So I've written about my dear friend Mulan a few times on the blog over the past few years, she's quoted today in a very cool article in the San Francisco Chronicle...MULAN is a wine expert on wines of Southern France and a hand full of other wine regions around the world! Smart and Pretty - Mulan Rocks!! 
So I'm trying to motivate this morning, I'm heading up to Dallas and Fort Worth for the Christmas Holiday. First things first, I've got my case of wine and bubbles already tucked in the car. Like all of us in the wine business, this time of year is exhausting and over the last few years Christmas Day has been somewhat a blurr from the 365 days leading up to Dec. 25 each year. I love the current BMW commercial running on the television - you know, the one where the 2 little kids scream at the top of their lungs when they open Santa's gift on Xmas morning - makes me laugh so hard each time I see or hear those screams of joy! This will be the last "grandkidless" year in our family, my brother and his beautiful wife are expecting their first...my how the world spins madly on. I'm in the midst of setting goals for my wineries, distributors and for myself for 2007. So much to accomplish and look forward to in the next set of 365 days. The TexaCali Wine Co. Year in Review will be posted soon...
Well Well, a big shout out to the new Spec's team in Austin. It's not everyday this single girl gets marriage proposals and hugs from a dozen or more guys! Oh - count me in to help out anytime fellas! Big Smile!! And thanks for supporting TexaCali Wine Co. family owned producers - always.
Wow - I can hardly believe this- here's a real treat. There are a few cases of the 2002 Fort Ross Chardonnay available in Texas. It's around $29
For all you collectors out there, this list is what is currently on the shelves in Cheers - Ali
Well, I've received just under a hundred requests this week asking where certain TexaCali Wines are available in Texas. Here's a short list (and I mean short since the wine and sake is available to each and every retailer in Texas - just ask for it if you don't see it).
Meet Erika - she's a PLM, knows her wine, mother of the cutest little boy ever and one of the best wine peeps in the Lone Star State - the real deal!Monday, December 11, 2006
| Keep "La Posta-ed" From Mendoza, Argentina comes 3 distinct single vineyard wines. Their name is La Posta del Vinatero , "the tavern of the winegrower". The company that imports them asked the growers to stop selling their spectacular fruit that they used to sell to other wineries to blend, and ma The more demure "Pizzella Family Vineyard" Malbec makes you feel like you just discovered your first perfume that actually smells good on you, or her as the case may be. Beautiful fruit notes, with hints of sandalwood and spice. Its like a glass of love. Not much left of this one Retail $15.99 And last but certainly not least, the if you want to cheat on another wine, cheat with this one... La Posta 'Angel Paulucci Vineyard' Malbec 2005 Right out of the bottle animalistic and provocatively wanting to be Spanish. But it comes back home with that crazy mineral, iron rich, salt driven Argentine earthiness, with intense fruit and backbone. I would put this up against 'Anime Negra' for a test drive just to see what happens. It has a great balance you won't find in any other wine for under $20. Retail $17.99 and worth every sipping penny. http://www.myspace.com/texacaliwines |
Holiday Wine Selections
Cloverdale Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon
This
La Posta Malbec
This Malbec is one of the highest rated Argentine reds under $20. Vibrant red color with aromas of red cherries, raspberries, and blueberries wafting from the glass along with notes of caramel from the oak. On the palate, the fresh berry flavors mingle with spice notes in the finish. This is a medium-bodied and well-structured wine that is incredibly full of life. It’s in High Demand for the Holidays in
This beautiful
Susana de Balbo Crios Torrontes
Ahh – this is perfect for all your pre-holiday snicky-snacks! Goes incredible well with spicey nuts and crackers – even better with goat cheese and pesto. Susana Balbo put torrontes wine on the map and we ALL love her for it – no oak, just amazing floral and leychee fruit flavors abound.
