Pay it forward...

Meet Bridget:

Bridget sells loaves of bread in retail to her customers within her community in Lagos state, Nigeria. She is 50 years old and married with 10 children. Bridget hopes for the loan amount of N80, 000 to purchase more loaves of bread to sell. Bridget lives in Lagos State, Nigeria.

And Nestor:

Nestor is a young man from the Gblinkomé district. He learned food service and is a cook. Not having found work in a hotel, he decided in 2004 to open his own little restaurant in order to support himself. His cafeteria is situated along a big international road so he gets a lot of customers. 

To avoid running short of foodstuffs, he is asking WAGES for a loan to buy 3 cases of milk, 1 basket of fresh tomatoes, 15 trays of eggs, 10 cases of beer, 3 cases of spaghetti, and 1 big tin of oil. Nestor is not married and not raising any children.  He lives in Adidogomé, Togo.

TexaCali Wine Co. has successfully sponsored these two entrepreneurs over the last 2 years and they no-longer need a loan for their business. 100% repaid!   So proud and honored to help Nestor and Bridget achieve their business dreams!

Please help us help Kigozi Grace now in Uganda...(she sounds like my kinda' gal!)

“Men have sight--Women have insight”- This is an adage firmly embedded in 33-year-old Kigozi Grace. Kigozi belongs to Bazirengedde group. Because she has been able to solve deeply entrenched financial adversity on her own with no support, she now has a deeper perspective and understanding of how to handle a crisis situation in business. Notwithstanding the relatively short period of time she has had her food snack and soft drink restaurant business, she has given a good account of herself as a business woman.

Lady luck has shone on Grace’s married life. She and her husband have three highly spirited kids who she says take after both of them in many ways.

Running this business has struck a deep chord with clients who flock to her restaurant. Like her name, Kigozi Grace is truly gracious. She began her business journey selling charcoal and firewood. Grace credits her sister with giving her the inspiration to begin this business. With this loan, she says she is going to buy more furniture for her restaurant.

A little goes a very long way, pay it forward...www.kiva.org. 

Cheers - Ali

2010 Pellegrini Family Vineyards "Leveroni Vineyard" Sauvignon Blanc

Freshly pressed today...I wish I could blog the aroma for you all! Pretty amazing...Cheers - Ali

No words needed today...

Wine of the Week @ Block 7

Big Cheers to Block 7 in Houston for their enthusiastic support of Pellegrini Family Vineyards!  They've circled in on a Pellegrini Family Blend. A perfect excuse to go for the Block 7 Burger and Sweet Potato Fries too.  Cheers to a great weekend everyone! - Ali

"$20/$16

Rarely does a value bottle whop us over our heads, but at a recent tasting Pellegrini's 2005 Family Blend did just that. Away are the overripe, high alcohol fruit bombs or thin, uninteresting whippets that one normally finds from California at this price. No - this wine is intense, rich and succulent without the rocket fuel alcohol that usually comes with this price-tag. Amazing texture with black fruit notes and impressive extraction.The wine just coats your tongue - which is what you'd expect from a blend of Zinfandel, Merlot and jaw-dropping 100+ year old Carignan vines. 

The wine drinks like it came from an old vine parcel within la Liviniere, Minervois - definitely not Sonoma County. Unlike a great, old vine Carignan from an esteemed producer such as Gauby or l'Oustal Blanc, this one is accessible for every pocketbook.
 
We'll be pouring this wine, along with several other amazing values during this weekend's Saturday Tasting from 12-2pm. See you then!" http://www.block7wineco.com/

Juice Box.

It's been a wild and wacky season thanks to Mother Nature in California.  Pinot Noir grapes came in today for a custom crush client @ Pellegrini Family Vineyards.  The Olivet Lane Pinot Noir is still hanging out for a few more days of sunshine.  A great day at the winery for all! 

Cheers! Ali

Off Subject - Breakast Food Porn

There are many reasons to go to Perla's in Austin, great people, excellent food, the best cocktails in Austin, killer patio, and of course to see their beautiful oyster-shucker Jen!  

