Wine on Tap

Pictured below at Whole Foods Austin Texas yesterday: Dan the winemaker of Brack Mountain Wine Co. & Dave the winemaker for Duchman Family Winery.  There lovely wines are available by the sip, glass or carafe at the new "Bar Lamar" inside the wine department.  Delicious! 

LIOCO WINE

Long Live LIOCO! 

...almost one year ago, the soldiers of LIOCO gathered from around the US to join in a feast of "wild" pig atop Michaud Vineyard. 

The night started so civilized and quickly turned into the best campfire any of us have ever lived (through) to see...

Order LIOCO Wines direct from www.liocowine.com

Bar Lamar

Introducing the new "TexaCali Stars" front & center at Whole Foods ATX - the wines of Brack Mountain Wine Co. 

Next time you plan your outing to Whole Foods downtown Austin, please make some time to visit the new and improved wine department.   The team has been working hard for months now to make this yet another place to stop and relax while sipping and eating some very tasty offerings from Whole Foods.  

Taste a sip, a flight, a glass or carafe of wine from these very small production wines from Sonoma County.  Kegs of L'Oliveto Russian River Chardonnay, Ellipses Rose of Pinot Noir, Bench Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and Tramonto Russian River Zinfandel have never left the on-premise world of Northern California until now!  Even better, you can pick up a bottle, case or pallet of each if you like - everyone's walking away a very happy Whole Foods Wine Shopper these days...

This Friday and Saturday afternoon the owners and winemakers of Brack Mountain Wine Co. will be visiting and pulling taps for you all, please stop in to taste this fabulous new selection of wine and give my California friends a big howdy!  We are all incredibly proud to be a partner with Whole Foods! 

www.brackmountainwinecompany.com

Cheers - Ali

Suggestions please...

I'm attending the 2011 Family Winemakers Tasting in Pasadena mid-March, always a well-done wine trade show.   During my travels South of the Bay Area (and Texas!),  I'd like to stop and explore some wineries within the Central Coast region.  It's been waaay too long since my last visit - in fact this photo was taken inside Deborah's room at the Justin Winery back when...

I'll be tasting and selecting wines for a very exciting venture currently in the works for TexaCali Ali!  So help me out, let me know who I should visit.  Many wineries are already on my list, but would love to hear about some new and tasty wines from Paso Robles to Santa Barbara in particular from all of you out there!
Thanks and Cheers - Ali

Wine Tasting

Tomorrow, from 12pm-3pm, please stop by The Austin Wine Merchant

Pellegrini Family Vineyards Wine Tasting

We're featuring...

2009 Pellegrini Chardonnay Russian River Valley

2008 Pellegrini Olivet Lane Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley

2009 Pellegrini Olivet Lane Vineyard Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

2007 Pellegrini Cloverdale Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon

Cookin' up some love!

Maypearl, Texas: Meet my Papa and Grandmother Jackson, these long-time love birds were always cookin' in the kitchen together for each other & guests.  Almost all of my memories of them revolve around sitting at their big oak table in the kitchen or standing in front of the wall-mounted gas furnace watching them cook.  Sipping on "sweet-tea" (the only place I was allowed to drink it) and snacking on whatever was put in front of me was always so fun as a kid.  I can almost smell the classic enchiladas Grandmother made, and my favorite Papa meal was his big country breakfast of fluffy hot biscuits, gravy, scrambled eggs from the farm, bacon and fresh orange juice.  "My Three Sons", "Gilligan's Island" and "I Dream of Jeannie"  buzzing in the background from the TV-tube located in the front room of the house.  No matter how many folks were there to eat with us, they made sure everyone was served before they sat down beside one another. 

My Papa was a jokester and my Grandmother had the prettiest smile and was the most clever woman I've ever known. They were in love - they bickered, they laughed, the told stories non-stop and boy did they create some delicious meals over the years.   I sure would love to have them around with me these days, to share some blessings life has tossed my way.   

Cheers to cookin' in the kitchen with your love this Valentines Day.  And don't forget to chill the Champagne!!  - Ali

2011 Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival

For the Love of Bubbles...

