Posts Tagged Festival

http://www.thenicewinery.com

The NICE Winery is located in Houston and is owned by Ian Eastveld and Ryan Levy. Their first wine vintage was 2007 and they opened The NICE Winery in 2009. If you are curious like I was, NICE is pronounced just like a nice glass of wine but it is actually an acronym for the first names of Ian’s siblings with Ian making up the I in NICE. When being told the story, we were not sure if it was a joke or not, but it was said they may add an R for Ryan to make it NICER. Either way, the wines could not be nicer.

We first met Ian and Ryan at the Houston Wine Festival last year and Gloria signed up for information emails. She mentioned they had a tasting coming up and since we have wanted to visit them, we RSVP’d yes. We arrived at their winery which is located in an office park. We were greeted at the door by Donna, signed in, and were directed to the tasting table.

Michelle was pouring wines and the first wine poured was the 2010 NICE Sauvignon Blanc of which 400 cases were made. The wine was made in Argentina by Ian and Ryan along with acclaimed Argentine winemaker Manuel Otero Ramos. The grapes come from the famous Lujan de Cuyo appellation in Mendoza.

We talked to Ryan and he told us the story of how they make their wines. Ian and Ryan, both Le Cordon Bleu trained chefs and Certified Sommeliers, visited Argentina and different vineyards to find one for which they could make their wines. They finally came upon a grower who has their house in the middle of the vineyard, and after several wonderful visits partnered with the vineyard. The growers do have a small winery but make wine just for the locals. Ian and Ryan visit Argentina to make the wines there. Ryan stressed they are not growers but winemakers. Barrels are brought in to age the wines in Argentina. They use about 85% French and 15% American oak barrels.

The next wine during the tasting was not made by NICE, but selected by them as with other wines they offer to their wine club members. Speaking of wine clubs, The NICE Winery started a wine club in January 2010. There are three wine clubs available. The Premium club receives two big bold reds every month, the Discovery Reds club gets two new and unique reds from all over the world, and the Discovery club gets one red and one white. Since currently The NICE Winery offers four wines, Ian and Ryan hand select which wines from other wineries to include in their monthly wine club shipments. Each wine club option offers other benefits such as the tastings and dinners. Wine classes are also occasionally held by the winery.

The third wine tasted was the 2009 NICE Malbec which was also made in Mendoza. This time Ian and Ryan combined their efforts with winemaker Alberto Cecchin. The grapes came from eighty year old vines, were hand harvested, and used family cultivated techniques. This was a very nice Malbec and after last month’s vertical tasting of their 2007, 2008, and 2009 Malbecs, they were told the 2009 was most similar to the 2007 award winning Malbec.

The NICE Winery entered the 2007 Malbec and the 2007 Stag’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo International Wine Competition and both came away with gold medals. The 2007 Stag’s Leap Cabernet was made in California along with the efforts of winemaker Steve Reynolds.

When talking to Ian, I had to ask about using Texas grapes. His reply was there are not enough grapes in Texas, so they looked at states and countries where they could get quality sources. They have visited the High Plains and met many of the growers and winemakers there and are hoping to someday use Texas grapes to perhaps make a Tempranillo.

Ian Eastveld and Ryan Levy

There were a total of six wines which were being tasted and the remaining three we had to taste were made by other wineries. We learned The NICE Winery made a 2010 Demi-Sec Sparkling Wine from Muscat of Alexandria grapes and had to ask about it. Ryan had previously commented how he doesn’t like to buy wines without tasting them first, so Gloria said we were interested in buying a bottle of the Demi-Sec but we hadn’t tasted it yet. Ryan being so cordial said he would check to see if they had one chilled. Luckily they did and he popped the cork for us to try it. Ahh, we’ll take a bottle please.

The entire evening was great as we got to taste some very good wines, met two passionate winemakers, and had fun talking to wine club members. We’ll be back next month to pick up our wine club shipment.

The 14th annual SpringFest was held in historic Old Town Spring on March 31st and April 1st. Like last year we volunteered to help the wineries pour their tastings. We were just hoping the weather was not going to be like last year when it was very cold the first of two days. When we volunteered, I was told the festival was moved to the end of March instead of the beginning like last year to hopefully avoid that problem. It looked like a great decision as the weather was beautiful all weekend.

We volunteered for the first shift which involved setting up too. When we arrived at the festival volunteer check-in, we were unsure which winery we would be helping. Earlier in the week, I had two wineries say they hoped we would pour for them. Check-in time came and we learned we would be helping Red 55 Winery. The winery is owned by Miranda Lambert’s parents and is located in Lindale, TX. If you are not aware, Miranda Lambert is a famous country singer who grew up in Tyler, TX.

Last year all the wine tasting was held in Preservation Park and this year it was moved out on the streets. This was a great idea to get people to roam Old Town Spring and visit the stores, but sometimes people needed to be directed to where other wine tasting locations were. There were two major locations, one smaller location in Gentry Park, and Wimberley Valley Winery did their tastings inside their tasting room located in Old Town Spring.

