The Gracious Gift Cabernet Sauvignon – 2011; Oak Ridge Winery; Lodi, California

Now here’s an interesting twist on wine.  Wine for a good cause! Cindy Sebek created the Gift Wine Company to help fight hunger.  Partnering with Oak Ridge Winery, three wines were made for this good cause: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Old Vine Red.  For every bottle purchased, 10 pounds of food was donated to the food banks serving southwest Texas.   This help provided meals for many families in need.  This particular cabernet is a great one to try. The grapes are from the Lodi area of California, so you know your quality expectations have risen ten-fold!   It has a big berry aroma to help work up you sensory appetite. The flavors of rich dense fruit really permeate the palate initially followed by subtle peppery notes.  It has a good balance and finishes smooth and nice.  So, yes… it does taste really good.  Grill up your favorite meaty dish and throw in some freshly picked veggies for this one.  This is a wine to enjoy and savor while you delight in the fact that you are also supporting a great cause.  Feed the World and Enjoy!

www.oakridgewinery.com

Majek Vineyard & Winery – Schulenburg, Texas

Located out along the countryside of Schulenburg and Moravia, this winery is a good place to kick back and enjoy some wine, friends, and music, plus art.  This friendly establishment by Randy and Lynne Majek started out with vines planted in 2013. Lynne is a graduate of the Texas Tech Viticulture certificate program (2013) and has applied her new found expertise to the Texas grape growing industry.  This family land had once grown many different types of crops in the past and now Randy and Lynne are embarking on growing grapes on this rich fertile soil.  They have about 1.5 acres of Blanc du Bois and Black Spanish vines planted on the estate and hope to have their estate wines made from the 2015 harvest in the coming months. Randy is getting his expert training thru Tech’s enology certification program, as well.  They opened their tasting room in March of 2014. The folks at Texas Custom Wine Works have helped them out with their initial releases of Texas wines.  Currently, the Majek’s have nine wines to sniff and sip from along with their own unique large shot-like wine glass, which also look reminiscent of juice glasses.  There is both a dry and semi-sweet Blanc du Bois that are both quite nice, but the special treat is the Sparkling Blanc du Bois. It is a nice sparkling that's dry and quite refreshing.  Dry red wine lovers will be pleased with the Black Spanish (Lenoir) wine.  It has all that expected tastes and flavors of a good dry red wine.  Their port-style Lenoir can pack quite a punch in both flavor and aroma.  Sip this one lightly. The Cardinal’s Kiss is something you may not expect but don't miss it as you will love it.  It’s a mix of Riesling and Black Spanish that has turned out to be a delightfully sweet and unique combo. There is also a Tempranillo (dry & sweet) on the list, a sweet Orange Muscat and a dry rose (Cardinal’s Perch – Merlot/Tempranillo/Black Spanish blend) to try, as well.  While you’re enjoying the tasting room and your sipping, do take the time to check out the paintings on the walls from local artists.  You’ll enjoy the country friendly atmosphere and the views of this place from the tasting room that has a wall of large open windows that give just the right light and scenic backdrop.  Majek is now on the Texas Independence Wine Trail, too.  It’s good to see quality viticulture and enology owners at work as they add their mark to the Texas wine industry.  Enjoy and have fun!

www.majekvineyard.com

Assyrtiko-Athiri – 2014; Domaine Sigalas Winery; Santorini, Greece

From one of the most beautiful Greek islands of the Aegean Sea, this white wine is a special treat from the old world.  Produced from 50+ year old vines, this Assyrtiko (75%) / Athiri (25%) blend is a great combination of two of Santorini island's grapes.  It is a dry white wine with ripe citrus and smoky aromas. This pale white wine is smooth with soft buttery notes and citrus fruit flavors that greet you followed by bold minerality and slight peppery notes on the finish. There is a very subtle effervescence and unique earthy notes characteristic of the Santorinian viticultural region.  Just imagine yourself sipping this wine with the lovely backdrop of a beautiful deep blue sea in the distance. This is simply a wonderful gem wine that you’ll want to keep and share with friends. It is a wonderful summer sipping wine on its own, but also pairs nicely with light and creamy cheeses, seafood, chicken and vegetarian dishes. If you haven't tried Greek wines yet, we encourage you to give this one a swirl, as it provides the opportunity to  see how lovely Greek whites are. Cheers or "στην υγειά σας!"

