a new Pinot Noir discovery

Thanks to all of you who came by to talk TexaCali Wines in Fort Worth today. Feels like home tasting and helping out all the foodies on the hunt for great wines at Central Market. Wine Manager - J.R. Clark (who we all know and love) is always a breath of fresh air to see and work with in the wine department in Cowtown. After leaving Central Market (holy COW did you see the pyramid of Argentine Crios wines $15 and PHENOMENAL Amarone for $25 - a delicious buy!) I stopped into one of my favorite North Texas family and independently owned wine shops - Put A Cork In It on Park Hill off of Forest Park Blvd. and the TCU area.

The street Park Hill holds a special place for me, it was years ago that I accepted a scholarship to Baylor University from the Fort Worth Girls Service League, a scholarship trust on a home in the Park Hill neighborhood allowed so many of us to get a little ahead in college. So I'm more than thrilled after all these years to be doing business in the neighborhood with the Keel family of Put a Cork In It.

My point is... I picked up a few wines I've read/heard great things about and owner Chris Keel highly recommended as well. So tonight, I'm 2 glasses into my first ever Australian Pinot Noir and loving it! I too highly recommend the 2008 Innocent Bystander and I AM SO HAPPY ABOUT MY PURCHASE! What a great bottle to sip on tonight...bright fruits and juicy - just what I needed to ooze into my comfy brown couch for the night curled up with the my loved ones at home.

Innocent Bystander Pinot is about $18 a bottle and imported to the US market by Old Bridge Cellars. I know Denise, she does what I do for a living in the great state of Texas and has extremely good taste too, so even cooler that this bottle is making my night!

Years ago, living atop of the Fillmore Hill in Pacific Heights, I had a roommate from Melbourne who raved about wines from his native land. I truly learned so much about Aussie wines from Jim at K&L Wine Co. , here's what he had to say about it: "The nose explodes with dark cherries, cranberries and fresh raspberries backed by subtle nutmeg and cinnamon spices. Underlying truffles and meaty, wet earth and mushroom notes add complexity. The juicy palate displays fresh berries with a slippery, rich and slightly tart finish. "Innocent Bystander? I think not!" says K&L Australian buyer, Jim Chanteloup. "More like a good Samaritan who, for the fourth year in a row, has brought outstanding Pinot Noir at an affordable price with true varietal typicity. All the fruit for this wine was hand harvested, destemmed and then gets a 3-7 day cold soak followed by fermentation with primarily wild yeast. The nose is lifted with notes of cherry, raspberry and spice. On the palate, the the wine is bright and vibrant with a juicy middle, soft tannins and very nice length."

For those who need more...90 points from Stephen Tanzer's IWC: "Vivid red. Sexy, highly perfumed bouquet of strawberry, raspberry, potpourri and minerals. Impressively pure, with fresh red berry flavors and seductive sweetness. The finish strongly echoes the raspberry note and leaves a tangy trail of minerals and flowers behind. A super value for pinot."

ENJOY - I'm stocking up on more of this great Australian Pinot Noir...Cheers - Ali