Last summer, I conducted an interview up at Hye Meadow. I
finished up earlier than I expected, so I headed next door to Hye Market,
curious to see which winery would be sampling in the tasting room. I was very
happy to see Wedding Oak Winery there. I had wanted to try their wines for
quite some time but had not made it out to San Saba. That Friday afternoon
tasting was just a beginning for me. This weekend was just another page in my chapter
on Wedding Oak Winery with a tasting at their newest retail outlet, VinouslySpeaking.
During this weekend’s regular Saturday wine tasting and
pairing, Vinously Speaking joined forces with Wedding Oak. We tasted through
seven of the current Wedding Oak wines. These wines were paired with cupcakes
from Melissa Deal Guytia of Dealicious Cakes. Unfortunately owners Mike and
Lynn McHenry were not able to attend; the winery was involved with two other
local events on Saturday. Instead, their son came down to talk about the wines
and was later aided by the winemaker Penny Adams.
The tasting provided a strong showing of whites. The Terre
Blanc – made from Marsanne and Rousanne grapes from the McHenry’s vineyard – is
currently very bright with a nice, light acidity; it was refreshing and soft at
the same time. The lavender and honey cupcake it was paired with set off the
softer, more herbal and floral notes in the wine. Honestly, it was my favorite pairing.
Also of not, the Terre Blanc and Terre Rouge are normally wine club only, so it is quite a ctach to pick them up at the shop. The other whites, which are often sweeter – have softened as well. The
sweetness, which is usually a nice afterthought, is now a subtle underlying
element. I like this turn, as it provides complexity in the wines. Among these
wines included the Viognier and the Bridal Veil, both made from High Plains
grapes.
The reds are really coming to a full body place right now.
The minerality and earth is starting to move forward in these wines. The standout here was the Tioja. It has
gained a more rounded balance since I last tasted it (relatively fresh in the bottle
at only a few weeks). Being paired with a bacon and cheddar cupcake helped accentuate
the almost limestone nature hidden in this fruit forward Tempranillo blend. The
Terre Rouge is my favorite due to its more naturally well rounded nature – the less
common varietals in the blend add nuances that I always go for – came across
well (another wine that mostly comes from the McHenry vineyards). Penny mentioned
how she likes the recent changes in the Regency Bridge, which I wish I noticed
more. She also told me they will have a VERY limited Tempranillo and a few
other new reds later this year, probably towards summer.
The pairing ended with the always fun Bridal Blush. It is
still coming off as the sweetest of the wines, but the sweetness tastes more
like barely ripe strawberries. This of course paired well with my favorite
cupcake, the strawberry cupcake. Normally I go with the chocolate, which paired
with a red, but the strawberry had great flavor without any artificial sugar
taste, bringing out the richer fruit flavors in the wine. It would have made a
great dessert.
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| Original Art for Wedding Oak Winery by Leanne Holley |
In the end, the best pairing of the day was Vinously
Speaking and Wedding Oak Winery. Vinously Speaking loves supporting Texas wine,
especially Texas wine that has character while also being a great sipping wine.
Wedding Oak is a huge supporter of local businesses, so a small family and
friend run wine shop is just what they would want. I am glad I suggested the
two; this is a great pairing that I was glad I didn’t miss.
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