So, after hanging out there a gazillion times  - Ben the Bar Manager suggested I come in for Sunday Brunch, so here is what I'll forever be thankful for at Perla's: 

PS: There's a hidden mound of bananas smack-dab in the middle of this morning masterpiece.

Windsor to SFO to DFW to Fort Worth to Houston to Austin to Dallas to Fort Worth to DFW to SFO to Windsor.

Well worth the trip.  Avante Beverages hosted their Texas Portfolio Tour and knocked it out of the park this week.

I wonder, maybe 100, possibly 200 trade tastings I've now attended and/or organized over the past 10 years.  Portfolio Tastings = massive number of wine producers, marketing agents and sales folks who stand behind tables in a huge room together pouring their wines for wine buyers and media folks to try.   It's a time for folks like me to taste all the accounts who attend, crack some deals, hang out with the distributor sales reps and do a heck of a lot of networking with all the traveling vendors (I'll post a recap of some interesting wines I tasted from others at some point soon).

Yesterday I was a vendor wrapping up Avante's 3 day, 3 city Portofolio Tasting.  TexaCali Wine Co. as you know by now (or you are a clueless moron) represents some of the best family owned wineries from all over the world.  I brought out bottles from all corners of Italy and California this week - and "not a sucker in bunch" said everyone that stopped by my table for a taste through.

 

Many of us "in the trade" contemplate the need for these sorta tastings.  From a planning standpoint - pulling off a tasting is a HUGE pain in the tush.  It's a ton of work, hard-labor for the warehouse pulling mounds of wine to be delivered in advance to each venue, meticulous organization of each box (always a mixed case of wines) for individual tables, securing enough trays to load with ice for the white bottles, water pitchers and dump buckets for each table and of course all the price booklets and polished stemware all need uber planning in advance before it's "go-time".  There's usually a bus that bounces everyone around the state, most likely a bus that has a flat or a funky smell at some point between here and there too.  It takes everyone in our supply-chain working together to pull-off an excellent tasting.  This week- it was an excellent tasting!

Well attended - hundreds of wine buyers and pros attended the Texas Tour - rain or shine literally.  It was a "white-knuckle" drive on Tuesday through the hurricane, but I can only count on 1.5  hands the number of buyers who missed out, which is/was truly a shame.  This week was an excellent opportunity to not only taste wine, but to see the tremendous amount of comradeship between Avante Beverages and all of their Texas supporters who sell their beautiful wine offerings in their fine-wine establishments.

Avante - these group of fellas started a company driven by passion 4 years ago and live it everyday no matter what.  Wine distribution is a tough, bumpy and steep road &  peddling wine through distribution is filled with more hard & curvy roads.  However,  a week of seeing smiles the minute a wine sommelier or retail buyer's nose hits a glass for their first sip of wine makes it all worth it.  Thanks to all who stopped by my tables, tasted the wines of TexaCali Wine Co. and continue to support and promote the good folks of Avante Beverages in Texas.  

2010 has been an incredibly hard year for TexaCali Wine Co.  As most of you know, last April I undeservedly and ruthlessly lost my dearest client  -  a collection of wine and sake producers I've been fiercely dedicated to over the last 5 years.  Avante Beverages has stood strong by my side since the day they opened their doors.  So to those of you who stayed an especially long time talking with me at the tables this week offering your Texas-Size hugs and kind words of support -  you just blew a whopping amount of fresh air into my weathered sails.   I can't thank you enough.  The next chapter of TexaCali Wine Co. is well on it's way, so stay tuned!! 

Cheers to a great weekend ahead (hopefully you'll be sipping on a few wines from LIOCO, Handley Cellars, Pellegrini Family Vineyards, Teira and the gorgeous Italian wines of Indigenous Selections) Just ask your favorite Texas wine shop!

