MCBEE'S WINE DIARY: Paul's Birthday at Eddie V's

THE MCBEE WINE BLOG DIARY

My mother, Camille McBee, partnered with Bobby G. Smith, Winemaker, in North Texas for over 30 years. Together they worked to develop a National and International name for Texas Wines. In 2009 she passed away too young, but she left behind a Texas Wine Industry that was better because of her dedication and she left a family with a deep rooted love and appreciation for wine and entertaining. This blog serves as a diary of my adventures in wine and as a lasting toast to my mother. -Cheers!

This blog is NOT intended to be the authority on tasting notes, or a professional guide for wine experts; it's simply a place for me to share some of my opinions and findings about wine with my friends and other wine lovers.

I truly hope you will use this blog to help you the next time you are thinking about what to buy at the wine store or deciding what to order at a local restaurant or when you travel to the wine country. ENJOY!

Friday, February 25, 2011

Paul's Birthday at Eddie V's

Last night Meredith and I met our friends Melanie and Paul and Matt and Mandy at Eddie V's on Oak Lawn to celebrate Paul's Birthday. This was my first time there. First impression was great as we were greeted by a friendly hostess and escorted directly to our table. Our waiter was excellent and made some great recommendations, including an eclectic calamari and some wonderful cold crab claws.

Our first wine selection was a 2007 Nickle and Nickle's Vogt Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. ($168) Big wine, that is this wine in a nutshell. It was full of fruit and had that distinct California Cab Oak smell and taste which I love. A little pricey, but you will find this wine from about $80 to $100 in the wine store. This is a 90+ scorer on almost every guide.

Bottle two was one of my favorites and i think now it is one of Paul and Matt's favorites. The 2007 Palmeyer Jayson ($120) is a Bordeaux blend by Jayson Palmeyer. This was a real hit at the table, but you need to understand that this wine never disappoints. This was a smooth wine with plenty of complex flavors of black cherry, berry and chocolate. This wine spent 18 months on new French oak and it shows it.

There was a lot of conversation about this wine from around the table. We had a long discussion about Meritage and Bordeaux blended wines. Matt asked an awesome question... he made the comment that he likes blended wines. He wanted to know if wine experts view blended wines as inferior to pure varietals. I told him that this is purely in the eye of the beholder, but I would suggest the most wine geeks view blended wines as some of the best wines (the French do for sure) as the winemaker is free to make the best wine possible from a variety of sources. There is an argument to the contrary, but the point I want to make is that don't get trapped into buying a grape - Cab, Merlot, Chardonnay or whatever. If you are focusing on the Cabernet section of the wine menu you might be missing some great options. Next time ask the sommelier to suggest a great blended wine.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAUL!!