House Wine

Well, I did it, finally after all these years of living as a nomad - I bought a house! It's a first-house, a true investment and a great place to rest my head for a few years (while my future house in the west hills of Austin with a massive infinity pool awaits!). Funny thing though - while signing my life away on paperwork, my credit report listed all the places I've lived since 1994. WOW.
Dallas - the city apartment on Cedar Springs, the upstairs cottage in Highland Park, a small one-bedroom on Gaston Ave - all bringing back memories of food and wine of course. My Dallas days were full of grilling out just about everything and drinking wine from Italy, Napa and Sonoma. I stuck to the Big Names in the 90's while I began to learn more about the world of wine.

Moving to San Francisco certainly stepped things up in the wine department - the 3 bedroom attic apartment on Broadway (where the rent equaled a small ranch in Texas) was filled with wines from the South of France and Burgundy. Then onto the high-rise at the top of the Fillmore hill and Pacific Ave. - mostly wines from New Zealand, South America and the Rhone Valley (on a serious budget this year). Ahh then last but not least my years living in the Presidio where the house was filled with wines from K&L Wine Merchants - where I worked - Loire, Champagne, Germany, Bordeaux and my favorite California producers like Pellegrini, Storrs and Handley - many of which I represent today.

Life brought me back to Texas in 2004 and more rentals - though a hellava lot cheaper. More money to spend on wine-hurray! Wine tastings, winemaker dinners, and Ginjo Sake - the best new addition to my personal food and wine life no doubt. This past year, I've managed to rent a groovy yellow house a few blocks from Barton Springs where memories of Spanish wine and their makers creating music on the front lawn abound.
I'll be out of here before Halloween - the move sandwiched in between Fort Worths 65 Roses event and a week long visit by Etienne Montille. Off to my new home, just a few blocks away from my LAST RENTAL.

I imagine the first night in the new house christened by 96 Krug...oh yeah! A few shots of the new place...what is your favorite "house wine" these days? Cheers - Ali