Oh October, You Get Me Everytime

October is the busiest month of the year, at least for me. The best part is my birthday, and Sean's of course. Of course, there is always Halloween. On top of that, it is Texas Wine Month. And even at work, October is midterms. I barely made it through this year, and celebrated my 40th as well. The highlight for the month was going to the Texas Renaissance Festival (which we returned to the Saturday after Thanksgiving as well).

We found our selves happily surprised by the amount of Texas wine (and other libations) available at the festival. Messina Hof is a sponsor, and they provide three wines special for the festival. They also have Enchanted Manor Meadery on-site, with their current portfolio available. There were plenty of Texas beers to choose from, as well as Austin East Ciders. We knew we would be in good shape.

The October visit centered around wine. We made reservations for the King's Wine Tasting.

The King’s Som-meller Alotta Burns leads her group of adventurous drinkers through eight wines. She guides experienced and not so experienced wine drinkers through the basics of wine. But the main goal of the tasting is fun. 

Along with Alotta, Haley Welshwine encourages inappropriate behavior. Her bawdy jokes and mischief add to Alotta’s more relaxed approach to enjoying wine, and even makes the 5 S’s (See, Swirl, Smell, Sip and Savor) more fun than it probably should be. Sprinkle in some rather embarrassing games, like a dance contest, and the laughter and joy never stops (yes, I made a fool of myself, and no, I am not providing those pictures). In fact, it can become difficult to get those gathered to leave.

We chose the 1pm tasting to make sure we had plenty of time for other diversions (there is a 3pm also). At the tasting there were no Texas wines; we instead drank frizaante, reisling, albarino, chardonnay, a surprising cab-shiraz blend, a surprising California red blend, and delightful Cotes de Rhone. But the ending ends with a bit of Texas: Enchanted Manor Mead. 

We returned to the scene of the crime for the 5pm mead tasting. Enchanted Manor was a highlight, but so was Griffin Meadery. To present a more balanced view,  a few other meaderies were included; the one from Colorado was my favorite.

The next time out, we stuck to just tasting as we went. We spent some time with the owner of Enchanted Manor Meadery. The wines are available at Specs and similar sites; however, there is no tasting room. Right now, money is an issue, so the only time there is a tasting room is during the festival. Guests can taste the mead, buy some mead, and see a show. 

I have to say, the drinking was fine at the Texas Renaissance Festival.

NEXT TIME

We braved some bad weather and cold. It was worth it. New fun and new wineries were on the list, so I could go back to work in January well "rested."

Texas Wine Month has Started!

The greatest celebration of Texas wine is upon us. October is Texas Wine Month, and wineries throughout the state are celebrating with special events and festivals. For me, that means a trip to the Texas Hill Country Wineries and 31 days on the annual Texas Wine Month trail.

For those that do not know, the wine trail allows those who purchase passes to sample wines from all 42 participating wineries -- without any additional charge. For $35 for an individual pass and $60 for a couple, this is an incredible deal.

When on the trail, guests an enjoy up to 4 full tastings a day. There was some complaint about it at first, as those that can't regularly be in the area would not be able to visit many wineries. This is true, but by moving to 4 a day, they can no offer full tastings (rather than the typical 3), which makes for a more thorough experience. I have already enjoyed my first trail day, and I can say that 4 full tastings is an ample amount. To complete that Herculean task, we devoted almost 6 hours to make those four visits to wineries that were very close to one another (someone within sight distance).  I can honestly say that I enjoyed the fuller tasting; it forced me to slow down and enjoy the wine and the company. Best of all, it allowed me to real get a full measure of what each winery had to offer.

The other new change is the use of a tasting booklet. In years past, trail goers took their paper ticket to each of the wineries. At each winery the ticket was stamped to track each guests' visits. After awhile, the ticket could get full, and so many of the stamps were hard to read. The new book provides four spaces for each of the 31 days of the trail; there is no problem with keeping track. In addition to tracking visits, the book becomes a souvenir.

In addition to the trail, the wineries host a kick-off party during the first weekend. This year it was moved to Saturday, which made it easier to actually come. So from 6-8 on the 3rd, guests enjoyed the beauty of Hye Meadow and drank wines from the host, as well as Alamosa, Bending Branch, Lewis Wines, McReynold's, and Messina Hof. Live music from the Flying Pig provided the evening's soundtrack, and KHill Barbeque served up great food. This night ended up being perfect, with the moon raising on side and the sun setting on the other.

Luckily, this adventure is just getting started. There are still many days to visit the wineries and a second party on Saturday the 25 at Driftwood.To join the fun, head to the Texas Hill Country website and grab a ticket; they may just sell out. And then, let the Texas wine drinking commence.