 - you must support Bryan and Abby, the couple behind www.fatcork.com.   Put down those Champagne bottles you found at your local grocer folks, Fat Cork has done all the work for you -  picking out great - and I mean fabulous bottles of bubbly for the world to enjoy.  It's all about supporting the small guys "grower champagne" straight to your house now.  I love the passion that creates & drives new opportunities in the wine biz!   You can order any bottle (or 100!) online or visit them in Seattle after scheduling a private appointment with them too.

I get this all-of-the-time - "So what is your favorite wine Ali?",  I always say CHAMPAGNE.  I'm thrilled to have met Bryan a few weeks back at the Direct to Consumer Wine Symposium and learned of his new venture.  BRAVO!! 

I'M A SUCKER FOR A TRUE LOVE STORY: "The story of how Portland native Bryan Maletis began selling Champagne’s finest grower selections to a world wide audience starts with highschool jobs in a distributor’s warehouse and ends with meeting the right woman at the right time."  LOVE!  Read more about them here.

Found on www.fatcork.com: A very special bottle...

Gimmonet-Oger

Blanc de Blancs Millesime 1996 Premier Cru

bottles

$189.00

This Champagne has been resting peacefully in the Jean-Luc's cellars for the last 14 years, and we are thrilled to offer it to you directly from those cellars. For this amount of age, it is extremely youthful. However, that youth is a prime characteristic of this exceptional vintage that is a rare find these days. The mousse is immaculately white. Hints of candied nuts, toast, and pear lead to a finish of beautiful acidity and minerality that lasts for minutes. This clearly has a future ahead of it, as it will continue to develop for years to come. A very limited selection that will thrill Champagne enthusiasts. 100% Chardonnay

Most of their small producers are new to me, can't wait to start receiving my Fat Cork shipments...

Cheers! Ali

PS. This goes "Why Didn't I think of That?" column in my life. 

Snowtastic in Texas

Sorry I couldn't resist this...much like the recent World Series, California is winning again.

Shot of my brother's backyard this morning in Dallas.

Shot of my backyard this morning in Sonoma County (everything is blooming already!).

Thank Goodness Texans have plenty of the 2007 Pellegrini Cloverdale Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon to help keep warm these days!  Will go fantastically with all the Super Bowl fixins too.  All this snow is a sure sign that Mother Nature is not a fan (either) of Jerry Jones. SUCKER.   Are you ready for some football?????  Cheers - Ali

Rockpile Vineyard

A lot of chatter about new Zinfandel and old favorites this week due to the 2011 ZAP festival in San Francisco.  I've always enjoyed Russian River Zinfandels, low octane and pretty such as Davis Family Vineyards and Pellegrini. But a few others stand out particularly from Storrs in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Ridge, Storybook in Napa & T-Vine Cellars, in my book of taste. Excited to learn more today about other Zins...

A few years ago I had the honor of attending the inaugural release of the http://valdezfamilywinery.com and of course atop Rockpile Vineyard. An epic day and I must confess, the most breathtaking zinfandel vineyard I've seen yet.  More after ZAP... Cheers! Ali

Breaking Down "Wine Social Media"

Twitter = I need a glass of wine. 

Facebook = You gotta see this glass of wine I'm having!

Foursquare = I'm having a glass of wine here. 

Quora = Why am I having a glass of wine? 

Youtube = Check out the dirt this wine comes from &/or watch me drink this wine.

LinkedIn = I drink wine very well.

Simple...are you following, a fan of, joining me, watching me or linkin to me?  

Cheers, "TexaCali Ali" 

PS: "Google" me, I'm mostly socializing online about damn good wine. 

National Cheese Lovers Day

So an entire day to celebrate ME, a Cheese Lover indeed!  I often say that I'm in the wine business to mask my addiction to really good cheese.  Cheese is a staple, and I'm not talking Velveta folks.  A good bite of cheese can trigger memories just like a fine glass of wine. It brings you back. I know a few people that don't like cheese, they are not to be trusted.

