it was love at first sight. They were in awe of how beautiful it was and how much it reminded them of Tuscany where they had been frequent visitors.

They visited every winery they could find. At that point they weren’t sure what they wanted to do, but they knew they wanted to do something here. Several weeks later they found a hillside property on De Portola Road and purchased it, still unsure of what they were going to do with it. They began designing an Italian Villa and had to decide whether they wanted to be farmers, ranchers or winemakers. I think you know how the story turns out. When they made the decision to enter the wine business, they turned to renowned winemaker Mike Tingley for advice and assistance. The first thing they did was name the vineyard after Ken’s grandfather. They then took out trademarks on the name Gershon Bachus as well as ten other Gods, Goddesses and muses to name their varietals and blends. Gershon’s dream was to have a winery. They are now realizing that dream for him.

Christina, Oscar Meyer & Ken

The Faliks received their wine education “one bottle at a time”. They joined “every wine club known to man” in the Napa Valley, buying and drinking $50 – $60 bottles of Cab to figure out what it was they liked and wanted to produce. It took several years from the thought phase to actual execution. What they envisioned was producing a great quality wine out of a region that wasn’t necessarily known for having 90 point wines. They weren’t even sure at the beginning what a 90 point wine was or what it should taste like. Their first release was 2005 Acquilo Cabernet Sauvignon. People thought they were nuts charging $65 for it, but it is a magnificent wine.

Then came more decisions. How often should they open? What should they charge for tastings? At the beginning GBV was an appointment only winery, limited to groups of at least eight people with a high ticket wine tasting. They brought on Joe Vizcaino as apprentice to Mike Tingley and tasting room director. Joe has enrolled in the American Sommelier Association and has his sights set on attaining second level Sommelier status. He convinced Ken and Christina to open the tasting room doors on weekends, and on most Saturdays and Sundays, they are. The exceptions are when they are hosting a wedding or corporate event, or if they just don’t feel like coming in.

Tasting at GBV is a unique experience. It’s one of few “sit down” tasting rooms in the valley. Christina admits to being nosey and wants to engage you in conversation, as does Ken. You could ask him about his car collection. You’ll probably see the purple Prowler or the Bentley if you stop by. Christina would love nothing better then to have a “topic of the day” and have people come in for a lively discussion. The Faliks are proud of their wines and excited about the upcoming estate releases on the near horizon. Their hope is to get all of the wineries in the valley to join them in raising the bar. Each year they choose a charity and pledge a percentage of their proceeds to that charity. This year’s recipient is the American Cancer Society.

Before opening the doors to Gershon Bachus Vintners, Ken and Christina had nothing that was truly theirs from beginning to end. “What more than to plant, grow, market and ultimately sell your dream?” says Christina. You can follow GBV on Facebook and twitter. Make sure you say hi to Oscar Meyer.

“We are in a perfect place to grow grapes. We’ve got sunshine, we’ve got hillsides, proximity to the ocean, the cool breezes and fog and we’ve got low yields.” Ira Gourvitz has plenty to be happy about. It’s harvest time and the fruit is exceptional. His 2007 Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Chardonnay has been awarded the Gold Medal for Best of Region and Best of Class at the California State Fair. His Fallbrook Winery 33° BDX (the barrel code for Bordeaux Blend) is getting rave reviews. His team of winemakers, Duncan Williams and Vernon Kindred are producing exceptional wines.

Ira says the difference between Fallbrook fruit and Temecula fruit is not only Fallbrook’s proximity to the ocean, but the decomposed granite soil that allows his vines to grow thirty feet down. Because of the cool nights and mornings his grapes have more natural acids and he can produce a wine that’s lower in alcohol, allowing the fruit to shine through. The hillside vineyards allow for excellent drainage. Fallbrook Winery is the largest winery in San Diego County. He has 20 of his 36 acres planted now with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, Malbec, Sangiovese, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. There are plans to plant an additional five acres over the next five years.

He’s not afraid to invest money to continue producing a quality product. He recently installed a water monitoring system that has sensors at one, three and ten foot depths. By looking at a computer he can tell how long it takes the water to get to a certain depth. Ira uses both French and American oak barrels with an inventory of 500 barrels and another 200 on the way. At approximately $1,000 per barrel, well, you do the math.