Follow TexaCaliAli on Twitter and join TexaCali Wine Co. on Facebook

Texas Portfolio Tour

TRADE AND MEDIA ONLY:  Avante Beverages is hosting their statewide portfolio tour...stop by and taste the incredible wines of LIOCO, Handley Cellars, Indigenous Selections, Teira and Pellegrini Family Vineyards along with me!  Please click on invitation to enlarge below...Cheers! Ali

The Prince of Pinot Profiles LIOCO

For all you Pinot Noir fans out there, if you haven't subscribed to the Pinot File yet, here's a great reason - a nice in-depth profile on the winemaking techniques & philosophy behind LIOCO.  Cheers - Ali

LIOCO Winery: A Different Path

Sommeliers approach wine from a different perspective, less focused on the hedonism of wine and more concerned with how the components of wine act in unison to compliment and enhance the experience of dining. Their profession teaches them about what kind of wine makes food sing. It is no surprise, then, that in recent years many sommeliers have launched their own wine labels, directing the crafting of wine or even making wines themselves that reflect their preference for food-loving wines. Many sommeliers have established intimate relationships with winegrowers and winemakers through the years, making it easy for them to gain access to talented people in the wine business to assist in the start up process. One of these sommeliers is Kevin O’Connor of Spago Restaurant in Los Angeles.

O’Connor predates the current surge in sommelier wine producers, having made wine for years under the O’Connor label. Beginning with the 2005 vintage, he teamed with former North Berkeley Imports wine importer Matt Licklider to found the LIOCO label, specializing in non-manipulated site-driven wines. LIOCO is a combination of the partner’s last names.

O’Connor works closely with University of California at Davis graduate Kevin Kelley (pictured below), who also crafts wines for Salinia Wine Company, Heintz Vineyard, and Spot-On Cellars. Like a number of winemakers who started out with ambitions to enter the medical profession, he was derailed after reading Charles Sullivan’s Like Modern Edens, the story of the origins of the Santa Clara Valley wine business. After serving an internship at Domaine Meo-Camuzet in Burgundy, he became an assistant winemaker under Wells Guthrie of Copain. He founded his own label, Salinia Wine Company, with his wife Jennifer in 2003, with the intention of producing wines with minimal winemaking imprint using indigenous yeasts and very little to no oak (only seasoned oak barrels are used). To achieve his goals, he picks early, does not temperature control fermentations, avoids fining and filtration, minimizes sulfur usage, and lets nature take its course...

____________________________________________________________

2007 LIOCO Michaud Vineyard Chalone Pinot Noir

  

14.3% alc., pH 3.77, 343 cases, $48. This vineyard is located at an elevation of 1,600 feet on granite and limestone soils. The climate is extreme, with 40 to 60 degree diurnal shifts, resulting in stressed vines. 10-day cold soak, aged 12 months in 1, 2, and 3- year-old oak barrels, unfined and unfiltered. · Deeply colored. Appealing, even ridiculously sensual aromas of warm cherry tart, tea, ground savory and dark roses. Flavors of loamy black cherries and berries, spice and grilled mushrooms. A sweet and sour thing is going on with the fruit. Silky and smooth with healthy ripe tannins yet a charming elegance. Amazing persistence of berry fruit on the generous finish. This wine will stand up to hearty foods. Very good (+).

Please click here to read in full and subscribe: http://www.princeofpinot.com/article/952/ 

 

The Sunday Afternoon Office

A welcome view, warm sunshine and cool breeze. Sitting outside in San Anselmo,California this afternoon working on major-cool-stuff!  New business opportunities on the horizon have injected a big rush of excitement and massive focus. Stay tuned & cheers to a lovely week ahead everyone - Ali

2008 LIOCO SONOMA COAST PINOT NOIR

In the news again! Texas has loved this vintage of LIOCO Pinot Noir for months now...please ask your favorite wine shop for a few bottles and look for it soon in Houston @ Catalan! Cheers - Ali

Read the Article Here

2005 CIACCI PICCOLOMINI NEW RELEASES ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN TEXAS!

 

  

Please ask for CIACCI at your favorite wine shop and fine-dining restaurant.   Avante Beverages is their Texas distributor and just landed the new 2005's! www.IndigenousSelections.com

Cheers - Ali

New Italian Offering is SPARKLING...

and is quickly becoming a BIG HIT in Texas! BiancaVigna Prosecco - new cases have arrived and are making friends all over the state.  Please find it at your favorite Texas wine shop for $12-14.