www.sigalas-wine.com

Blanc du Bois – NV; Pleasant Hill Winery; Brenham, Texas

This is nice semi-sweet white wine to help you ease into the warmer days ahead.  The nose on this one is aromatic with hints of pear, apricot and grapefruit that likewise dance across the tongue. The wine has a balanced acidity for a Blanc du Bois and appears to have a little higher alcohol content.  If you like semi-sweet Rieslings or Muscats, then you should enjoy this one.  Served chilled, this wine pairs nicely with spicy foods and vegetarian dishes.  This is a good one for enjoying with a meal on the patio with friends and loved ones.  Pop open a bottle and enjoy the wildflowers!

www.pleasanthillwinery.com

Merry Texmas – NV; Dancing Bee Winery; Rogers, Texas

This seasonal mead is a nice sweet treat that doesn’t necessarily require a holiday for you to uncork it to enjoy.  Made from cranberry, orange, and honey, you get the best of berry, citrus and rich honey favors all melded into one unique mead.  It has a nice floral scent that compliments its sweetness.  This one makes a nice treat after meals, or can be used for example over ice cream for a little extra kick to your regular vanilla treat.  Why?  Because you crave to do it!  Sip well, mead friends.

www.dancingbeewinery.com

Moravia Vineyard & Winery – Schulenburg, Texas

Next time you’re zooming down I-10 in Texas between Houston and San Antonio, take a country road side trip off of Schulenburg and check out this wine jewel tucked away in the countryside. Owner Luca Suschitz has been operating this place for the past three years.  The inside tasting room décor is fantastic.  It has that old world brick style on the inside with open spaces and high ceilings. Take a seat at one of the tables or the comfy sofas to enjoy your tasting session.  You’ll definitely be in for a special treat. Not only will you be sampling some very good Blanc du Bois and Black Spanish wines, but you’ll also have some outstanding samples of quality cheeses, salami, grapes, bread, and some awesome olive oil as part of your wine pairing experience.  On the estate, Luca grows Blanc du Bois and Black Spanish using organic methods.  Sampling the 2013 and 2014 dry Blanc du Bois is like night and day.  They are both quite good, but the notes and textures and surprisingly different.  You might be astonished at the pleasant hints of buttery notes from the 2013 vintage compared to the 2014 which is more citrusy with grapefruit notes as well as crisp texture. The 2013 and 2014 Lenoirs (Lenoir Cervene) are both very good and could rival and traditional dry red wine.  The 2013 is quite mature with deep long lasting finishes.  The 2014 is a bit dryer and excellent as well.  You might compare the 2014 Lenoir as the younger brother of the 2013 vintage.  Both vintages have some merlot blended in to round out and compliment the Black Spanish grapes.  The Moravia Rose is a sweet version of the Lenoir that when chilled is quite delicious.  Something quite unique are the imported Czech wines from the Moravia region that can also be sampled and bought at the winery. The Sauvignon Blanc (2011) and Riesling (2013) have much of the quality flavors you expect from old world wines.  It’s a good selection to help calibrate your white wine senses.  Luca also has a few wines made from west coast grapes available to provide additional depth to the wine selection offered.  After you’re tasting has concluded, you can stay in linger in the tasting room over a glass of your favorite wine, or enjoy a complimentary coffee or tea.  Now how is that for a host! In addition to the wines, the olive oil you sampled with your tasting is also available and has been imported from Italy. We recommend not leaving without a bottle or two. The oil is made with great quality olives from Italy and tasting them helps you appreciate how lovely really great olive oil is! Take your time when you’re here...be in the moment and enjoy what's inside the tasting room, as much as the quaint, relaxing and quiet beauty of the country estate winery. This is truly a little piece of heaven that should be visited!  There is no rush and the owner and his staff will make you feel welcomed and happy.

www.moraviavineyard.com

Moon Shadow - NV; Homestead Winery; Ivanhoe, Texas

This is a very nice and delicate semi-sweet Riesling wine.  The bouquet presents hints of pear and sweet floral blossoms as you enjoy the initial sensory experience of your first glass. You may also recognize peach and honey notes as you take your initial sip. The wine is a nice smooth, light wine, with a beautiful lingering finish. It's quite pleasant when chilled and pairs well with salads, fish, chicken, milder cheeses, or on its own.  This is a very versatile white wine, and a wonderful sipping wine to enjoy with friends.  Nothing but smiles on your lips after sipping this one.  Definitely a delightful white wine to enjoy while relishing the splendors of Spring! Enjoy and be merry!

www.homesteadwinery.com