Cheese like wine starts begins with farmers.  Cheese starts from the ground up  - it's all about a "sense of place".   I personally geek out when I'm visiting a cheese shop, the same rush happens when I walk into a fine wine store.  You can visit the world by learning the facts from the cheesemonger behind the counter.  All of the sudden you're there, standing on the hills of North Eastern Italy among the sheep.  Is that weird that I do this?  

Whatever, life is too short to eat bad cheese.  

Step up your game this year and make a special effort to support your local family owned Cheese Shops - some of the most passionate foodies you'll ever encounter.  I almost always end up with a bag of other heavenly snacks and bottles of wine to go with the glorious cheese.   Here's an offering from my favorite local shop in Sonoma County: 

"Cheesemaker Showcase"
Once in a while we find a cheesemaker that makes us real proud and Rebecca King is that cheesemaker. She owns Garden Variety Cheese Company in Royal Oaks, California. Her farmstead dairy is comprised of herds of sheep and she produces an array of raw milk cheeses, blankets from their wool, offers a CSA meat program and Adopt a Ewe program which offers all of the above. Our selection includes Moonflower, which is aged up to one year and has a dense nutty buttery flavor reminscent of French Pyrenees cheeses. Paired with Anjou Crostini and Savannah Bee acacia honey.

- The Cheese Shop in Healdsburg, California (next to the movie theater and the Flying Goat)

Stop and take a civilized break while running errands back in Dallas and visit Scardello's and in Austin, a stop into Antonelli's is a must. Gourmage is the bomb in New Braunfels too!    Ahh, I have a really cool wedge of Italian Cheese in my fridge now made from buffalo's milk...a perfect way to kick off this day of celebration! 

Epoisses - my favorite with Pinot Noir.  What's your favorite cheese these days? Better yet - let us know about your favorite cheese shop!

Cheers - Ali

California Pinot Noir goes Perez Hilton

Do you love Pinot Noir as much as I do?  The www.princeofpinot.com is always a great read with notes, reviews and a few articles that make you even more curious about Pinot Noir from your favorite region.  Here's a fun list...for those who also follow Perez Hilton too! Cheers - Ali 


Heidi Montag Award (Biggest transformation): Carneros (Buena Vista Carneros, Donum Estate, Mahoney Vineyards and others); Foppiano Vineyards; Thomas George Estate (formerly Davis Bynum); J Vineyards & Winery

Paris Hilton Award (Most in news): E.& J. Gallo (Red Bicyclette); William Foley

Lindsay Lohan Award (Highest alcohol levels; not de-alcoholized): Brewer-Clifton, Aubert

Taylor Swift Award (Most hits): Cobb Wines
 
Rodney Dangerfield Award (Can’t get no respect): Santa Cruz Mountains, perhaps California’s least celebrated but great region for Pinot Noir (Mount Eden, Rhys Vineyards, Varner, Windy Oaks and more).

Fred Rodgers Award (Most admired): Richard Sanford

Bling Award (Most expensive): Domaine Serene Monogram ($225)
 
Justin Bieber Award (Relatively young, making a splash): Alexana Winery, Alysian, Big Table Farm, Bjornstad Cellars, C. Donatiello, Carabella Vineyard, Ceritas, Cherry Pie, Cornerstone Cellars, de Coelo, Evening Land Vineyards, Foursight Wines, Furthermore, Harrington Wines, Heart O’ The Mountain, Kelley Fox Wines, Kokoma, Lucienne, Signaterra (Benziger) SPELL Winery, Three Sticks Wines.

Lada Gaga Award (Personality): Lane Tanner

Angelina Jolie Award (Best Package): Belle Glos

Chip Off the Old Block Award (William Selyem spin offs carry on the tradition): Anthill Farms, Brogan Cellars, George Wines, Olson Ogden Wines, Papapietro Perry, WesMar, Woodenhead

Jimmy Wales Award (Great, obscure producers): Castalia, Clos Saron, Saxon Brown

John Steinbeck Award (Best winery blog): Anne Amie, Bruliam Wines, Pinotblogger (Capozzi Winery)

Jack LaLanne Award (Legends that are still in top shape): Calera, Dehlinger, Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery, Hanzell, J. Rochioli, Joseph Swan Vineyards, Ponzi Vineyards, The Eyrie Vineyards, Williams Selyem

Black Friday Award (Best deals): Balletto Vineyards, La Crema Winery, Sean Minor Wines, Westrey Wine Co.

