Grapevine Texas
Consciously deciding to stay consist documenting my wine journey to officially becoming a sommelier; I am most transparent and expressive with my words vs in recorded moments. & let’s be honest literacy is at an all time low. I believe everyone benefits from reading. This blog will be a weekly insight to my pallet; how I allow it to guide me through life & learn about different wines, cultures, environments & culinary traditions.
This weekend I made my way to Grapevine Texas. The energy of the city was pleasant & very quiet on a Sunday. The many boutiques & shops along Main St. were pretty steady. After taking a stroll up & down the street I decided on the 3 Wineries I would try.
First up I went to Red Dirt Cellars stepping in the cool breeze welcomed me. The beautiful dark wood work & built in wine racks were perfectly stocked & a perfect touch to the decor. When I arrived there were only a few guests still the ladies smiled & made me feel most welcome. The music reminded me of the 2000’s VH1 before school mix. I enjoyed the elevated tasting for $29 which came with 5 tastes & a small charcuterie board. Great deal if you ask me.
The tasting menu was extensive but very well put together. I decided on the 2021 Kaiken Malbec from Mendoza it was surprisingly smooth but velvety. Dark fruits were present but the finish was clean yet still long lasting on the palette. I came back to this wine about 20 minutes later & the caramel-y sweet aromas were very pleasant & easily enjoyable. Next up was the Winldcatter Tempranillo this was my first experience with a red Tempranillo it was dryer than the Malbec of course however it was juicy at first & immediately dried your mouth out. It had no lasting finish for me but that is okay-it was very drinkable. You would be able to sip this & ki-ki with the girls. It would be an amazing base for a sangria. The Pinnacle Syrah from Texas was the most exiting wine of this tasting for me the stand out- the MF star of the show! I could be a tad biased as Syrah is one of my all time favorite varietals however this wine had a jammy sweetness with a nice tart. Once this baby opened up the aromas of toffee, butterscotch & Caramel filled my nostrils with sweet sweet nostalgia. It embodied the creamy smoothness of the caramel candies your grandparents always had. I would recommend & buy this wine over & over again! I was excited to try the Chenin Blanc on the menu but guess what I was not the only one as they were sold out (enter shattered heart emoji) so I opted for the Better Half Sauvignon Blanc it was okay easy drinking sweetener than what I would expect. It was herbal & very lemony! It really made me think! I checked the tasting notes and they stated lemon custard & that’s exactly what it gave sharpness & all. I enjoyed that aspect of this wine because that was something new I experienced. I would definitely use this wine as an introductory to Sauv Blancs.
Lastly the 2022 Albariño LA VAL from Spain this one was very earthy with kind of a grassy aroma. The back end was long gone. It’s a beautifully made wine but needs more body for my liking. This is definitely a day sipping wine with a water like mouthfeel. I am curious to try different wines of the same varietals. The charcuterie which included pepperoni, salami & prosciutto along with some sharp cheeses, grapes & a little ground mustard. One of the cheese options was a very vibrant green color. I was fascinated the entire tasting as I assumed it was some good moldy cheese; curiosity took over and I tasted it for the plot…. IT WAS HERBS! The greening of the cheese was an infusion of herbs! It was delicious!
Overall I enjoyed my time here I would definitely recommend. 
The next leg of my journey led me to the Landon winery; again I opted for the 5 wine tasting @ $22. This tasting room was Smaller & more intimate. The service ehh (only 2 people) when I arrived, others showed up soon after to smooth things out. There were a few people of color in this one 
(so far my POC count for the day was 5 including myself) The space is a little more casual with Goood music but a rather boring crowd I tasted & dipped. I wanted to do a mostly white tasting as my previous experience included mostly reds. Starting with the Bubbly Cuvée Sec Dry. It was what you expect fresh, fruity, light, slight fizz on your tongue. It was nice it could easily be a party opener or toasting bottle of bubbles. Secondly I tasted the Sauvignon Blanc it had a slight tartness but still that good juicy citrus flavor as most Sauvignon Blancs this one was very light compared to others from different regions. This wine has the ability to still be enjoyable on a hot summer day. Up next Yellow Rose Tasted like sweet white wine; nothing spectacular but it would be great in a wine cocktail or as a white sangria base. My next selection I was super excited about the Viognier this is only my second time trying this type of wine. I am still trying to find the words that describe it well. It was very light bodied, with notes of honeysuckle, not as fruity on the tongue but nice. I got some floral aromas on the back end. I will be trying more of this wine so I can find the tell tell aroma, nonetheless I LOVE saying its name say it with me VEE-Own-yay. Last was the absolute best one of them all Texan! This wine was beautifully full bodied as soon as I sipped I knew Sangiovese grapes were used! I was super surprised I knew it right off the top of my head although this is a red blend using Cabernet Sauvignon the Sangiovese stood out! This wine was bold, had a sweet jammy middle while the tannin's dry your mouth on the back. I would love to enjoy this wine with a cigar.
This was one of the most well blended wines I have had in a while!
My last stop of the day was to Wine fusion a more casual approach to a wine bar. The vibe is it, the people are conversing, seems to be an easy going place. My servers were so nice & accommodating didn’t make me feel out of place in any kind of way. The Marble high top tables gave the place a nice touch of elegance. They also have a full bar! Football games were on, this is where the cool kids hang! I decided on the Dry white tasting this time 3 tastes for $15 not bad at all! I made my selections The white blend, Pinot Gris & the Chardonnay. The white blend was dry but with a long fruity finish. The Pinot Gris was surprisingly lemony & easy to drink. The Chardonnay was very light didn’t have that strong oak taste & paired perfectly with my truffle fries. Over all the wines were enjoyable & a great way to finish my evening.
Sampling 13 wines in one day may seem crazy to some but it is the perfect day for me! I look forward to this week’s adventures!
Tye’s TasteW/Me blog; Monday Mornings 10 AM