Ira is a gentleman and a gracious host. He gave me a complete tour of the facility, showed me some of the wines they produce for other wineries and then guided me into the tasting room. His pride in the wines he is producing is evident. As he opens a bottle, he delights in telling you where the grapes came from and how the wine went from vine to bottle. His 2008 Rosato Sangiovese Rosée has an exquisite color that come from spending 14 hours on the skin. The nose and mouth feel are heavenly. It’s easy to see how the ’07 Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Chardonnay fared so well in competition. Aged 14 months and 100% barrel fermented in French and American oak, it’s a wonderful, buttery Chard. The ’08 Monterey County Sauvignon Blanc presents classic flavors of grapefruit and tangerine with a touch of passion fruit. The reds shine. His 33° series of wine refers to the 33rd parallel, roughly the south of France. These 100% estate grown wines are incredible, the ’07 Sangiovese has intense flavors partially due to the fact that juice for the Rosato Rosée was taken out, leaving less liquid on the same amount of skins. He is especially pleased with the ’07 Merlot, aged 21 months in French oak. It has intense color, a wonderful nose, great fruit and a lingering finish. The ’07 Clone 4 Cabernet Sauvignon is a complex wine and promises to become more magnificent with age. The Syrah and BDX (Bordeaux blend) were also great examples of the varietals.

After tasting, we went upstairs to the fermentation room where the merlot was in tubs in the midst of the “punch down” process. Ira gets photo credit as he puts me to work. We visited with Vern and Duncan and did a bit of barrel tasting

Ira’s first granddaughter is named Gracie Hill, and one of his vineyards bears her name. His Taylor Ranch vineyards will soon be renamed Mela vineyards after his other granddaughter. After touring and tasting, Ira invited me to join him at his newly completed home for a sandwich and some wine. His home is magnificent with a panoramic view that includes his vineyards and winery. We had a relaxed visit and it’s been a pleasure getting to know this gentleman.

Fallbrook Vineyards is available by appointment. You can call them at (760) 728-0156. Don’t be surprised if Ira answers the phone.

Ira, Vern & Duncan

After spending nearly three hours with Bill Wilson, I have a much clearer understanding of how Wilson Creek grew to become the player it is today in the Temecula Valley. It’s a fascinating story. We sat in Bill’s office – a table outside near the tasting room on a beautiful autumn morning. He told me he was facing a mid-life crisis in the mid ’90s. He had spent 13+ years in the financial industry and it just wasn’t fulfilling. After trying a few other ventures that didn’t pan out, he asked his best friend what he should do and his friend advised him to open a winery. Having just returned from the Temecula Valley, his friend had met a winery owner who wanted out of the business and was willing to carry paper. Bill’s dad Gerry was getting ready to sell their home in Pasadena and move to Santa Barbara. After discussing things with Bill, he agreed Temecula was a better option. He then called his brother, an ordained minister in Sacramento and asked what he thought of the idea. His brother responded by reminding him what Jesus’ first miracle was. He saw no problem with the idea at all. When he approached his sister who lived in Solvang, she said that she traveled with a suitcase of wine glasses. Her only question was… why Temecula? After doing some research, Bill came up with five reasons:

1. There were only thirteen wineries at the time.
2. The land was affordable.
3. People were making good wine there.
4. The location was good, close to both San Diego and Los Angeles.
5. It offered more of a lifestyle change than an income opportunity.

With the family on board, they bought the property. At the time it was nothing but grapevines. There was no electricity, no buildings and the gardens below were used as an illegal dump site. Bill listed his qualifications for starting a winery. He liked wine and they knew how to throw a pretty good party. The path to getting the doors open was strewn with roadblocks. The Wilsons didn’t come from deep pockets and the wine industry is an expensive game. They did it on what Bill calls a “pauper’s nickel”. They borrowed money from friends and family, phone calls he says were the hardest they’ve ever had to make. “We did beg”. At that time, Bill says, “it was so bad that for lunch we had peanut butter sandwiches and for dinner we had the luxury of putting jelly on them.”  When they did finally open, that made them appreciate what they had that much more and made them willing to work that much harder to run a successful business. They didn’t just say to their first customers “come on in” they said “THANK YOU”. “We were real people starting something that real people don’t start. We were too stupid to know better, yet smart enough to get it to work out.”