An absolute favorite among Ernesto Catena’s
This loveable Argentine white starts out with enticing aromas of lemon, fresh herbs, honeydew rind, and a hint of oak. Once you swirl it around your mouth, you’ll get a vibrant blast of lemon zest acidity along with lemongrass and a slightly creamy texture. This wine delivers a lot of body without losing its lively acidity, and the crisp finish doesn’t keep this wine from lingering on your palate. Hard to find this kind of complexity and flavor intensity at such a reasonable price. $14
*please note prices vary by retailer
Robert’s Roast Sirloin of Beef--Old Bordelais saying
Pairing food and wine greatly enhances the dining experience. Although some of the old rules--red wines with red meat and white wines with seafood--may be an oversimplification, there is some basis for the theory. While it ultimately comes down to what you like, some food and wine combinations are hard to beat, like simply roasted beef and wines based on Cabernet Sauvignon. The weight, tannins, and flavors of the wine bring forth the rich flavors of the meat; in return, the natural, unadorned flavors and texture of the meat showcase the complexity of the wine. The following is less of a recipe than it is a marriage of great elements.
- Robert Pellegrini
Robert’s Roast Sirloin of Beef
This cut of beef, also called a New York Strip, is the king of roasts and would be an excellent choice for serving a dozen guests at a holiday dinner.
1 12 lb. sirloin roast of beef, boned
4 tablespoons Olive Oil
4 gloves garlic, halved
Rosemary, in sprig
3 teaspoons sea salt
3 teaspoons pepper
A rack and a low-sided roasting pan to just fit the roast
Dry the faces of the roast with a knife. Make 8 small incisions throughout the roast and press in a half clove of garlic. Coarsely chop the rosemary leaves and with the olive oil, salt and pepper, rub all over the exterior of the roast.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place beef on a rack in the roasting pan, fat side down (so you only have to turn the roast once), and place in the oven to brown. After about 15 minutes, turn the roast fat side up. When that side is browned, turn down the heat and complete the cooking at 400 degrees.
Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness. At 120 to 125, the meat will be rare. Allow the roast to rest in a warm place for twenty minutes before slicing.
If desired, pour off the fat in the roasting pan and deglaze with a cup of beef stock and a cup of Cloverdale Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon. Scrape the bits on the bottom of the pan, reduce by half, and serve along with the roast in a sauceboat. Serve this dish with crisp oven-roasted potatoes and sautéed green beans.
Greetings this morning...be sure to read about Cloverdale Ranch Cabernet and Fort Ross Vineyards and Winery on the home page of www.texacaliwine.com 
I'll be explaining the basics of Ginjo Sake along with the tasting...
Cheers - Ali
So I've been out in California for a few days, many business meetings, many bottles of wine, many laughs, many good friends sharing great times with TexaCali Ali! It's been a very big year, so it's nice to begin the holiday season among the special producers, importers and friends I've trusted my life with over the past few years.
butter cream frosted cupcakes. The San Francisco good-weather Gods were on our side - giving us a clear night with no fog or wind.
Classic night in San Francisco - I found tickets on Craigslist for "The Fray" in concert at the Warfield. AWESOME group of guys just playing music together. You can check out a tune of theirs on www.myspace.com/texacaliwines 
fish and chips - delivered in a nifty wrap of newspaper. I miss this city. Off to prepare for a darling b-day celebration this evening - bubbles all day for all! Cheers - Ali
Thanksgiving festivities are here - everyone is loading up on the goods this weekend, so please don't forget to support TexaCali Wine Co. producers! Enjoy the pics....(I went on a fabulous hike in Marin, visited Woodhouse Chocolates in Napa Valley - how cute are the Chocolate Turkeys playing football?)
Thanksgiving Wines to Buy - these are a must - just ask for them at your favorite wine store....
Stay tuned for more soon, this is the biggest food and wine weekend of the year...
Gobble Gobble! Ali
but I was able to taste Davis Family Vineyards wine this afternoon - so it's a wash baaabyyy!!!
I'm running off to dinner in San Francisco, but quickly wanted to copy the following for you all! I met Alder last Wednesday night at Wine 2.0 and thanked him for being such the pioneer for the world of wine blogging - Vinography. Groundbreaking sight for wine and sake content and the most excellent website and blog to learn about other bloggers like me out there...I'm a sucker for a good story when it comes to what I'm drinking. Of course, what I'm drinking has to be good, but it becomes so much better for the addition of a great story about where it came from and how it was made. Quite often, however, the story also comes from who made it. The people behind the wine we drink are literally the reason it tastes so good, but the stories of winemakers, vineyard workers, winemaking families, and vineyard owners can add a special dimension to the understanding and appreciation of what's in the glass.