A little reminder:  Prosecco DOC Brut NV
100% estate-grown Glera fruit; 27 year-old vines (average). 

Vinified by gently pressing the grapes, still decantation and fermentation at a constant temperature. Aged in stainless steel vats. Foaming: Second fermentation in stainless steel tanks (cuvée close) at controlled temperatures, with selected ferments, for a minimum of 60 days. Tartaric stabilization at a low temperature.

 

Bottling: Isobaric bottling, after sterile filtration

Tasting Note: Color: Brilliant straw-yellow with green reflections, fine and persistent perlage. 

Flavor: Creamy mouthfeel, yet dry in style; pleasant acidity, lovely fruitiness

Please visit their US Importer for more information: http://www.indigenousselections.com/?page_id=2602

Sunset over Dry Creek Valley

Blackberry photos only on this trip, but this one turned out pretty cool.

The sun was smiling today...cheers to a wonderful tomorrow everyone - Ali

Sharp & Nutty

On the road in Northern California this weekend, celebrating the 5th Year Anniversary of The Cheese Shop in Healdsburg.  Congrats to my dear friend and owner - Doralice! My favorite gifts to send to friends all over the USA come from her beautiful store - check it out: http://www.sharpandnutty.com

Here's the view from her Pop's front porch in Dry Creek in the springtime...

http://texacaliwinetrail.blogspot.com/2010/03/dry-creek-valley-under-rainbow.html

Cheers to a great weekend everyone! Ali

More Free Flow - Wine on Tap Making it Happen!

"Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, which has 55 restaurants and bars across the country, has launched a new Wine On Tap program. Emily Wines, master sommelier and director of wines at Kimpton Restaurants, (yes, her name is wildly apt for the job) is leading the draft wine program through a partnership with Free Flow Wines.

The idea is to provide fresh wine by the glass, strengthen relationships with local vineyards and reduce waste. No bottles, no corks, just refillable kegs, generally made of stainless steel or food-grade plastic, that use a mixture of argon and nitrogen gas to push the wine out.

"Every glass that we pour is just as fresh as the first one," said Wines. 

...Read Entire Article Here

Texas Keg Info Link Here - distributed by Avante Beverages

Wines of the Week - 2 More from Italy

2009 La Spinetta Toscana Vermentino 

 
La Spinetta's Tuscan gold is one to buy by the case.  This vermentino is a brand new release and it is gorgeous white wine, perfect quencher for our summer heat!  A few facts:

 - Aged 4 months in stainless steel on yeast, released 6 months after harvest
 - Soils - mixed clay and sand, vines approx. 10 years old.

Vermentino is an indigenous grape of Sardinia, thriving best near coastal waters and more recently in Tuscany and near the Amalfi Coast.

Bottle Notes: Rich, lush, yet elegant on the palate, it is a light golden color with a rich bouquet and complex aromas of citrus, rosemary and pine. You can almost smell the coastal water influence in the glass. The aromas are so inviting it draws you in brimming with fruit and floral notes adding minerals at the end. Medium-bodied the wine's core reveals notes of fresh apricot and white peach. The crisp acidity and long finish help show this wine's Tuscan terroir.  Suggested Retail Price $18-20


BiancaVigna Prosecco DOC Brut NV

BRUT-style, DOC-status, Non-Vintage -All estate-fruit from old vines (20-50 yr old vines)
Small production
Conegliano-based vineyards (San Pietro di Felleto)
Traditional Charmat production method

100% estate-grown Glera fruit; 27 year-old vines (average). Vinified by gently pressing the grapes, still decantation and fermentation at a constant temperature. Aged in stainless steel vats.