As their grand opening approached on the Y2K New Year’s Eve, they wanted to come up with something different. Bill’s wife, Jennifer, wanted something “unusual and fantastic”. They asked a producer if they had anything unique. When they got the first samples, nothing jumped out at them. Again they asked for something different. The producer told them they were working on something they thought would be a winner and asked if they wanted to try it. Shortly afterward they received the first batch of Almond Champagne and fell in love with it. After tweaking the recipe, they ordered 10 cases thinking that would last them a while. It sold out in four hours. Bill’s reaction? “Holy #!@&!” They then ordered a palate. That lasted six days. Wilson Creek’s Almond Champagne put them on the map. Bill likes to say they took wine tasting off the snob shelf and made it fun again.

Wilson Creek’s growth has been meteoric; so much so that it’s made it very difficult to keep up with demand. They know they can’t compete on price with the big discounters, so what they offer is an experience you can’t get anywhere else. They make an effort to go the extra step. If you don’t see Bill, you’re likely to run into his mom and dad, Gerry and Rosie, or his wife, brother, sister, brother-in-law or sister-in-law. They all work at Wilson Creek. Bill knows it’s critical to have something that differentiates you from the rest of the field. In Wilson Creek’s case, the “it” factor is family.

Last year they opened The Creekside Grill. Bill said the kitchen wasn’t designed to be a restaurant kitchen, yet they keep putting out amazing food. He calls it the “little kitchen that could”. We had a delicious lunch and I mentioned how big the portions were. He said they’d rather spend a little more money and give you enough so you can take something home rather than risk having you be disappointed by a meager serving. The restaurant affords them flexibility and the opportunity to provide better events. They brought winemaker Etienne Couper on board in 2007 and he is overseeing his third harvest. With Couper making their wines, Bill says they’ve gone from hit or miss to a home run every time. His goal was to provide him with a facility worthy of his skills as a winemaker. Most of their wine comes from grapes grown on the estate: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot, Mourvedre, Viognier, Muscat, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot and Grenache. I tasted across the board and was duly impressed by by the overall quality of the wines. You’ll see Bill’s sense of humor, too, in their Pinot Noir/Mourvedre blend Pinot-Mour and their You Bet Shiraz. Say them out loud.

Bill feels confident that the key players are in place, but you won’t find him resting on his laurels. “When your name is on the marquee and you’re here, hearing it firsthand from customers that aren’t afraid to tell you good or bad, it takes a toll on you.” He never wants to lose the personal touch, but as the winery grows it becomes increasingly difficult. Bill is striving to find a balance, managing time spent at work, with family and his personal life. “I’m selling a product that provides enjoyment to people and as long as people are happy I want to be here to experience it along with them. I’m very blessed they pay me for that. We appreciate what we have here and and we want to share that with everybody – and have everybody appreciate it as much as we do. That’s the key to our success.”

West of Austin and Northwest of San Antonio lies the Texas Hill Country, home to historic Fredericksburg and the #2 Wine fastest growing Destination in America. Until last year, I didn’t even know there were wineries in Texas. Texas Hill Country is home to more than two dozen wineries. Laura and I set aside a few days recently to visit this unique wine region and came away with a true appreciation for the contribution Texas is making to the wine industry.

On our first morning, a wrong turn wound up becoming a blessing in disguise. We were heading to Becker Vineyards in Stonewall, just outside of Fredericksburg. We found ourselves on Sisterdale Road which took us straight to the front door of Sister Creek Vineyards. It was 9:30 on a Saturday morning. I parked the car and noticed the winery opened at 10:00, but I thought I’d try my luck and I found Fred Reissig on hand sweeping the floors and getting ready to open up. He welcomed us in, introduced us to winemaker Danny Hernandez and let us take a self-guided tour. Sister Creek is steeped in history. The building dates back to 1885 when it was a cotton gin. In 1927, the Boll Weevil decimated the cotton crop and the doors remained closed until 1988 when it reopened as Sister Creek Vineyards. They’re quite proud of their wines which recently picked up four silver medals at this year’s San Francisco International Wine Competition. We found the wines to be a bit drier than we like, but the hospitality and sense of history made the visit well worth our while.

