WINE

When spending a few days in Houston with a fellow wine lover and wine writer friend, what else would we do but drink wine. Houston is a pretty happening scene and its food scene has been steadily getting buzz. And the wine scene is also pretty exciting. After spending a day heading from one wine bar to the next, drinking wine in Houston is the Please The Palate pick of the week. Light Years Wine Bar (1304 W. Alabama Street, Houston, TX 77006) Located in the Montrose neighborhood of Houston, Light Years Wine Bar and Shop focuses on natural wines. While I am a fan of minimal-intervention wines, natural wines is not a term that resonates with me. But, I loved Light Years Wine Bar. Located in a charming stand-alone building that looks like an old house, Light Years has a long wine bar, as well as tables and chairs inside, and a patio outside. There are more than 200 bottles of wine on the wine shelves available for purchase. And at the bar, there are close to 40 bottles available to order by the glass. This list is not printed out and changes daily. The staff is friendly and after asking us what we were in the mood for, offered a few wines to taste to see what we preferred.
19 October, 2019
The Willamette Valley in Oregon spans from Portland in the north to Eugene in the south. Within this larger AVA, there are seven AVA's. Perhaps you have heard of Chehalem Mountains, Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Yamhill-Carlton, Ribbon Ridge or even the newest Van Duzer Corridor. But, how can you remember each of these AVAs and what is the difference in the Pinot Noir produced in each area. I spent four intensive days in the Willamette Valley on the Wine Writers Educational Tour in August and we delved into each AVA. I wrote about it in the Napa Valley Register which you can read here. But, take a close look at the map of the Willamette Valley AVAs and you will find some unique shapes that make the AVAs all the easier to remember.
When we talk about wine regions, we see the big picture: Napa, Sonoma, Santa Ynez Valley, Willamette Valley, etc.
Each region is then broken up into AVAs (American Viticulture Areas). How each AVA is determined is based on a common set of attributes and microclimates that contribute to the uniqueness of the wines produced. As wine regions have evolved in the United States, new AVAs have been created.
It is not just about buying a wine from Napa, but is it from Howell Mountain AVA, Diamond Mountain AVA, Spring Mountain AVA or another AVA? What about Sonoma? What about the Santa Ynez Valley?
And what about the Willamette Valley? Do you know what the AVAs are within the Willamette Valley? Can you tell the difference between one AVA and another?
15 October, 2019
Located in the heart of Westwood Village, the Napa Valley Grille is frequented by local business people and those affiliated with UCLA. It is not a new restaurant and will not likely be written up by the local food press sources. But, we should not overlook the Napa Valley Grille. Behind the doors is a restaurant that has been served diners for more than 15 years. General Manager Brian Cousins and Chef Kenny Spost are staying current and with the fall season upon us, they have created a new menu and paired the menu with some unexpected wines. The Napa Valley Grille focuses on California cuisine with an emphasis on wine country. Historically the wine list has been primarily filled with California wines. However, GM Brian Cousins has been adding wines from around the world to the list. While still predominantly California, you can find wines from Italy, France, New Zealand and more. And now, with the new menu, Brian has paired the dishes with wines from Germany and Bordeaux, two distinct destinations, offering surprising styles. Brian invited a group of LA Wine Writers in to try the new pairings. 
10 October, 2019
Earlier this year, I attended a seminar at Pebble Beach Food and Wine entitled Discover Garnacha & Grenache. The world’s seventh-most planted grape, it is produced in Spain and France, as well as many other wine regions around the world. In celebration of International Grenache Day on Friday, September 20th, my story ran in the Napa Valley Register and now I am sharing it here.
Sing it: “You say Grenache, and I say Garnacha. You say France and I say Spain. Grenache, Garnacha, France, Spain, don’t call the whole thing off!”

Let’s agree to both and beyond!

Whether you call it Grenache or Garnacha, it is the world’s seventh-most planted grape.

08 October, 2019
Each year, wineries release their rosés and we, the consumer, can't get enough. We drink our rosé wine year round now but typically we buy the wine and consume it rather quickly. But what if we find a rosé is our collection that is a year, or two or more, years old? What if we forgot about it. Can we drink it now? Can rosé age? This is something I have wondered as I have found a few rosés in my home that are not from the current vintage. Luckily this was a topic covered at TEXSOM this year and I wrote about it in the Napa Valley Register which you can read here. Summer is coming to an end but drinking rosé has not stopped. I have found myself picking up a few more bottles of rosé from here and there as I travel around to wine regions. I come home and add the new bottles of rosé to my wine list and start to plan when to drink them. But what I realized is that I still have a few bottles of rosé in my collection from last year and the year before and likely the year before that. How did that happen? How do I have rosé wine that I did not drink already? What do I do now? If the wine is a year old, I am fine. But what about a rosé with two, three, four or more years of age on it. Is it still drinkable? Can we age our rosés?
01 October, 2019
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