Dallas Wine Blog

If you are looking for information about ordering wine in a restaurant in Dallas, finding deals around town, or better yet, planning a trip to the wine country check out my blog.   Please join and feel free to leave comments.   I hope you enjoy!

Lake with great friends and a superb Hall Cabernet Sauvignon

Had friends down to the lake this weekend - Donna and Clint, Libby and Kevin and their respective families.  Had a great steak dinner Friday night to kick off the weekend.  Libby and Kevin brought a 2006 Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.   Our other friends Rob and Michelle are always raving about this wine as well and I have had many of the Hall wines before.  This is a great Napa winery, with tasting rooms in Rutherford and St. Helena.   In fact, the Hall family is from the Dallas area and in addition to being known as great entrepreneurs and winemakers, they also have a love for art and sculpture and display much of it at their wineries which makes them a fun place to visit while in the Napa Valley.   

Needless to say, the wine was great with our steaks.   I think Robert Parker sums it up best:     95 Points "A dense, full-bodied wine with lots of creme de cassis, charcoal, licorice and forest floor, the wine is opulent and already delicious and powerful. It should continue to drink well for at least 12-15+ years." -Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

Great food and unique wine selection at The Commissary in One Arts Plaza

It was another hot summer night in Dallas. As Meredith and I rolled up to the valet in One Arts at 8 pm the thermometer still read 103! We were seated at a small table, right in the middle of the crowded seating area. It had A real New York feel. Sommelier was helpful and suggested a Santa Barbara Sauvignon Blanc from Fiddlehead Cellars. Meredith and I both liked it. It was a nice crisp wine with nice citrus and very little grapefruit, which pleases Meredith, with a neutral to slight oak. It was $47 and considering the New Zealand alternatives, if you want a nice summer wine, go for it!

We had some cheeses and popcorn to start. Meredith had the crab burger on a fresh brioche roll and I had the Tandori burger, which was lamb on a pita with tzaziki. All the food was great and the staff and servers were all pleasant and helpful.

High marks for The Commissary.

Had some Pinot Noir and a movie tonight

It seems that all too often california Pinot Noirs disappoint. The 2007 Adestra Pinot Noir from Carneros Napa Valley was From one of the better areas in California for Pinots. It was marginal at first. As I watched the movie and had a bit more it actuallly opened open quite a bit and turned out to be pretty good. If I'm not mistaken it was under $20, so for the money I would have to say it was pretty good. Make sure to have your reds chilled a little, especially this summer.

Dee Lincoln Gets Serious About Wine

  May 4th, 2011:    Our good friends Michelle and Rob Rickman invited us to the opening of Dee Lincoln's Tasting Room, a new hot spot downtown, across from the Crescent Court and just north of Ocean Prime.   Dee Lincoln was one of the founders of Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse and this is her new project.

The scene was definitely a who's who list of Dallas, that's for sure.   The decor and the place were great.   There is an outside patio in front with plenty of lounging areas, so check this out before the Texas summer sets in.  There are bars upstairs and down and the wine list is broad; plenty of options and many price points.    There is a debit card system in place with self-service wine dispensers that offer all sorts of great options by the glass.   You can choose your pour, size by the ounce, and choose your price point.    Great Concept!

If you're thinking of a happy hour spot before a night out or a drink after dinner, i highly recommend stopping in a checking out Dee's new creation.   We had a great time and i know this place will do well, as there has been a need for such a place in Dallas for a long time.

Thanks Rob and Michelle for the invitation -  -  Meredith and I had a great time!!

Spring Far Niente Shipment Arrives - Life is Good!

The shipment included a 2003 Far Niente Estate Bottled Cave Collection Cabernet Sauvignon (Oh Yeah!), a 2008 Nickle & Nickle Suscol Ranch Merlot, a 2008 Nickel & Nickel Ponzo Vineyard Zinfandel and a 2009 EnRoute Pinot Noir.   Four bottles all red, I am a happy camper.

Well I just couldn't wait, so I cracked open the Pinot Noir over dinner last night with Meredith and tonight i am enjoying it again as i write this post.  The EnRoute Vineyard is a new edition to Far Niente up in the Russian River Valley.   Most good California Pinot Noirs will come from the cooler climates like this valley or along the sonoma coastal areas.   This Pinot is aged in oak for 11 months and has a very bold Pinot flavor; very few light notes here.    If i didn't know what i was drinking on this one, I might even guess it was a Merlot.    Maybe the heavy oak flavor gives is that bigger body, but it is definitely not a textbook Pinot.     No earthy aftertaste at all.

Now I cant wait to try the Cab, but it will have to be a special occasion for sure.

Marasco treats to an Itallian Dinner and a little Itallian wine education

April 5th, 2011 - Mike Marasco has a love for Italian Cuisine and Italian wine.    He has spent many weeks over the past few years in Italy in culinary schools learning about the finer points of the Italian culture.   He hosted dinner this week at Lombardi's new Tuscan Steakhouse, La Fiorentina, in Uptown, for the MPM Group; the Lummus', Mikeskas', Peschels' and McBees'.   He ordered some great appetizers and had some suggestions for main course which included the risotto, the ahi tuna and of course the osso bu co.

Italian wines are not my expertise, but Mike really took the lead.   He ordered a few great wines, including a 2007 Banfi Cum Laude, an Italian Blend which includes Cabernet, Merlot, Sangiovese and Syrah from Montalcino.   It was a great wine, very similar to other blended wines but much more subtle than a California blend, with less fruit and just a hint of oak.   You could really taste the dark, intense Sangiovese and Syrah grapes.  I never order Italian wines...   not because i don't like them, but because there are always so many American and French wines that I like that I just never get around to it.    I am so glad Mike took us for a tour of some of these wines.  

Thanks again Marasco!   Let's do it again soon.