Foaming: Second fermentation in stainless steel tanks (cuvée close) at controlled temperatures, with selected ferments, for a minimum of 60 days. Tartaric stabilization at a low temperature.
Bottling: Isobaric bottling, after sterile filtration

Bottle Notes: Color: Brilliant straw-yellow with green reflections, fine and persistent perlage. Flavor: Creamy mouthfeel, yet dry in style; pleasant acidity, lovely fruitiness.  Suggested Retail Price $14-16

Read all about them on www.indigenousselections.com Cheers - Ali

Rocca Del Principe 2009 Fiano - Wine of the Weekend

                                      
Rocca Del Principe 2009 Fiano di Avellino DOCG

- 100% Estate-grown Fiano di Avellino fruit from Arianiello
- Refined in stainless-steel tanks for 7 months, following by another 5-months of bottle aging.

Fiano, meaning vine "beloved of bees," is a grape indigenous to Campania and is one of the most interesting white grapes of southern Italy.

Bottle notes:  A beautiful straw yellow color with very clear and of good consistency. All the olfactory impact is intense and delicate, smokey, floral and fruity notes of fresh citrus fruit. This Fiano is full bodied, fruit driven wine redolent of pears and hazelnut with balanced acidity and a creamy, rich finish.

Campanian husband and wife winemaking duo Aurelia Fabrizio and Ercole Zarrella have instantly commanded the attention of critics and consumers alike, through the sheer breadth of aromatics, minerals and compelling nuances displayed in their substantial Fiano di Avellino.

Their philosophy is a focused one: low production in the vineyards and minimal intervention in the cellar, translate to high quality in the bottle. This principle informs all their decisions throughout production.

Though their first estate-bottled vintage was only in 2004, these gifted, longtime growers have managed to garner "Tre Bicchieri" from Gambero Rosso for their stellar Fiano on more than one occasion. (Including the 2008 vintage!) Their success was even further highlighted by the award of Up-And-Coming Winery of the Year 2009... Suggested Retail Price $17-19

Please ask your favorite wine shop for a few bottles - perfect chilled with anything from grilled fish to roasted chicken this summer.  I prefer mine sipped while boating on Lake Austin! Also - click to read more about Rocca Del Principe from their importer,  Indigenous Selections. CHEERS! Ali

Howdy from Italy's Piedmont Region Today!

Ahh, this photo was sent a few minutes ago from Kannika, our dear friend and fellow wine lover from Austin's Royal Blue.  We are so happy she's traveling through Italy this summer -  but INSANELY jealous!  Here's the latest on Giacomo Borgogno wines.

Hirsch, Medlock Ames, Teira & Pellegrini - Vintage 2008

Ahh, day dreaming a bit today, well thinking of summers past.  2010 so far has been all work and no play - but no complaints here. You are loving the wine I'm out their selling to your favorite bars, restaurants and wine shops more than ever and I am thankful! 

I can almost smell the fresh veggies picked from the organic gardens at Medlock Ames here...check out this post from July 2008:

http://texacaliwinetrail.blogspot.com/2008/07/eat-drink-and-be-merry.html

Oh how I love Sonoma County, the grapes, the food and most of all the good friends and winemakers I've come to know so well.

Cheers - Ali 

PS - talking Italian Whites on the next post - so stay tuned.

Wine on Tap in Texas

Brought to you by the guys at Free Flow Wines.  Please contact me and/or Avante Beverages for details. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot are in stock now!

It's a quick and easy set-up...

Cheers - Ali

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE & READ

Talking LIOCO, Handley Cellars and Pellegrini Family Vineyards

Good Morning Everyone!  Whew, last week was jumping with the wines of LIOCO in Austin. Thanks to all of you who came by the tastings and attended the wine dinner at TRIO.  I am in love with their 2008 Carneros (Sonoma side) unoaked Chardonnay and the new 2008 Sonoma Coast (Petaluma Wind Gap side) Pinot Noir right now.  Kevin O'Connor and Matt Licklider - the founders of LIOCO are well into living the dream of building "sense of place" for these fine California designated wines.  