Especially when the folks who make what we're drinking defy the odds.
Philip Harper is a man going where none of his kind have gone before. Specifically, he is the first and only Toji, or master brewer of Japanese sake, that also happens to be not Japanese. Harper is the sort of modest unassuming Brit that still hasn't gotten used to answering the question that everybody always asks. His answer to how the heck he ended up where he is today is "purely by accident."
What started as a personal passion for sake led to volunteering for the backbreaking work associated with the sake making process, eventually getting paid for it, and then, after a long road of apprenticeship, being certified as the first foreign-born Master Brewer in the country. The author of several books about sake, Harper recently published The Book of Sake: A Connoisseurs Guide
Harper works for a brewing company called Daimon Shuzo (the shuzo just means "brewery") near the city of Osaka in western Japan. Confusingly, the brewery is also known as Sakahan Shuzo. Don't ask me why.
Founded in 1826, Daimon has been run by a single family for 6 generations. The brewery sits at the foot of the Ikoma mountain range in a town called Katano city, an area that has been renown for centuries as a destination for viewing the cherry blossoms and other seasonal scenery.
Sake production in the area began in the Edo Period (between 1600 and 1850) and Diamon is one of only two remaining brewers that have survived since that time. Its longevity can certainly be attributed to making a great product and sensible management, but may also be a consequence of the brewery's modest aspirations. Diamon has never made much sake. It produces about 90,000 liters of sake per year (the equivalent of 10,000 cases of wine), which makes it rather small by Japanese standards.
Harper works alongside another Master Brewer named Yokomichi Toshiaki to produce the brewery's various different sakes for domestic and export markets. Most sake breweries have a large portfolio of different sakes that are made in various quantities, some large, some miniscule. I've never seen a sake brewery that didn't have at least several different products and several different sub-brands. Diamon offers its products under the Diamon, Tozai, Mukune, Sakahan and Rikyubai.
The Tozai line of products, both of which are reviewed below, is a special collaborative project between Harper, the brewery's US importer, and artist Daniel Kelly, who provided the artwork for the labels. The name Tozai appropriately means "East-West."
The existence of these products, not to mention the employment of a British guy with wild curly hair and a penchant for wearing hooded sweatshirts and tie-dyes, totally impresses me. It's quite inspiring to see even just a single example of such innovation and open-mindedness in an industry whose complex traditions and convoluted laws make the French AOC system look like kindergarten playground rules.
Below you'll find tasting notes for the four sakes that the brewery currently exports to the US. Full disclosure: I received these sakes as press samples.
TASTING NOTES:
Tozai "Well of Wisdom" Honzojo
Colorless in the glass, this sake has a yeasty nose of wet wood and malted milk. In the mouth it is silky, with subdued acid levels and somewhat straightforward flavors of chocolate milk and cedar. Score: 8. Cost: $22.
Mukune "Shadows of Katano" Junmai Ginjo Nigori
Cloudy white with a fine sediment and just the tiniest hint of bubbles, this sake has a very unique nose that has the lightest yeasty notes of Vegemite mixed with more dominant aromas of freshly baked bread, and sweet wet earth. In the mouth it is lightly sweet, with a nice satiny feel on the tongue, and can best be described as tasting like what you might imagine milkweed to taste like before you actually give it a try (the real deal is somewhat bitter). There is something magically organic and essential about the milky earthy flavor and its accompanying notes of floral tones. This is the first Junmai Ginjo Nigori (unfiltered) sake I have had, but it has me itching for more. Score: 9. Cost: $40.
Mukune "Root of Innocence" Junmai Ginjo
Crystal clear in the glass, this sake has a very light, nearly imperceptible nose of light rainwater and mineral aromas with a hint of floral complexity. In the mouth it has a somewhat unusual combination of woody flavors and a richer butterscotch aspect that is quite pleasing. The sake is very balanced with a fine texture and weight on the tongue. A solid Ginjo that most people would have to try very hard to dislike. Score: 9. Cost: $40.
