Subject:

Red Wine

  • Blogs

    May 23, 2012

    B[ring] Y[our] O[wn] B[arbera]

    In the aftermath of recent posts here at Wine Time on corkage and tipping etiquette, Lucio's BYOB and Grill seemed like an ideal destination for a working dinner with a colleague -- a demilitarized zone, as it were. After all, it has "BYOB" in the name of the venue. Not knowing what to expect in ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 14, 2012

    Digging a German Red Quaffer from Pfalz

    Generally, when wine nerds like me think of fine wines from Germany, we think white: Mosel Riesling, with its enormous capacity for longevity and nuance, its bright acidity and vibrant minerality, is considered by many to be one of Europe's greatest wines. (Celebrity sommelier and winner of this yea ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 23, 2012

    Wine(s) of the Week: Austin Food & Wine Festival Preview

    Anthony Giglio is simply one of the funniest and most fun-to-be-around people I know in the wine writing business today. The New York-born son of Neapolitan immigrants, he loves wine, food, and life with a passion that spans the divide between old world and new. And whether he's guiding a tasting of ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 3, 2012

    A Wonderful Time at Brenner's on the Bayou's Wine Revolution

    This past weekend, beautiful Houstonians donning flats and bright resort-casual attire, per the event's invitation, skipped out on their Saturday country club visits and spa days in favor of Brenner's on the Bayou's third annual Wine Revolution. Set in tents under the bright sun, amidst Brenner's hi ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 26, 2012

    Wine of the Week: Your Grandfather's Chianti But I Like It

    Italian wine is our thing. And when I say that, I don't mean that we don't like and drink French, Spanish, and Californian wine. But when it comes to the wine that my wife and I serve and drink in our home, that we drink most often when we go out, and what we stash away in our wine cellar, Italian w ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 19, 2012

    Wine of the Week: Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Noir (Willamette)

    Of all the wine-growing regions in the U.S., none seems to make more sense to me than the Willamette Valley, Oregon (although the Finger Lakes in New York state comes in at a close second). When rich white dudes were inspired to plant French varieties in Napa like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Ch ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 12, 2012

    Wine of the Week: Who Needs Another Merlot When You Have Cerasuolo di Vittoria?

    Did the world really need another Merlot and Chardonnay in 1995? Evidently, the Planeta family thought so, and when the younger generation of this Sicilian clan launched the eponymous winery in the mid-1990s, they delivered bold, oaky, concentrated, and highly alcoholic Chardonnay, Merlot, and Syrah ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 3, 2012

    Odd Pair: Sushi and Wine (a Preview of Uchi's Wine List)

    There's a lot riding on the launch of the new Uchi in Houston. Tyson Cole's Austin outposts -- Uchi and Uchiko -- stand apart as "destination" restaurants in Texas, venues that have attained national recognition in part because of Cole's success as a competitive chef on television and in part becau ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 20, 2012

    Odd Pair: What Wine Do You Serve with Your Baked Potato?

    Baked potatoes at our house are much more than a meal. They are a religion. We don't just do sour cream. We do sour cream-infused with freshly ground horseradish, a kiss of white wine, and kosher salt. We don't do "bacon bits." We do crumbled, crispy, center-cut bacon that's been fried the day bef ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 9, 2011

    Wine & Truffle Dinner at Valentino Vin Bar

    Photos by Christina UticoneDolcetto d'Alba​As if a wine hangover weren't bad enough, did you know you can actually get a truffle hangover? I woke up with one after five luscious courses of food at the recent Truffle & Wine dinner held at Valentino. Who can resist a hook like white truffles -- ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 30, 2011

    Tasting Notes: This Week in Wine Blogs

    Another Wine Blog: Love born in the blogosphere. It's a beautiful thing. A few weeks ago, when I shared a glass of stinky, delicious Cortese (from Piedmont) with tandem wine bloggers Amy and Joe Power, authors of Another Wine Blog, they told me the story of how they met in the "pre-blog" era, in a ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 17, 2011

    10 Thanksgiving Wines (That We Actually Drink)

    Photos by Jeremy Parzen.Dolcetto can deliver character without overwhelming the palate or breaking the bank.​Yes, folks, it's that predictable time of year when everyone posts their Thanksgiving wine recommendations. Among the literally hundreds of blogs and feeds that I follow, one of my favo ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 14, 2011

    Wine of the Week: An "Old Vine" Zinfandel from California (Where Else?)