I can't end this without giving props to their 2008 INDICA blend, old vine carignan, mourvedre, and petite sirah blend from Redwood Valley in Mendocino County California - this is the ultimate summer BBQ wine, you should all buy this by the case, a phenomenal value too $ 19 bucks.  Before Kevin took off for his homeland of LA, we took a drive out to the Salt Lick for dinner, 2004 Bandol in tow.  This wine was thick with dry black olives, heavy herbs and earth.  IT ROCKED, but we both smiled as we sipped and agreed the Indica would have been a perfect pairing for our finger-licking-good Salt Lick BBQ.  

So next week, I'll be driving around North Texas with a few wines bags and coolers full of great summer wines.  The month of July the beautiful wines of Handley Cellars have a special promotion running by their Texas distributor - Avante Beverages.  If you are reading this and are in the wine trade, please don't hesitate to ask to taste all the new Handley Wines in stock this month.   Special pricing for summer stacks and wine list placements are very low, so please take advantage.

Monday night will end with me leading a delicious Pellegrini Family wine dinner in Flower Mound at Rouge - please click here to see the menu and call to RSVP.  And the week will end with my friends in Round Rock at Vino 100 for a fun-filled and also incredible food and wine night flowing with the bombastic wines of  Pellegrini Family Vineyards.   Please give Bryan at Vino 100 a call to save a seat, I can't wait! 

Off Subject...thank you for your best wishes and prayers for Henley! He's made a full recovery and has received a clean bill of health from the VET just 2 weeks after the surgery. She said "he's the youngest old dog I've ever operated on",  very happy to have a made the choice to perform the surgery.  "Laryngeal Paralysis" in older dogs is life-threatening, so glad to have a vibrant and energized companion again to play with!  Cheers to a great week ahead - Ali

Who, When & Where!

Hi everyone, seems that you all had a fun and relaxing July 4th holiday, thanks for all the emails asking about where to find wines for your parties and BBQ meals.   I hope you saved some festive energy for this week...many events scheduled over the next week.  Hope to see some new faces and old friends!  

Please visithttp://www.texacaliwine.com/whowhenwhere.cfm for more details.  Cheers - Ali

Dignity 124 Miles North of San Francisco

...lies the Piffero Home Ranch in Redwood Valley, Mendocino. To be exact - it's the site of the Pellegrini's Redwood Valley (Old Vine) Carignan fruit.  CARE-N-YAWN is how we say it around Texas by-the-way.  Quite possibly the most loved wine of all the Pellegrini offerings among wine professionals in Texas too. You'll see this bottle on the geekiest of wine lists and offered at your most ecliptic wine shops. For me, this bottle signifies the American wine spirit, planted in the early 1930's by the same family that owns the land today. 

Only 405 cases produced, this 2007 Pellegrini Redwood Valley Carignan ($18) is a perfect choice for July 4th BBQ's.  I'm sipping on a bottle right now after a delicious fresh grilled angus burger (thank you Whole Foods for the AWESOME $1 burger) with homemade guacamole and baked sweet potato fries.

From www.pellegrinisonoma.com:

The Piffero Ranch Carignan is located on a rocky, reddish soil bench, the old head pruned vines were planted in 1934 by the grandparents of Ric Piffero. The vineyard is composed mostly of Carignan, but is also interspersed with Zinfandel and Barbera. 

It is dry farmed and averages a little over two tons per acre. We have come to the conclusion that to refer to this wine merely by its variety is not giving it full credit. As with the old plantings of Grenache and Carignan from regions like Priorat in Spain or the southern Rhone, these relics of California's viticultural past can produce some rather interesting wines if the grapes are treated with dignity. For this reason, we will be moving toward vineyard rather than vertical designation in the future.

Winemaking notes from Kevin Hamel @ Pellegrini:

Grapes were de-stemmed and pumped to tank. The fermentation was allowed to go wild and fermented through successfully. This wine's exceptionally low pH and high acidity make it a refreshing, even racy, medium bodied wine. Aging: The wine was aged for nine months in a combination of three-to four-year-old French and American oak barrels.

