It is winter in Texas, an oxymoron some might say. We actually experience some truly cold, rainy weather and it is beginning to feel like we are living in England. I can feel my teeth turning brown and my mood becoming somber. I haven't seen the sun in weeks. I am in dire need of a pick-me-up when one of my girlfriends suggests we take a wine tour of the hill country. Needless to say, she doesn't have to ask me twice.
We sign up with a tour group appropriately named Texas Winos at texaswinos.com. Their webpage says they want to run a "different" tour - one like your best friend is running. I am skeptical. As the day approaches, the group texts started flying -
"What are you wearing?"
"What are you bringing to eat?"
"How are we getting downtown?"
"How are we getting home?"
"What are we drinking on the bus?"
"What are we drinking on the way to the bus??"
"What are we drinking from the time the bus pulls into the parking lot until we disembark to go to the wine tasting?"
I know at this point, regardless of how the tour turns out, our group is going to have a good time.
I know at this point, regardless of how the tour turns out, our group is going to have a good time.
We meet at a downtown restaurant, Michelada and while waiting to board, we get the day started with, what else, but a Michelada. Now anyone who knows me well, knows I have lost many an hour in the name of research trying to find the world's most amazing Bloody Mary. That love has naturally transferred to the Michelada. For the uninitiated, a Michelada is similar to a Bloody Mary except made with beer. What makes this one extra delicious is the chile salt rim.
But I digress. We finally board the bus and begin our adventure. The drive to Fredericksburg is sedate as we sip our drinks, chat incessantly and enjoy the countryside. We finally arrive at our first stop Woodrose Winery and we are famished. http://www.woodrosewinery.com/ Woodrose issues us a Passport and we "travel" to different countries to sample local fare with a Woodrose wine. While I pride myself on being fearless and trying everything once, I look into my bowl and see this looking back at me.
Yikes! And quite honestly, I have this same feeling after trying their wines. It is true that when you pair the correct wine with a dish, it totally enhances both but not enough to make me buy any Woodrose wines. I do manage to down every glass of wine (shocker) but I'm ready to move on.
Next stop I'm convinced I've found my people. Fat Ass Ranch and Winery obviously has a sense of humor which I love. Unfortunately, their wines I do not love. Way too sweet for me. But they are relatively new to the hill country wine scene so who knows what their future holds. We still manage to have a great time by foregoing the tasting, purchasing a bottle of their driest wine (still sweet) and sipping it on their fabulous covered patio while listening to a local guitarist. We even manage a couple of line dances with some of the more intrepid wine tourists on our bus. What Fat Ass Ranch and Winery lacks in vino, it more than makes up for in atmosphere.
Finally, our last stop is at the holy land of Texas wine - Mendelbaum Cellars http://mendelbaumcellars.com/ Their Holy Land wines are from the Israeli wine growing regions of Galilee, Judean Hills and the southern desert region of Negev. We all know that Jesus drank wine and apparently he loved a good wedding party. Jesus and I have a lot in common. And if Jesus drank Mendelbaum wines, I bet he would have loved them.
Some of you may assume that being third stop on the wine tour may have affected my judgment and you may be right. I came home with four bottles - Abraham, Jacob's Dream, Paradise, and Texas Cabernet Tempranillo. We have since indulged in the bottle of Abraham (a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Merlot) and I must say it did not disappoint. I cannot wait to open the remaining bottles. But be forewarned. Mendelbaum wines are not cheap. They average around $40.00 a bottle but I dare say they are worth the price but maybe for a special occasion and not your house wine.
Alas, it's time for us to head back to Austin. In the famous words of Robert Earl Keen, "the road goes on forever, but the party never ends." Texas Winos obviously knows at this point their patrons want to continue on their wine high so they crank up the music and dancing in the aisles ensues. The wine continues to flow for everyone and the sound decibels reach the highest of the day. Without divulging too much, I admit there was dancing and partial nudity on the way home (not by me). We are now all best friends and united in our love of beautiful Texas days and wine. By this time my skepticism has been laid to rest. Texas Winos is indeed a good friend.
No comments:
Post a Comment