Spring Celebration at Messina Hof -- Bryan

*Note: This article also ran on Texas Wine and Trail.

Spring is in full bloom, especially at Messina Hof in Bryan. On Friday, April 25^th they will celebrate with their Spring Release Dinner and 30^th Wine & Roses Festival on Saturday, April 26. These events are a highlight to the beginning of a new year in Texas wine. This year will be my first time attending as well as visiting the Bryan location.

A Taste of the Season: Spring Release Dinner

The Spring Release Dinner starts the weekend. An evening of fine dining will be paired with new vintages of Messina Hof wines. The four course meal includes a wine infused salad course, a ragu cooked with Merlot, veal, and a chocolate dessert. Part of the entertainment for the evening will include an auction, whose proceeds will benefit the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History.

Interested parties can join the fun by purchasing individual seats or reserving a table. For more information on the dinner, visit the events page at Messina Hof.

Everything in Bloom: The 30^th Annual Wine & Roses Festival

The major event for the weekend is the 30^th Annual Wine and Roses Festival on the winery grounds, Saturday, April 26. This tradition marks the recent budding of the vines, as well as the blooming of the roses. During the festivities, the mayor of Bryan will also proclaim Messina Hof Day. Like the dinner the night before, proceeds from the festival will be donated to the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History.

The festival starts at 2pm and runs until 8 that evening. During the day, festival goers can enjoy live music – including artists Joe Teichman, Haley Cole, and The Rock-A-Fellas – throughout the day. During the day, visitors can watch the competitive grape stomps (include a celebratory stomp with area businesses and organizations), visit with local artisans and vendors, and vote on the new Messina Hof wine labels during the 24^th annual competition. All of this fun is free and family friendly.

For a little extra, guests can enjoy even more of the festival. There are ticket packages available at the Messina Hof website (and by phone at 1-800-736-WINE ext. 234) that include tickets for food (from the available food trucks) and drinks, as well as other goodies like a tasting glass, lanyard, and t-shirt. Tickets for the food and wine will also be available at the festival.

For extra fun, guests can take part in the various entertainments. Small groups can take part in the grape stomps. Groups are between 2-4 people and cost an additional $50; to reserve, guests need to class the reservation line. There will also be other entertainments like a Pinot Noir Painting Class hosted by the Artists Screen Cooperative from Austin, TX. And for those with a sweet tooth or in need of some decadence, there will also a Wine & Chocolate Pairing Class.

And while at the festival, visitors will be encouraged to share their fun via social networks. The winery will be hosting a special Tweet Spot. Those who are lucky enough to acquire a pass to the Tweet Spot will get a chance to taste and tweet about the new releases from Friday’s dinner (a great opportunity for those not above to attend the dinner the night before). Guests will need to complete their passport and for a one-time entrance to the area. I will live tweet and post on facebook throughout the day (since I have all-day access to the tweet spot as a member of the media). Check site for more info.

This weekend in Bryan promises lots of great food, great wine, and great fun. I can't wait till Friday. No matter what you prefer, there is something waiting for you at the 30^th Annual Wine & Roses Festival at Messina Hof. I'll see you there.

Messina Hof Bryan is located 4545 Old Reliance Road, Bryan, Texas 77808.

MAP

Only a Little Bit of Wine @ the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo

February is rodeo season, and it kicked off during the first full week of February here in  San Antonio. Normally, I don't go in for the Rodeo; here it is more about the carnival -- overpriced rides -- and the concerts -- I'm not a C&W fan. Well, last year marked the first time wine played a role at the Rodeo. So this year, Sean and I headed out during opening weekend to visit the 2nd annual Rodeo Wine Garden and taste the wine competition winners.

Front of the Garden facing away from the foot traffic

Local grocery giant HEB sponsors the Wine Garden at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. This little oasis in the dust and buzz is hidden back from the foot traffic as visitors leave the exhibit halls and special tents for the carnival. In fact, the nearby ARMY recruiter is easier to spot. This out of the way location is indicative to how the wine portion of the Rodeo is seen: it is the red-headed step child of the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo.

I don't wish to be mean. I'm glad our Rodeo is taking a page from more established and recognized ones, like the Houston Rodeo. However, it just doesn't get any respect. Right now, it has a lot to be desired. One of the wine competition volunteers told me the wine competition and garden ranked low among the Rodeo's exhibits and events. And to be honest, this feeling was evident. So like the red-headed step child, we want to like it but it isn't quite what it could be.