Acidity: .73 g/L
Alcohol: 14.1%
Appellation: Redwood Valley
Sub-Appellation: Redwood Valley
Bottling Date: May 08, 2009
Harvest Date: October 27, 2007

Fireworks for your tastebuds!  

This deep red colored wine bursts with dark cherry and plum notes of flavor. If you're into big tannins or some earthiness pass on this bottle and go for the Cloverdale Ranch wines. This is such a refreshing style of red wine, it's dancing in my mouth right now! Chill it down a bit, sip along with your burgers or walk with it to your local park to sip-on while watching the July 4 festivities. It is DELICIOUS! 

God Bless The Piffero and Pellegrini families for making this an American original for all of us to enjoy! Cheers to a Happy 4th of July - Ali

LIOCO Wine Dinner

 Click on image to enlarge...

For full details please visit 

http://www.texacaliwine.com/whowhenwhere.cfm

Summertime... in Texas!

So far so FABULOUS this summer when it comes to sales of the TexaCali Wine Co. producers in Texas.  Honestly,  the hot months of our Texas summer is my least favorite time to do-what-I-do.  It takes extreme planning to keep the wines chilled all day and superpowers to keep motivated. Getting in and out of the car all day is a beating, trying to look your best while sweat dribbles down your back with a smile on your face walking into restaurants and retails with a bag (or 2) of wine to show is far from GLAMOROUS.  Yesterday  I "Tweeted" that the inside of my car looked like an Ice Cream truck! Coolers, dry ice, road-rage in parking lots over shaded spaces...whew.  BUT - the wines are "selling like crazy" this summer and I'm loving it! 

So far rounding up the end of June, the following wines are getting the MOST movement this summer (please ask your favorite wine shop for a few!). 

La Spinetta Vermentino $19

Handley Cellars Pinot Gris $15

Pellegrini Unoaked Chardonnay - Russian River $14

LIOCO Sonoma County Chardonnay $19

Teira Sauvignon Blanc - Dry Creek $15

Cloverdale Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon $19

Cheers to a AC filled weekend - Ali (PS, I took the sunset photo from my blackberry traveling West on HWY 71 to Austin Thursday night).

What wine blogs do you read?

Calling all TexaCali Wine Trail readers this week...I need your help.  As you know, most blogs list other blogs that are similar in subject, fun to read and/or of interest to the author.  Honestly, I just haven't taken the time over the years to list the gazillion suitable links on this site.   However, now's the time and I've been working on a short list.

Vinography: A Wine Blog,  founded by Alder Yarrow was one of the first "Blog Rolls" the "TexaCali Wine Trail" was linked to  (and still is).  At the time - May 2005 my blog was the first in Texas!  Alder's blog boosted traffic to my new site back then,  I still read his blog almost daily. 

What blogs to you want listed on the TexaCali Wine Trail and why do you read them?  I'd love to support other wine bloggers & blogs that make our world a little more interesting.  Please send me your Top 10 recommendations this week.  Thanks in advance for your help!   Changes and updates coming soon...Cheers - Ali

The 2007 Olivet Lane Pinot Noir...Wine of the Week!

2007 Olivet Lane Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

91 points Wine Enthusiast: "A gorgeous, lush Pinot Noir, simply irresistible for drinking now, but ageable. Shows rich, ripe cherry, raspberry, currant, chocolate and anise flavors, accented with spicy sandalwood. A bit primary and fresh in its youth, and should develop bottle nuances through 2013."

DID YOU KNOW? 

The Olivet Lane Vineyard was one of the first Pinot Noir plantings in the Russian River Valley, preceded a few years by only a handful of others including the Bacigalupi Vineyard (on Westside Road in the Middle Reach in 1964), Rochioli Vineyard (East Block planted in 1968, also on Westside Road), and Joseph Swan’s vineyard (first planted in 1969 in the Laguna Ridges and now named the Trenton Estate Vineyard). The Olivet Lane Vineyard was uniquely planted to both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. 