Tozai "Voices in the Mist" Nigori
Dense and milky white in the glass, this unfiltered sake smells classically of warm bread. In the mouth it is lighter than its thick cloudiness would suggest, and has a surprising peachy and citrus aspect to it, hinting at oranges at times as it moves across the palate, with only a tiny bit of sweetness to it. This is a more classic nigori-style sake, uncomplicated and approachable. Score: 8.5. Cost: $22.
For the thousands of you that check the TexaCali Wine Trail each day...Yep, here it is, so glamorous! This is the first day in almost 7 weeks I've been home all day - so after sending and replying to over 900 emails, I'm sipping on a little Crios Rose of Malbec tonight, still in my pj's from this morning, and totally sucked into the CMA Awards on TV - and I don't even like country music (but think it's fun to eat crackers in bed anytime baby!). Seriously! I've logged over 18,000 miles on my car in Texas since July - where is the high-speed train I need???
So Handley Cellars "cool climate" wines certainly fit the bill this week in Dallas, Fort Worth, Georgetown and Austin! It's COLD in Texas (not kidding in the slightest). What a wonderful week of talking up, sipping on and being reminded how wonderful Handley Cellars portfolio of wines are - I'm stocking up myself, just LOVE their wines. On Thursday, we had a very "cool climate" lunch. A big shout out to Rudy, Paul, Eric and Andrea for a very fun time!
think his customers would..."it's the anti-Rombauer", I replied without skipping a beat. Those who like finesse and elegance without the extra squirt of butter totally dig this Chardonnay - in fact, it reminds me of so many Grand Cru Burgundies...Luca Beso de Dante 2003 – 92 pts
Mendel Unus 2004 – 92 pts
Tikal Jubilo 2004 – 91 pts
La Posta Malbec Paulucci 2005 – 90 pts
Mendel Malbec 2004 – 90 pts
Susana Balbo Cab Sauv 2003 – 89 pts
Mapema Malbec 2004 – 88 pts
La Posta Bonardo Armando 2004 - 87 pts
In the Aphabetical guide to ARG wines section (pg 180)
BenMarco Expresivo 2003 – 90 pts
BenMarco Cab Sauv 2004 – 87 pts
BenMarco Malbec 2004 – 90 pts
Crios Cab 2004 – 88 pts
Crois Malbec 2005 – 88 pts
Crios Rosé 2006 – 81 pts
Crios Torrontes 2006 – 84 pts
Budini Chardonnay 2005 – 82 pts
Budini Malbec 2004 – 85 pts
Luca Beso de Dante 2003 – 92 pts
Luca Chardonnay 2004 – 88 pts
Luca Syrah 2004 – 91 pts
Mapema Malbec 2004 – 88 pts
Mapema Sauvignon Blanc 2006 – 84 pts
Mapema Tempranillo 2004 – 89 pts
Mendel Malbec 2004 – 90 pts
Mendel Unus 2004 – 92 pts
Susana Balbo Cab Sauv 2003 – 89 pts
Susana Balbo Malbec 2004 – 91 pts
Susana Balbo Brioso 2003 – 91 pts
Tikal Jubilo 2004 – 91 pts
Tikal Amorio 2004 – 92 pts
Tikal Patriota 2004 – 90 pts
Always trust this logo when picking out Argentine wine and Ginjo Sake! Cheers - Ali
Yes - Halloween is the busiest pizza night of the year - forget football games, Halloween is the biggest evening of all among our favorite pizza parlors! How else can you get all the kids to eat dinner with all the candy lurking (and for parents to relax during the tricks and treating)???
Friday at 5:00pm Robert Pellegrini landed in Austin - exactly 24 hours after harvest ended for Pellegrini Family Vineyards! Talk about running on adrenaline...his trip to Austin wrapped up the most "high-energy" week TexaCali Wine Co. has accomplished yet! Whewwww- we made it!
from the airport to Spanish Oaks CC, for a beautiful sit-down winemaker dinner with members of the club. I'll let the pictures do the talking... 
enthusiasm for Cloverdale Ranch, Olivet Lane and Pellegrini wines are so appreciated!
ed the 30 hours with a stop into Cork & Co., these guys were fortunate to have visited the Pellegrini Winery a few weeks ago and caught the passion-bug for Pellegrini wines like I did many years ago. Nothing like watching a great college football game in the coolest wine bar on Congress Ave.!
.jpg){kind=link}