We headed to Highway 290, the Hill Country Wine Road and stopped in at Becker Vineyards. Nichole Bendele was there to greet us and gave us a wonderful tour of their facility. They produce 59,000 cases annually and might hit 65,000 cases this year, making them the state’s third largest winery. Growing wine grapes in Texas is a tremendous challenge because of the extreme heat. Grapes ripen quickly and harvest begins in mid July. The heat produces high natural sugars. Dr. Becker likes to see some raisining on his fruit because he believes it produces more concentrated flavors. Nichole turned us over to Stepanie for some tasting. The tasting room is gorgeous, with vaulted ceilings and a wrap around bar in the middle. We again found the wines to be extremely dry and lacking in nose, with the exception of the ’07 Priairie Rotie, a blend of 68% Mourvedre, 14% Grenache, 12& Syrah and 6% Carignan. We found it to be fruit forward with a lovely nose and also enjoyed the ’07 Raven (80% Malbec, 20% Petite Verdot). Becker Vineyards was the Hill Country’s first lavender grower and they now host an annual Lavender Festival and feature several lavender based products in their gift shop.

Nichole

Stephanie

We hit a home run on our next stop, heading West on 290 through Fredericksburg before turning onto Usener Road to Chisholm Trail Winery. Chisholm Trail is owned by Paula Williamson, who is also the winemaker. We had an appointment with Paula, but learned when we arrived that her dad had passed away earlier that week. Rebecca was a gracious hostess and told us all about this unique winery and its wonderful wines. We started with the first of two varietals I had never before heard of. Belle Star is made from the Blanc du Bois grape, a hybrid of Moscato and a table grape developed at the University of Florida especially for hot climates. As a side benefit it’s resistant to Pierce’s disease. The nose is delightfully floral and the wine is fruit forward and crisp. This has truly become one of our favorite white wines. Our next incredible find was the Lone Wolf, a 100% Lenoir varietal. Lenoir, also known as Black Spanish, is what Paula refers to as her secret weapon. I have never tasted a wine like this in my life. The nose is distinctive, and we found sour cherries and even a hint of tomato on the finish. We love this wine and everyone we have shared it with has raved about it. Diablo is a 70% Syrah, 30% Lenoir blend that is also wonderfully drinkable. She adds 5% Lenoir to her Lil’s Red Satin Cabernet Sauvignon and it adds its personality creating an extremely palatable and satisfying wine. The Almagres Lenoir Port was also magnificent. We returned a few days later and had a wonderful visit with Paula. Laura will go into depth on our conversation when she launches her Women On Wine feature on WINEormous.

Rebecca

Paula & Laura

It was time for lunch, so we stopped at the Peach Pit for some delicious Texas barbeque. With our bellies full, we continued East on 290 to Grape Creek Vineyards. We had been fortunate with overcast weather which kept the sweltering September heat in check. We even got a few downpours that afternoon. Moriah Schumann gave us a full tour of the beautiful facility which they refer to as “Tuscany In Texas”. We visiting with winemaker Jason Englert, a Texas Tech grad who shared with us the obstacles Texas winemakers face with their brutal summer weather. He believes in making a clean, fresh wine and believes picking up problems early on while they can be corrected is crucial. They have nearly doubled production to 9,000 cases and expect to plateau at 12,000 cases. Their magnificent two year old tasting room features two tasting bars: one for their White Label or everyday wines and another for their higher end Black Label wines. From the White side we enjoyed the Pinot Grigio (with grapes sourced from Temecula) and on the Black side we found their Port to be quite tasty.

Jason

Moriah

Just down the road from Grape Creek is Torre di Pietra. We stopped in and introduced ourselves. We were told they don’t offer a complimentary tasting to media, so we continued East to Woodrose Winery. It was raining in earnest when we got there, but it was cozy inside and we found ourselves enjoying several of their wines, in particular their Blanc du Bois. It was slightly sweeter the Chisholm Trail’s, but equally enjoyable. We really love that grape. We had work to do in San Antonio, so we wound up paying a visit to Boudro’s on San Antonio’s renowned Riverwalk.  There is always a line to get in and once you experience Boudro’s you’ll understand why. We started with their signature prickly pear margaritas and table-side guacamole. For entrees I had the Big Tails, Little Tails (lobster and shrimp with crawfish) while Laura feasted on the Seafood Platter (lobster tail with grilled fish fillet, crawfish fricassee,  sea scallops, shrimp, jicama slaw and corn pudding). Both entrees were sublime. We had the good fortune to meet General Manger Andreas Esparza, who personally escorted us to their upscale Champagne bar Zinc and gave us a tour of their wine cellar and private dining rooms. Boudros easily moves into my all time top 10 restaurants list.

