Mision 13 – 2013; Santo Tomas; Baja California, Mexico

You’re in for a treat when you pour a glass of this great wine from the Baja region of Mexico.  This lovely red wine is a blend of Tempranillo 33%, Mision 34%, and Carignane 33%.  Ruby in color, it may tease you into thinking it will be a light tasting red at first.  Inhale the bouquet and take a few lingering sips and swirls to unleash notes of strawberry and plums to their fullest.  There is a medium finish and balanced texture making this wine a very pleasant one to the senses.  Definitely, a smooth red wine to be enjoyed either with a meal or alone. After your initial glass, pour another and let it sit for a couple of hours.  It really begins to open up to show its full potential to the palate. A fine example of good wine from one of Mexico’s largest wine producing regions!  Easy to drink...we hope you enjoy well, wine friends!

www.santo-tomas.com

Trebbiano 2010 – Duchman Family Winery; Driftwood, Texas

When the summer heat comes early, there’s no better treat than a nice chilled dry white wine.  This Trebbiano from Duchman hits the spot.  The grapes were sourced from Bingham Family Vineyards located in the Texas High Plains AVA.  The wine has nice banana flavors with a touch of citrus  The acids seem to have tapered off over the years, which may make it more palatable for some white wine lovers.  It is a crisp, dry white that definitely has a refreshing overall tropical mouth feel that will help transport you to that island relaxation mode. In the right cellar, it’s just as good years later. So, pop the cork and enjoy!

www.duchmanwinery.com

Enoree River Winery - Newberry County, South Carolina

You’ll love this nice vineyard tucked in the countryside just outside of Columbia. In a very relaxing and beautiful setting, the vineyard and peacefulness of the surrounding trees with help set the mood for a memorable wine tasting experience.  Richard and Laura LaBarre planted their vineyard roots here about 10 years ago.  The vineyard estate has about eight acres of Carlos and Noble Muscadine.  Since then, they’ve added Lenoir vines (aka Black Spanish) as well as Herbemont.  The vineyard has a bit of a Texas connection as they told us that they had originally gotten their Black Spanish cuttings from Texas' oldest vineyard at the Val Verde Winery.  We knew that there was something that instinctively led us here!  The winery has been operational for about eight years and serves wines made from locally sourced fruit as well as from grapes sourced out of state.  Your tasting will include a good selection of whites and reds.  They actually have a nice chardonnay to start off with that is clean, crisp, and unoaked with a bit of a lavender taste!  The Amber-Daze is a great summer time sweet blend to sip and enjoy on the porch. The Carlos Muscadine has notes of peaches and vanilla.  The Naked Noble Muscadine is a red wine made without the skins, offering a nice sweet and pleasant sipping treat.  Do check out their Strawberry wine!  It's quite delicious with all the natural flavors you would expect in fresh strawberry fruit.  This place is well worth the country drive so stop by and enjoy the gracious company, the views and the wines.

www.enoreeriverwinery.com