We found the street where Red 55 Winery was to be and only one winery was currently setting up at just past 9:00am. The festival was to start at 10:00am. Other wineries started showing up to set up their tables and fortunately some of them knew the tables designated for the specific wineries. When the two representatives from Red 55 Winery showed up, we started setting up the table.

Unfortunately they had forgotten some of their items in a truck in a nearby town, but like happens most of the time, other wineries help each other. Billy Cox from Retreat Hill Winery loaned a tablecloth to cover the table. A bucket was needed to hold the chilled wine on the table and I offered to go search for one. After trying unsuccessfully at a few stores, I asked the volunteer lead and she took me to Wimberley Valley Winery because she thought she had seen one there. We met Jana Valentine from Wimberley Valley Winery and she had exactly what they were looking for. I returned to the table with it and the table was set up and ready to go.

Well, it was ready to go but most tables were still waiting for the wine to be delivered. It was being delivered by truck at various times and I believe most wine was delivered by 10:30am. The good thing is most visitors to the wine festival had not started arriving yet, so it was not a big issue.

Tasters started arriving and soon everything was working in a nice groove. The representatives from Red 55 Winery were very knowledgeable about the three wines which they brought: Red 55, Kerosene, and Crazy Ex Girlfriend. They enjoyed talking to the tasters and telling them about the wines and the winery. At that point Gloria and I did not need to do much except for occasional errand runs.

The next shift’s volunteers showed up and we were released from our volunteer duties. We then got the chance to visit the other two wine tasting sections and taste some wine which we have not had before and also visit with some representatives we had previously met at other festivals.

From our count, a total of 17 Texas wineries participated in the wine festival which were: Bernhardt Winery, Calais Winery, Chisholm Trail Winery, Clear Creek Winery, Cork This! Winery, Dionisio Winery, Enchanted Manor Winery, Fall Creek Vineyards, Landon Winery, Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards, Maydelle Country Wines, Piney Woods Country Winery, Pleasant Hill Winery, Red 55 Winery, Retreat Hill Winery, Three Dudes Winery, and Wimberley Valley Winery.

We had a great time tasting and of course volunteering earlier, and will definitely be volunteering again next year.

The 14th annual SpringFest will be held in historic Old Town Spring on March 31st and April 1st. The wine and art festival will be featuring over 15 wineries, art exhibitors, Go Texan food vendors, and more. Last year’s wine festival was held in the large Preservation Park but this year the wine tastings will be held at two different locations on the streets.

Texas wineries which at this moment are to attend are: Bernhardt Winery, Calais Winery, Chisholm Trail Winery, Clear Creek Winery, Cork This! Winery, Dionisio Winery, Enchanted Manor Winery, Fairhaven Vineyards, Fall Creek Vineyards, Landon Winery, Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards, Maydelle Country Wines, Piney Woods Country Winery, Pleasant Hill Winery, Red 55 Winery, Retreat Hill Winery, Three Dudes Winery, and Wimberley Valley Winery.

Wine tasting tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the gate. Price includes on commemorative wine glass and five tastings per ticket. Additional tastings are available for $1 each.

For more information or to buy tasting tickets, go to http://www.winefestoldtownspring.com

Come on out! We volunteered at last year’s SpringFest to help the Texas wineries pour wine and had such a great time that we’re volunteering again this year. We’ll be pouring wine Saturday morning so if you happen to come then, make sure you say hi!

It’s that time of year when wine festivals start occurring. We always enjoy going to wine festivals and especially volunteering to pour for the Texas wineries. We have met some great people from the Texas wineries, either representatives or the owners themselves. We’ll be volunteering our pouring services again at Old Town Spring’s SpringFest in a few weeks so stop on by if you’re in the area.

Here are the wine festivals we are aware of in Texas. If we missed any, please let us know and we’ll be glad to add it, or simply add the information in a comment. Cheers!

March 24-25: Texas Wine & Rogue Art Fest – http://saladowinefestival.com – Salado, TX

March 30-31: Savor Dallas – http://www.savordallas.com – Dallas, TX

March 31-April 1: SpringFest Wine & Art Festival – http://www.winefestoldtownspring.com – Old Town Spring, TX

April 14: Blessing of the Vines & New Vintage – https://www.grapevinetexasusa.com/newvintage – Grapevine, TX

April 17: Houston Press Menu of Menus Extravaganza – http://microapp.houstonpress.com/menu-of-menus/2012 – Houston, TX

April 18-22: Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair – http://www.thegrandwineandfoodaffair.com – Sugar Land, TX

April 19-22: Galveston Island Food & Wine Festival – http://www.galveston.com/foodandwine – Galveston, TX

April 20-22: Buffalo Gap Wine & Food Summit – http://www.buffalogapsummit.com – Buffalo Gap, TX