Steve Jobs Award (Most Innovative): LIOCO

Mark Zuckerberg Award (Best winery website): Big Table Farm, Clos Pepe Vineyards, Thomas George Estates (live web cams).

Vincent Van Gogh Award (Best labels): Big Table Farm, Cherry Pie, Eric Kent Wine Cellars, Red Car, Windy Oaks

Anna Paquin Award (Winery goes gracefully both ways - great Pinot and Chardonnay): Benovia Winery, Calera, Domaine Drouhin Oregon, duMOL, Freestone Vineyards, Hanzell, Littorai, Mount Eden, Walter Hansel

Robert Parker, Jr. Award (Highest scoring Pinot Noir): 2007 Williams Selyem Litton Estate Russian River Valley Pinot Noir (100 pts by Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast, $100).

Oscar Wilde Award (Best winery newsletter): Navarro Vineyards, Pisoni Vineyards, Red Car
 
Orson Welles Award (No wine before its time): Kalin Cellars

Play Hard to Get Award (Most allocated): Aubert, J. Rochioli, Kistler Vineyards, Kosta-Browne, Marcassin, Privé Vineyard, Rhys Vineyards, Rivers-Marie, Sea Smoke Vineyards

Tiger Woods Award (Surprise!): Briceland Vineyards (Humboldt County), Heart & Hands Wine Company (Finger Lakes), Heron Lake Winery (Wild Horse Valley)      

On Sale at Whole Foods

Go get your LIOCO on at Whole Foods downtown Austin!  www.liocowine.com

Outstanding California Chardonnay

Looking for a unique white wine that will blow your socks off?  Well, this amazing 2004 Demuth has been sitting inside a wine cave for a few years now and is one of the most interesting California chardonnays I've ever tasted in my life.  Long notes of baked lemons, caramel and almonds & walnuts, I think all my friends who are into "orange wine" from the Jura would flip over this one!  

The 2004 Demuth Chardonnay is not in retail distribution right hardly at all, but I know how to find about 38 cases...shoot me an email and I'll put you directly in touch with the keeper of this magical bottle of Chardonnay from Anderson Valley.  Cheers - Ali

2010 Facebook Status Summary

so, Facebook is where most of the comments are left these days...it's been a great tool and resource for sharing the good news about all things TexaCali Wine Co.  

Cheers - Ali (Mom you can click on the image to enlarge to read up!).

TexaCali Wine Co. Wine of the Year

Pellegrini Family Vineyards "Cloverdale Ranch" Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, California. 

This beautiful Cabernet from the Pellegrini Family has been a faithful friend for many years now, and keeps on giving back as the clock turns.  2006 sold through quicker than any vintage before, 2010 ended with the new 2007 release that's impressing Cabernet Sauvignon drinkers all over the planet. (mindblowing QPR).

Texas in particular is in love with this bold, lush and beautiful Cabernet made from the famed Cloverdale Ranch about an hour North of the Pellegrini Family Winery in Santa Rosa, Ca.   It's not often that I receive "Thank You" notes from buyers for a wine they've selected, but 2007 vintage has provoked grateful emotion.

From www.pellegrinisonoma.com

Winemaker's notes:

The 2007 vintage of our Cloverdale Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon is classically structured with the unmistakable aromas of currents, black cherries, tobacco, and violets. That classic structure supports all this complexity and promises elegance over the next 10 years.

Small Batch Coming Soon...

The cellar team is gearing up to bottle the first Reserve-Level "Block 9" Cloverdale Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon ever in the legendary history of the winery.  I've tasted the Block 9 juice for months now and promise you'll want to purchase as much as you can afford as soon as it's released, it's THAT GOOD.   

