7 Year Anniverasry!

Wow!  It’s been seven years at this.  While some may start getting that seven-year itch at doing something and bail, we’re getting that itch to crave more!  While we will have many new varietals and styles of wines on the list to try, we will still honor our past and ensure we enjoy and share with you some of those unique and age worthy wines as well in future postings.  Here’s to looking forward to seven years and more! Cheers to our fans and followers who have joined our journey and stuck with us along the way! We appreciate you as much as the great wine and winemakers we’ve shared through this fun adventure.

Cava – NV; Villa Conchi; Spain

Ah…Cava!  What a lovely and enticing Brut selection.  This blend of Macabeo 30%, Parellada 30%, Xarel lo 30%, Chardonnay 10% is just the right way to start you’re your feast.  Take a good long inhale after the first pour and soak up those pear and lime aromas.  Yes, it is quite refreshing!  The sharp acidity and citrus finish is one of the memories you’ll want to repeat again and gain.  An elegant choice for the elegant palate.   Enjoy well!

www.villaconchi.com

Flanigan's Distillery & Winery - Bertram, Texas

Nothing like an early 20^th century building in a small town to help set the mood for your wine tasting experience.  “Iron Star Hall” is the location of owner’s Kevin and Dana Flanigan’s winery.  Over the years, the two building sites have been a lumber store and post office.  It also served as a setting for the movie, “Newton Boys”.  The interior is quite spectacular and does have that 1920’s feel and look of the movie set hotel and bar. They’ve been opened since September of 2016 during the last Oatmeal festival and have been serving up some good wine & spirits along with some great story telling.  There are currently five wines available for tasting.  During your tasting session, Kevin will guide you through his sommelier experience and make sure that your sight, smell, and tasting experience is well done.  Along the way, he may tell you some interesting stories and jokes to help keep things lively.  The 2015 Viaggio is a dry white blend of 50% Muscat Blanc and 50% Muscat Canelli.  It’s loaded with citrus aromas and some tartaric acids.  Ironically, as you let it linger, it does smooth out for a nice finish.  The 2015 Rose’ is made from Mourvedre.  It has honey and cranberry notes and is perfect for these 100+ degree days in Texas.  The Bear is a 50/50 Merlot and Sangiovese blend using old world style techniques.  It is tannic with a long finish.  The Slainte is a new world style of 35% Malbec, 35% Mourvèdre, 9% Petite Sirah, 12% Petite Sirah, 6% Tannat, and 3% Alicante Bouschet.  Everything but the kitchen sink, right? It is quite fruit forward with some tobacco notes and is well balanced.   Last is the Marmalada.  It’s a sweet blend of Chenin Blanc, Viognier and Merlot.  Chilled, this makes a great light bodied wine that is smooth and refreshing and delightful for summertime sipping.  In addition to the wine tasting, there is a spirit tasting to do, as well.  Trust us, Kevin won’t let you out without trying them.  We might have to setup a separate blog for these, but you will get the level of quality tasting experience as you do with the wine and some good stories from Kevin.  This is a nice addition to the Bertram area and is worth the stop on your way out to the Hill Country.  Cheers!

www.flaniganswineandspirits.com

White Hof – NV; Weinhof Winery; Forestburg Texas

This Blanc du Blois white wine is quite refreshing for those casual light dishes or can be enjoyed entirely on its own.  This white though is somewhat crisp, yet not as strong as other crisp whites. This is also nicely balanced and easy to sip. On the nose, you get those lovely summery citrus notes that help transport you to a relaxing tropical place. Due to the crispness of this wine, it is ideally served chilled. It is a great way to complement your evening snacks as you begin to unwind and relax or would also make a great wine for brunch.  Enjoy!

www.weinhofwinery.com

Le Libertine – NV; Time Ten Cellars; Dallas, Texas

This red wine is a blend if Merlot (47%), Cabernet Sauvignon (44%), and Malbec (9%).  From the back of the label, it looks like the grapes were sourced from California.  This red was created in a Bordeaux style and although non-vintage, this bottle is about 10 years old.  It is declining, so sadly we did not pull it to try in its heyday, however, it still maintains some of the fruit and smoke flavors that made this wine very enjoyable. Cherries still stand out the most and there is a tobacco sensation on the palate.  The acids are tolerable with a nice fatty dish.  Temper this nice red blend with a great cut of meat and veggies for a pleasant delight! Check our other great wines offered by this winery at their website link below.

www.timestencellars.com

Blanc du Bois – 2010; Enoch’s Stomp Vineyard & Winery; Harleton, Texas

This elegant Blanc du Bois white wine can stand toe-to-toe with many traditional fine white wines.  It’s a pleasant off-dry wine with notes of pears.  The fruit is beginning to taper off in this seven-year-old white wine, but it’s still quite refreshing and enjoyable. The color is also experiencing some darkening with age, but not as much as with most aged whites. It’s still a great wine to enjoy and pair with your favorite spring dishes or to just enjoy by itself while out on the porch enjoying the beautiful sunset! Cheers!

www.enochsstomp.com

Whistling Duck Vineyard & Winery – Weimar, Texas

You’ll want to take a trip down the country dirt road for this winery trek, because you’ll eventually end up at a very peaceful and picturesque location, with lots of wine available for you to sample. The Johnson’s (Stan and Mary) and Cooke’s (John and Kari) teamed up using their backgrounds in horticulture and winemaking to make dreams come true and started the Whistling Duck winery.   They started out planning vines on the 17-acre family ponderosa. Over the years, they’ve continued to add to the rows and now have about 4 acres of Blanc du Bois and Black Spanish planted.  Up near the Dublin/Stephenville area, is another 55-acre family farm where they have 3 acres of Tempranillo, Viognier, and Malbec planted. They opened in 2014 and now have many wines to choose from for tasting.  You get to choose from a diverse selection of white to red and dry to sweet.  The people at Texas Custom Wine Works have assisted them with the wine production.  The 2015 dry Blanc du Bois is a light and smooth enjoyable white wine.  The 2016 Viognier is semi- sweet with honey and apricot notes and a touch of effervescence.  The Friday Night Whites is a white blend of Blanc du Bois, Orange Muscat and Muscat Canelli.  It’s citrus aromas and tropical notes will help transport you to that remote island relaxation mode.  The Pura Vida is a nice Muscat Canelli that’s very elegant with its citrus and melon notes.  The Texas Sparkler is an off-dry Blanc du Bois. It’s very refreshing and once again shows how this varietal has found its calling!  If you like the semi-sweet Blanc du Bois style wine, do try the Long Road Home.  For the Black Spanish grape, their 2015 Lenoir has a nice fruit forward appealing taste.  For an off-dry Lenoir, check out their 2015 Buzzard Head.  It has a lighter texture and is smooth. The 2015 Tempranillo is very dry and quite peppery!  You’ll be in for a delight with the Chocolate Duck. Made with infused chocolate and almonds coupled with a Ruby Cabernet, it is very delicious and has the power to charm the sweet and chocolate addict!  Finally, you’ll get to sample their own Sangria recipe.  It employs their Cattle Guard Sweet Red (Tempranillo) as the base married by citrus and sparkle, it is quite the delightful refreshing end to your tasting journey. The friendly and warm hosts and the inviting and relaxing country setting implores you to slow down and set a spell as you take in the nice country air and enjoy the fruits of the vine. This little piece of heaven is a place where you can unwind and let your worries escape as you enjoy all the beauty of the season with good company, attentive service, and a good selection of wines to tempt your palate. Cheers!

www.whistlingduckwinery.com