View from and of the Garden

To be fair, it has some good points. The best part about the Wine Garden is the "Garden." In the back of the tent, a comfortable garden area is set-up for visitors to sip on their wine and talk -- a rare commodity with all the loud noises drowning out a normal conversation. The patio seating is beautiful and for sale; it is also well placed around the garden space to allow for a sense of privacy. Plants of all types fill the space, a nice break from the dust and road. There is even a pleasant waterfall. This ornament provides a nice setting: a way to drown out carnival noise and a way to keep the dust down. Sitting out in the garden enjoying a glass of wine on a beautiful warming sunny day was exactly what I had hoped when I arrived.

The waterfall in the back center of the Garden

Also recommending the garden was the friendly staff. The four young ladies that were pouring the wine were all very nice and approachable. But that was also the first sign of a problem; none of the stewardesses knew anything nothing about the wines (and in some cases, wine in general). During the first part of our tasting, we not only told the girl about the wines (as she and the others had not tried them), but we also informed her about how wine tastes. She was eager to learn, but I found it disappointing that those people most in contact with the visitors knew almost nothing. To make matters worse, they couldn't even tell anyone which wines were Texas wines; yes, I saw to that VERY quickly.

The tasting bars

To help with the lack of info, the Rodeo had a large number of wine competition volunteers roaming about. We were greeted by one not long after we entered, but after I introduced myself as a blogger, he decided not to keep talking with us. We later spoke to another gentleman who was eager to share his love for wine; I just wish I met him sooner. There were a number of others, but they seemed more intent on socializing with one another than the Garden's visitors. This was disappointing. They did one good thing though. They came around with chocolates to pair with the wine. The sample Sean and I got was quite good and paired well with the rich red blends.

Inside the tent

As for the wines, that is a whole other story. I recently spoke to someone involved with the judging, and she wasn't too happy about the whole thing. I can see why. Though the winners were good, it seems most were merely safe choices. The Cupcake Petite Sirah -- a non-vintage mass produced Malbec -- did well at the competition. I am not saying this isn't an enjoyable wine, but it isn't what I expect of a competition winner. The Red Rock Malbec (BRONZE, Top of Class), a better placed winner, was a better choice. It and the Red Rock red blend (GOLD) were two of the most intriguing wines Sean and I drank. They had some complexity in flavor and some progression, but they weren't wines to sit and slowly savor and ponder over. These weren't the something special I had expected; I was disappointed.

One of our favorites

To make matters worse, Texas wines did poorly at this wine competition. This is a shock compared to the successes they had at the other, more established Rodeo wine competitions (the Houston Stock Show and Rodeo had a great Texas turn out), as well as their showing at the San Antonio Wine Festival. At the Garden, only three were available and they were not properly presented: Messina Hof's Reserve Cabernet Franc (they were serving the Barrel Reserve though it was the Private Reserve that won), Messina Hof's Sophia Maria Rose (a semi-dry that they had put in the dry white category), and McPherson's Viognier (which was in the Sweet Wine section). The lack of Texas wines and the mistakes made presenting them was rather sad. And this went on. While we were there, a visitor asked to try all the Texas wines. He was disappointed to only find three; he left quickly.

Award winning Texas wine from Messina Hof

Sean and I did our best to look past the slight to Texas wines and try to find out the stand-outs, like the Red Rock. However, it was hard. Recently, I spoke to another visitor to the Rodeo who complained about this issue. First, the tastings were $2 a piece and were maybe 1 ounce pours. It didn't take long to spend a lot (we stopped at 6 tastings each, a total of $22). This is where the wineries and other festivals stand out. For $10, I could get at least five 1-ounce pours (probably 2 ounces) and a glass. This didn't match up. The mark-up didn't end there. The two glasses Sean and I chose were $10 each. Not really bad, except these bottles retail at $10. This was poor mark-up. Add to that one more problem: not enough. Even by opening day the Garden was out of many wines, especially the champions. Add all of this up, and it was no wonder people didn't stay long or drink.

All this said, I am glad that the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo is trying to be something more. However, it has a ways to go. In fact, the GOTEXAN areas were generally marginalized at the Rodeo, especially the Wine Garden (which also had so little to do with Texas). And I know I am not the only person unimpressed. While at my favorite wine shop recently, I chatted with some folks who had recently visited as well. They were disappointed by the lack of quality, as well as the lack of available wines (they went opening night and a number of the featured champion wines were already "SOLD OUT"). I hope that the Rodeo learns more every year and that the Wine Garden gets better. And since it is the Rodeo, I hope they will start to feature Texas wines more prominently. Here is hoping for next year will be brighter.