    Photo by Jeremy Parzen.The "Old Vine" Zinfandel by Bogle showed judicious restraint in its alcohol content and concentration.​What does the designation "old vine" mean, anyway? And how did it come to be a "brand name" for California wines in the 2000s? Vine age is a key element in the qualit ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 14, 2011

    What Do Wine and Saddles Have In Common? The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo

    ​Over the course of a weekend, volunteers with the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo wash 20,000 wine glasses in two days. It's just one of the staggering statistics behind the annual International Wine Competition, the contest that leads to the Rodeo Uncorked! Wine Show and to a few lucky wineri ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 2, 2011

    Top 12 Wines Under $15 for the Holidays

    A $10 sparkling wine for the holidays: Toso is one of our top picks.​Last night, Whole Foods Market introduced its Top 10 wines for the holidays -- except that this year, like the days of Christmas, there are actually 12. Historically, some of the recommended wines have been held up at custom ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 21, 2011

    Odd Pair: Wine and Legs (or Tears That Rhyme with Ears)

    Photos by Jeremy Parzen.The legs of 2005 Langhe Nebbiolo Sperss by Gaja (Piedmont, Italy), tasted this week in Houston.​How many times have you been at a dinner party and heard some blowhard say something like the following (uttered with a fake British accent): Observe carefully: After swirli ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 14, 2011

    Odd Pair: Top 5 Wines to Take to Burger Guys

    Photos by Jeremy ParzenDuck fat fries at the Burger Guys.​A few weeks ago, in the first part of this series, we quoted one of the top chefs in the U.S. today, Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin in New York, on the virtues of the fast food burger in our country. "There is something about these ingred ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 13, 2011

    Ingredient of the Week: Cabernet Sauvignon

    Photo by John SuhA good cheap wine from Costco​What is it? Cabernet Sauvignon is a dry red wine discovered during the 17th century by crossing the Cabernet Franc and the Sauvignon Blanc grape varieties. Its origins are in the Bordeaux region of France, but it has since spread all over the wo ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 10, 2011

    Wine of the Week: Brunello di Montalcino

    This week finds me on my annual pilgrimage to Montalcino (in the province of Siena, Tuscany), land of one of the world's most famous and highly prized wines, Brunello di Montalcino. That's the ancient and now extinct volcano Mount Amiata in the photo (taken on Saturday morning at daybreak in the vi ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 6, 2011

    Wine of the Week: Texas Blanc du Bois

    ​Above: Blanc du Bois grapes from the 2010 harvest at the Cruz de Comal Winery in the Texas Hill Country. To tell the story of winemaking in Texas today, we need to start with what happened in California back in the 1970s and the way wine has been marketed historically in the U.S. When I was ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 2, 2011

    Odd Pair: Pseudo-Italian Sports Bar and French Wine

    ​Let's face it: No matter how you dress or slice the meatballs (more on that below), if you have ESPN constantly streaming on monitors that hover above your bar and dining room, you are a sports bar -- even if you slap ristorante italiano onto the name of your restaurant. According to its web ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 19, 2011

    Odd Pair: Cheeseburger and Barbaresco

    ​My friend and blogging colleague Franco Ziliani -- Italy's top wine blogger and veteran enojournalist -- is always astonished at how Americans "apply" the great wines of Italy. In Europe, the food and wine canon guides the "user" in ensuring that the wine will be enjoyed to the fullest by pa ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 8, 2011

    Wine of the Week: Pinot Noir Isn't the New Merlot

    ​Three years ago, when I attended a talk by Wine & Spirits Magazine editor-in-chief Josh Greene at the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in Sacramento, California, he discussed the rising popularity of Pinot Noir and its eclipse of Merlot as the by-the-glass go-to grape among young wine profes ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 26, 2011

    Wine of the Week: Zweigelt, a Red to Chill for Summer

    ​1888 was a momentous year in the history of Western Civilization. It was the year that Nietzsche went mad and the year he scribed his last cogent and coherent works (I, for one, am a huge fan of Twilight of the Idols, or, How to Philosophize with a Hammer). And it's also the year that marked ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 20, 2011

    The Generous Pour Event at Capital Grille

    Our server, Susan, kept us happy with "generous pours" during the Generous Pour Event​To truly understand wine, its complexity, what distinguishes a good wine from bad one, and how it should pair with food, takes years of study. That's why there are only 171 Master Sommeliers in the world, and ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 12, 2011

    Who Doesn't Like Heitz?