Andreas (these were taken with my Blackberry)

On our final day, we headed back to the Hill Country for a visit with Paula and to visit two more wineries. We took 290 East to Johnson City (birthplace of LBJ) and stopped at Pedernales (pronouced PER – duh – nal – us) Cellars. The tasting room is a remodeled 5,000 square foot building that was previously used as a summer home. President Frederick Osterberg was meeting with other visitors, so while we waited for him to finish up, we bellied up to the bar. The Pedernales philosophy is to focus on what does well in Texas. The Vino Blanco (Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Viognier blend) was refreshing, the Viognier was excellent and the Garnacha Rose had a wonderful color and was also quite tasty. The Tempranillo and Family Reserve (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo) reds were also noteworthy. Frederick gave us a thorough tour, showing us their underground caves which maintain a constant temperature while the wines are in barrel. Winemaker David Kuhlken is a co-founder of the winery with Frederick. Like all good winemakers, he is passionate about what he does and pays meticulous attention to detail.

We visited with Frederick in the private tasting room and sampled some selections that are not on the tasting list. They’ve come a long way in a very short time, having just opened their doors last year. He told us someone remarked they were “smoking dope” when they priced their Family Reserve at $49. “No one will pay that for a Texas wine.” It’s their best seller. Their wine club numbers a couple hundred members including one in Napa! On our way out, he showed us the “engagement bench”, which has earned its name on several occasions.

The "Engagement Bench"

The day was getting late and we just made it into Texas Hills Vineyard. We didn’t have time to do it justice, but we enjoyed what we tasted and found it to be a charming place. We arrived just ahead of a group of 40, so we figured it was time to hit the dusty trail. We had an incredible time in San Antonio and the Hill Country and hope to return soon.

Chef Cody James of Manhattan Catering LLC visits Keyways Winery this week to prepare another fabulous meal. You can watch the show Saturday morning at 8:30 on Cox 4 in San Diego, or click Catch The Spirit at Keyways to see it now. Here are the recipes:

Chilean Sea Bass with a Citrus Beurre Blanc made with Keyways Sauvignon Blanc 2008

To serve 2
Two 6 oz Chilean sea bass filets
8 pink grapefruit sections
8 white grapefruit sections
1/4 cup each fresh red and white grapefruit juice
1/2 cup blood orange juice
1/2 cup 2008 Keyways Sauvignon Blanc Wine
1 tbsp freshly chopped chives
1 stick room temp butter
1 oz garlic oil
1 salad oil
1 piece of garlic, minced
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 200 degrees
Wash filets, make sure they are skinned, salt and pepper both sides,
Place oil and garlic into medium heated sautée pan, when the garlic starts
to caramelize, add seasoned fish filet skinned side up. Sautée for approximately
2 minutes or until clear fluid rises through the fish, Flip fish and continue sautéeing for approximately 1 minute. Take fish out of pan, put into 200 degree oven and let rest for approximately 8-10 minutes.
Add juices and wine to sautée pan, reduce by half, turn off heat and slowing incorporate butter with whisk till butter is dissolved, add chives to sauce.
Serve over fish immediately

To plate put rice pilaf in center of plate, sea bass fish on top of rice pilaf, 2 each grapefruit sections over fish, 2 each grapefruit sections around plate, pour beurre blanc sauce over fish, serve immediately

Rice Pilaf ………watch the show

Brie en Croute
with raspberry compote, red onion reduction, and cracked black pepper
To serve 2
1/6 of a large wheel of Brie
4 x 4 square of (store bought) puff pastry
1 pint of raspberries
1/4 cup of finely diced red onion
1 tsp of cracked black pepper
1/4 cup Keyways Zinfandel
1 tbsp salad oil
1/2 tbsp of salted butter
pinch of salt
Freeze slice of Brie to solid…leave white skin on the Brie
Take onions, a pinch of salt, and cracked black pepper and sautée with a small of butter till caramelized, add zinfandel, and cook till dry. Now add the raspberries and cook till dry, cool.
Roll out 4 x 4 square of puff pastry to 1/10th of an inch.
Place frozen brie in the middle of the pastry, top with raspberry and onion mixture and fold pastry over frozen brie as demonstrated on show.
Bake in preheated 350 degree oven until crust on top is starting to caramel colored.
Allow to rest for 25-30 minutes.
No cracker needed crust is the starch.  Serve with Keyways Zinfandel 2006