The Pellegrinis began producing an Olivet Lane Pinot Noir in the 1980s. Over the years, grapes were sold to Brogan Cellars, Gary Farrell, Kosta Browne, Merry Edwards, Williams Selyem and WesMar wineries. Today, Merry Edwards is the only producer receiving significant amounts of fruit, the rest being retained for the Olivet Lane Estate Pinot Noir annual production of 2,500 to 3,000 cases. 

The Olivet Lane Vineyard wines are sold primarily through the tasting room, retail wine stores and restaurants. The wines are also available online at www.pellegrinisonoma.com. (published by The PinotFile Volume 8, Issue 2)

Around $25 a bottle in Texas, a perfect gift for Father's Day too! Cheers - Ali

The Spirit of The Barley House

Many of my faithful TexaCali Wine Trail readers in Dallas were also my faithful "Barley House" friends on Henderson St. post-college days.  Many fun memories created over cold beers and song at the Barley House. Elvis Costello on the jukebox blaring "Alison...my aim is true" over and over (yeah the later it got the more quarters were thrown in).  Many local bands played in the corner, caught a few early Old 97's shows too.

I'll never forget the time I totally bit-it, I mean a complete 5'9" fall on my face due to my fancy new high-heels walking in one night. However, I gracefully stood up and pretended it was my very best SNL skit impression and laughed it off all night long! Most nights I spent hours discussing boyfriends with the girls, played a few hundred rounds of pool, but I'll never forget the time I picked up my cell phone (seems so long ago) around 2002 to hear that my brother was detained at the American Airlines Center on opening night for "breaking into a private suite".  In his defense "it was so crowded trying to get out, we all just ducked into a suite to check it out".  Yeah opening bottles of booze and logging onto a flat screen TV/Computer in someone's private suite didn't cut it.  Nice one little brother - I was mortified.  Anyways...

So now the Barley House has moved to a location closer to SMU and "The Porch" now sits on this sacred spot on Henderson St, just a few steps away from Central Expressway.  A smile comes across my face every single time I walk into The Porch for lunch or dinner.  Its wine list has always been a friend to me, always listing a few TexaCali wines. A few years ago Milla Handley and I stood behind the bar one afternoon for a little server training...her advice of "my Anderson Valley Pinot Noir is more like a long-term relationship than a one-night stand" went over very well that day!

This week I got the exciting news from Avante Beverages that my very favorite California Cabernet is now being poured by-the-glass at The Porch.  The 2006 Pellegrini Cloverdale Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon from their Estate Vineyards in Alexander Valley will rock the menu at The Porch all summer long. A perfect friend to their delicious chopped brisket sliders!   Sing it Mr. Costello!  Cheers to The old Barley House and The Porch! - Ali

What a week!

Visit Indigenous Selections!  Please ask your favorite Texas wine shop about their new selection of wines from Indigenous...

Ahh, a wee bit late posting this, I had to power-down for a few days last week from online activities - much to follow-up on after Giorgio's visit.  Giorgio's presence in the state was bigger than Texas.  We sold wine faster than the Avante warehouse guys could organize the new Indigenous Selections shipments coming in from New Jersey. So fun to sell good wine!

Thanks to all who attended our trade and customer events, the 2. 5 days in the market where filled with admiration, knowledge and magnificent enthusiasm!  Most of all I want to Thank Giorgio Rivetti for his time visiting Texas.  It's not often enough that a true gentlemen like Giorgio spends time in Texas.  It was a true honor to learn from Giorgio. We certainly have the same taste in wine! He was extremly kind and presented me with a bottle of  1999 Bollinger "Grande Année" Brut Champagne for my birthday last Tuesday. I think it was the very last bottle at Pogo's in Dallas too! 

A few photos are now posted on http://www.texacaliwine.com/tcwcphotos.cfm

Hard to say what wines "stood-out" for me, they all had their special place in my mind and heart.  Outstanding Barolo and fantastic Brunello all day long with Giorgio!! However,  I'm very excited about the new wines from La Spinetta's Tuscan property, they are completely new to me and to Texas!

http://www.la-spinetta.com/Winery/Page%201%20normal%20LA%20SPINETTA%20Casanova%20ing.htm