April 25: Brighton Center’s A Taste of the Northside – http://www.brightonsa.org/index.php/support/tons – San Antonio, TX

April 26-27: San Angelo Wine & Food Festival – http://www.sanangeloarts.com/articles/view/san-angelo-wine-food-festival-4e287bc7-bb78-4044-8b0a-7192ac100a98 – San Angelo, TX

April 26-28: Hill Country Wine & Music Festival – http://www.hillcountrywineandmusic.com – Fredericksburg, TX

April 27-28: Granbury Wine Walk – http://granburywinewalk.com – Granbury, TX

April 27-29: Austin Food & Wine Festival – http://www.austinfoodandwinefestival.com – Austin, TX

April 28: Wine Fair Cy-Fair – http://www.winecyfair.com – Cypress, TX

May 2-6: Dallas Wine & Food Festival – http://www.dallaswineandfoodfestival.com – Dallas, TX

May 5: Wein & Saengerfest – http://www.weinandsaengerfest.com – New Braunfels, TX

May 18-20: Taste Addison – http://www.addisontexas.net/events/tasteaddison – Addison, TX

May 19: Piney Woods Wine Festival – http://www.pineywoodswinetrail.com/festival.shtml – Mt. Vernon, TX

June 4-10: Wine & Food Week – http://www.wineandfoodweek.com – The Woodlands, TX

July 13-15: Taste of Dallas – http://www.tasteofdallas.org – Dallas, TX

http://www.haakwine.com

Haak Vineyards & Winery is located in Santa Fe, Texas and is owned by Raymond and Gladys Haak. Raymond Haak first started experimenting with the Blanc du Bois grape in the early 1970′s and was one of the first wineries in the country to cultivate Blanc du Bois. The first commercial wines for Haak Vineyards & Winery was in 2000 and today they make seven different Texas wines from Blanc du Bois.

If you are planning on doing a tasting, you first take a tour and then do your tasting. The last time I visited Haak Vineyards & Winery, Yvette was my tour and tasting guide. There is a fee for tasting and you can choose between two plans. The lower price allows you to taste four wines chosen by Haak Vineyards and Winery and the higher price called the VIP tour allows you to select your own seven wines to taste in addition to getting a logo wine glass. I chose the VIP tour since I wanted to taste particular wines, and the wine glass certainly didn’t hurt.

The tour starts out of the tasting room and goes to the back where Haak Vineyards & Winery maintains three acres of Blanc du Bois grapevines. The winery overlooks the vineyard in addition to two covered pavilion areas which allows events to be held rain or shine. We first stood under a gazebo which makes a nice setting for a wedding.

Music events are held at the winery usually on Saturday and/or Sunday nights. The first time we visited Haak Vineyards & Winery was for a birthday party while listening to one of the live bands. A full time kitchen staff is available for all the catering needs you may need.

One little tidbit of information is 2010 was the first time Haak Vineyards & Winery made estate wine. Other grapes come from the Hill Country and Yvette thought the Cabernet was made with out of state grapes.

We then went to the cellar of the winery. The winery consists of more than 25,000 square feet and the 1,800 square foot cellar is used for storing and aging wines in oak barrels. The oak barrels are all American oak with medium toast. The cellar also provides room for special events. Also present is the Haak “Vino Viejo” or what they call their wine library. This stores bottles which will need longer aging.

After the cellar we were brought through the production area. We saw the crush pad and the outside of their estufa which is used to make their Madeira Texas wine. We learned the estufa is similar to a sauna and barrels of wine use the estufagem process, where the barrels of wine have been “madeirized” in the special, heated cellar. The temperatures of the wine in the estufagem average between 102°F to 106°F. Haak Vineyards & Winery’s estufa was completed in early 2006 and there are only three wineries in the United States today which still use the style of estufagem. Haak Vineyards & Winery is the only winery that uses the estufagem style for Blanc du Bois. Yvette said that Madeira can be kept opened for two years without affecting its taste.

We learned that Haak Vineyards & Winery is still using natural corks although they are considering using synthetic corks. They use carbon dioxide gas when filling their bottles.

We then got to do a tasting which you do while standing at the tasting bar. Wine crackers are provided during the tasting to cleanse your palate. The tastings are poured with measured pourers. As I said earlier, I had chosen the VIP tour so I could choose my wines. During the tasting Yvette mentioned Raymond Haak had just been in the tasting room and I said I was hoping to have met him. She tried to get him on the intercom but did not have any luck. That’s okay as we met him later at the Houston Wine Fest.

Jeff and Raymond Haak

There is a nice gift shop present with wine accessories, clothing, plus selected deli foods which make for a nice lunch or snack with their wines. A wine club is available providing discounts, quarterly shipments of wine, member-only events, plus other benefits.

I left after having a nice afternoon at Haak Vineyards & Winery. While entering my notes later, I realized I didn’t receive the logo wine glass which came part of my VIP tour. Oh well, perhaps next time.