    ​If you've been following along here at Wine Time on the Eating Our Words blog, you know that we don't drink a lot of Californian Cabernet Sauvignon at our house. Fact of the matter is we rarely drink monovarietal (i.e., a wine made from a single grape variety) Cabernet Sauvignon at all. Ca ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 7, 2011

    Odd Pair: Hot Dogs and Claret

    ​Hot dogs and their preparation command a quasi-spiritual reverence in our home. Great -- even extreme -- care is taken in preparing the condiments: Heinz Ketchup, Grey Poupon Mustard, Best Maid Sweet Jalapeño Relish, celery salt, and sliced half-sour pickles, in this case requested especiall ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 20, 2011

    Wine of the Week: "Oaky May Be Bad, but Oak Is Good."

    ​If you're anywhere between 21 and 51 years of age (I'll be 44 next month), you were brought up with the notion that oak flavors were a sign of a fine wine. Back in the 1970s, when huge investment in the Californian wine industry began to take shape, the dudes in charge -- think Gallo and Mo ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 7, 2011

    Wine of the Week: A Cool-Weather Cabernet Sauvignon from California

    ​When we think of "California Cabernet," the next two words that come to mind are invariably "Napa Valley" -- the AVA (American Viticultural Area) that changed the way the world perceived American winemaking back in the 1970s. Since that time, "Napa Valley Cab" (oh, how I wish people would st ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 3, 2011

    Odd Pair: Pappasito's Queso and 96 Sassicaia (Yes, It's True)

    ​One of my new-found Texas cousins' traditions is weeknight family dinner with Pappasito's take-out. And so, the other evening, when I just happened to have a rather remarkable bottle in my wine bag (reserved for my beloved Cousin Marty, the clan's patriarch, who recently and thankfully emerge ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 20, 2011

    Odd Pair: Chicken Spaghetti and Zinfandel

    ​There is pleasure in life... and then there is guilty pleasure. You know the kind. The type of indulgence that you are embarrassed to admit to your friends and colleagues... certain forms of gratification best enjoyed -- ahem, how shall I put this? -- whilst alone. For me one such delight ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 13, 2011

    Odd Pair: Carne Asada Tampiqueña and Nebbiolo

    ​On paper, this pairing breaks every rule of Wine 101. The heat of this dish -- the spiciness of both the marinade for the beef and the mole -- would overwhelm nearly any fine wine. The classic match would be ice-cold, dry beer served in an iced pony glass (perhaps even with a twist of lemon) ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 2, 2011

    Odd Pair: Boudin Balls and Brunello

    ​Steaming boudin balls, freshly fried by Aunt Pam (who lives just a few doors away), were met with gasps of delight when they magically appeared at our family's Easter gathering last week. I had been waiting for the main attraction -- the spiral-sliced baked ham and all the fixings -- to start ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 30, 2011

    Wine of the Week: 2008 Sawbuck Malbec

    ​Oh, sweet nectar of the gods: Malbec. That once-forgotten varietal, making a comeback as a cheap red wine, with plenty of depth, that happens to be a pretty good deal in most cases, is the total package - the Angelina Jolie of the wine world, perhaps - minus all those adopted kids and the wei ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 8, 2011

    Wine of the Week: 2009 Cupcake Vineyards Red Velvet

    ​It's almost Valentine's Day - a holiday equally dreaded and anticipated. Single folks are reminded just how single they are, and those in relationships will either flourish or be crushed under the weight of expectations. Either way, it's a great day for wine. My latest sample came from Cupc ... More >>