Cheers to another tremendous year ahead for the wines of Pellegrini Family Vineyards!  - Ali

A Very Happy New Year

I've been hesitant in posting during this last week of 2010.  "Wine of the Year", "Winery to Watch", "Year End in Pictures", 'Wrapping up 2010"...so many usual ways to go.  What should I should write and say about 2010?  Well there's one very honest and true sentence to write:   The past 52 weeks were life changing.

Looking back, January and February were full of thrilling times for Davis Family Vineyards in Houston with winning the Grand Champion Best of  Show Award for their Napa Cabernet Sauvignon in the biggest and best Wine Competition in the US.   March started off in Mendoza, Argentina where I was thrown out of bed when the devastating magnitude 8.8 struck neighboring Chile.  A real sign of what blind-sided event was on it's way...?

The Italian portfolio of Indigenous Selections came into my life by a very generous friend in the business by late March.  I landed from Argentina to lead a Texas sized staff training and kick-off with the amazing Liz O'Brien, the co-founder of Indigenous.   Days were now perfectly full of teaching and selling wines of some of most wonderful families now from Italy too.  The month of March ended with an incredible trip to visit Handley Cellars in the Anderson Valley.  I can't wait to open "Day Dream", a Pinot Noir I blended alongside Milla Handley that weekend.   LIFE WAS GOOD!

April began with a memorable weekend with LIOCO at the Michaud Vineyard. Pig roast, great wines and some of my favorite people in the wine business made this killer weekend a lasting memory for me. The wines of LIOCO are frankly outstanding, every single one of them and I'm honored to be among the LIOCO circle of friends.

The week after tax-day in April, I encountered the most devastating news ever in my professional life.  The amazing portfolio of Vine Connections would no longer need my help in Texas.  Those who know the truth behind this horrific decision have held me up over the months and inspired me to keep on keeping on.  The producers of their portfolio were near and dear to me and all things that drove me out of bed each morning -  to do the best job one could ever do for them in Texas.  Building and branding Argentine wine and Ginjo Sake from Japan was "cutting edge" and I fought for their presence in fine wine shops and restaurants every hour of the day for 5 years straight.   I learned so much from the leaders at Vine Connections over the years and still to this day find their decision to cut me out among the greatest disappointments in my lifetime. 

The show must go on...the summer months brought new energy and time to lift up my producers who I work with alongside Avante Beverages.  Over the last 6 months, the fine folks at Avante have sold thousands of cases, for this I am most thankful for during this crazy year of the 3-Tier business.  I decided to really put the name "TexaCali Ali" on the West Coast grid and move out to Sonoma County in late August.  

The Pellegrini Family Vineyards in the Russian River were changing gears and I had the opportunity to help restructure and create a strong consumer sales plan for this legendary family.  Running TexaCali back in Texas (thank God for Peet's coffee flowing in the early morning hours!), flying in ever so often and working from the Pellegrini winery has been exhilarating. TexaCali Wine Co. on it's 6th year in business is finally working in true-form. 

Words can not describe how grateful I am to be living the dream.   I could not have made it here without the towering support of my family and dear friends.   2011 already promises to be the most exciting year yet for TexaCali Wine Co.  Stay tuned, it's going to be a blockbuster vintage,  many new wines to learn about, adventures to tell and open doors to walk through and experience.   Quite possibly the happiest time in the life of TexaCali Wine Co. is right now, this last day of 2010.

Thanks to all of you for your faithful following and Cheers to ringing in the New Year with your favorite bottles of wine tonight!   See ya around the TexaCali Wine Trail next year - Ali

Merry Christmas!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas.

Cheers to drinking your dearest wines with your  friends and family this holiday season. Much love, Ali

Check this...

THE Perfect Gift for a Traveling Wine Lover like me.  

I can't express enough how painful it's been over the years to deal with wine at the airport, puts me in a bad mood just thinking about hauling a case in and out of the baggage claim, parking lots, shuttle buses, it sucks. SO - here's a great solution for all...brilliant. 

http://www.thewinecheck.com

$54 bucks well spent. Cheers - Ali