  • Calendar

    February 3, 2011

    Tapas on the Trails: A Valentine’s Evening at the Arboretum

    ​It's almost Valentine's Day - a holiday equally dreaded and anticipated. Single folks are reminded just how single they are, and those in relationships will either flourish or be crushed under the weight of expectations. Either way, it's a great day for wine. My latest sample came from Cupc ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 24, 2011

    Wine of the Week: Kitchen Sink Red Table Wine

    ​Bargains are never a bad thing. From the clearance rack at Dillard's, to the random deals on Groupon, to the occasional Antiques Roadshow-like find at a neighborhood estate sale, uncovering something of great value on accident is like winning a mini-lottery. It's these everyday victories that ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 11, 2011

    Wine of the Week: Octavin Home Wine Bar - Seven

    ​Other than sharing its name with a movie that has one of the most disturbing endings in cinema history, this three-liter (equal to four regular bottles of wine) octagonal container contains - you guessed it, seven varietals. The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Tempra ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 31, 2010

    Odd Pair: Jell-o and Shiraz

    ​Jell-O in and of itself is somewhat odd. It's simply a mound of gelatinous sugar that jiggles when poked. From time to time, I'll get a craving for it and decide to make some. While I usually stick to basics with this treat, last week I felt experimental and decided to add some fresh rosem ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 20, 2010

    Your Holiday Party Won't Break the Bank with $2.99 Wines From Whole Foods Market

    Three Wishes, available exclusively at Whole Foods for $2.99 a bottle or $33 for a dozen. ​Save your hard-earned cash for presents by stocking your holiday party with Three Wishes wines, available exclusively at Whole Foods Market for $2.99 a bottle. At this point, some of you are no doubt s ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 22, 2010

    Wine(s) of the Week: Thanksgiving Edition

    ​Thanksgiving is a time for family, food, tradition, drunken relatives. Within every family, there are varying degrees of tastes in wine, so it's usually a safe bet to grab one red and one white to hit all the palates that will be surrounding the dinner table as you gather together to overindu ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 8, 2010

    Wine of the Week: Cusumano Nero D'avola 2008

    ​After tasting a rare, white Vallone Nero d'Avola at Caffe Bello, it was time to try its more common counterpart, the red. Nero d'Avola is also known as Calabrese, and according to www.winecountry.it, it is the "most important red grape in Sicily." With flavors of blackberry, plum, chocolate ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 3, 2010

    Odd Pair: Chocolate Chip Cookies & Shiraz Viognier

    ​Forget cookies and milk. Once you're old enough to fully appreciate the power of a smooth buzz, it's all about the cookies and wine. Chocolate and red wine are generally good together, but this pairing of Brent & Sam's crunchy, chocolatey little cookies and Printhie's 2005 Shiraz Viognier is ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 27, 2010

    Odd Pair: Sparking Pinot and Pringles

    ​Sparkling red wines are becoming more and more prevalent. I first became aware of them during a trip to Australia where I sampled delicious sparkling Shiraz. Stateside, I was lucky enough to find red bubbles on the wine lists of Houston's better restaurants. T'afia actually had a very lovely ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 15, 2010

    A Twist on Tailgating

    ​There's no denying that Texas stands out from the rest of the 50 states in size, shape and personality. We're an inherently proud and individualistic people. I often demonstrated this during a time when I worked with a group of people from more than 22 countries. In a simplistic way of catego ... More >>

  • Dining

    October 4, 2007

    5 Wines That'll Blow Your Mind

    ​There's no denying that Texas stands out from the rest of the 50 states in size, shape and personality. We're an inherently proud and individualistic people. I often demonstrated this during a time when I worked with a group of people from more than 22 countries. In a simplistic way of catego ... More >>

  • Dining

    March 9, 2006

    Monsterville on Washington

    Welcome to Houston’s culinary cutting edge

  • Dining

    February 6, 2003

    Dining by Demographic

    Fleming's Prime Steakhouse serves up excellent renditions of the nation's most average food and wine preferences

  • Dining

    October 25, 2001

    Patriotic Excess

    Luxurious Vallone’s most interesting new menu items arean early casualty of the war

  • Dining

    September 27, 2001

    For a Good Time, Call…

    Diners at Garson can now feast on Persian food without being hit on

  • More >>
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