This is the hotel lobby of the Renaissance Hotel in Richardson Texas. Isn’t that a cool looking statue? My two children who came on this trip loved the hotel and the indoor pool.

Hmmm, maybe I am the one who loved being there. Isn’t it just beautiful?

Just lovely ever which way you look.

OK, yes, I spent a lot of time at the hotel just looking up …

… and then looking down. Lovely just lovely.

The reason that My Honey and I came to the hotel early (as in the conference doesn’t start till Thursday, February 18^th continues Friday, February 19^th, and end on Saturday, February 20^th) was to preview some of the food and wine pairings that will be at the conference meals.

So what does that mean? Well, we got a lot of really great Texas wines together.

Tasted it with some really luscious food prepared by the hotel chef …

Duck

Beef

Oh, yes, the food was lovely, but the point was to make sure that not only was the food lovely, but that it all paired well with the wines to be served with each course.

Lamb

Lovely salads

This sea bass might have been my favorite. Served with Mandola Vermentino. Oh, it was just heavenly.

Our heroic chef and his helpers were hard at work all afternoon. “We” were hard at work all afternoon as you can imagine. What My Honey and I thought would take an hour or so took over three hours. It was really, really hard work. Don’t you think — by just looking at the lovely, lovely food.

Then the dessert options just blew us away. I don’t know if I can still fit into the dress I just bought to wear to the gala on Saturday night.

The whole hotel is just lovely.

Lots of places to relax, visit, and get to know other people in the wine and grape growing industry of the great state of Texas.

Did I say that I did a lot of looking up and looking down and looking all around. The hotel and the food really are going to be lovely. The whole conference is going to be very educational. I’ll try to post more on the speakers and sessions really soon, but the deadline for making hotel reservations is tomorrow, Sunday, January the 31^st. And here is the link for the scheduale and a link for registration.

Hope to see a bunch of you there.

Blessings, Betty

Mandola Estate Winery 2008 wines

Now here is a pretty trio from Mandola Estate Winery.

Mandola Estate Winery 2008 wines

 Here are three wines made with grapes from our vineyards. The Vermentino and the Dolcetto are a little unusual for Texas wines. The Viognier is of course already a Texas favorite. Cliff thinks that we may currently have the only Vermentino grapes in the big state of Texas. We have heard that a neighbor will be putting some in this spring. Mandola’s wines are being sold at more and more places around the state but you can always enjoy them at the winery itself. Then you also have to go to Trattoria Lisina the restaurant next to Mandola Estate Winery at Driftwood, Texas. I’ll have to do a post just on their restaurant sometime. We have lots of pictures and lots of wonderful memories of times spent there.   

Vermentino – (VEHR-mehn-TEE-noh) - is an aromatic white grape, native to Italy, planted widely along the western coast of the Italian peninsula (mainly in Liguria and Tuscany) and on the island of Sardinia. It makes for a bright, golden-colored white wine, with fruity aromas and bright acidity. It is a sturdy white grape that fares well in warm and often arid climates. This is one of the reasons that we have had so much success with the Vermentino grape here in Texas, where warm summers are like those in the Mediterranean climate of Italy.  

You can read this about Vermentino grapes on their web site at mandolaestatewinery.com/italian-grapes/ . Just scroll down a little.  

They have a facebook page too that has some great information about their winery – Mandola Estate Winery. They put a picture of our family up on their facebook page one day after we went for a visit with them. Right below our picture is a post about “where” in Texas you can buy their wines. Hey, and right below it is a post about the release of their 2009 Dolcetto. Wow, I really am slow getting this post up, aren’t I. 

Mandola Estate Winery Dolcetto 2008

Here is what Mandola’s web site says about their Dolcetto - (dohl-CHEH-toh)  

Names can be deceiving: the name of this grape, Dolcetto comes from the Italian dolce (adj., sweet) and -etto (diminutive suffix) and is often translated as “the little sweet one.” In fact, the name means slightly sweet and the sweetness in question comes from the grape’s natural fruit flavor. Dolcetto is actually a tannic red grape and is one of the favorite varieties of the Piedmontese. In Piedmont, Dolcetto is typically served with roast and stewed meats and is the preferred hardy wine of the cold Piedmontese winter. Don’t let the name fool you: our Texas-grown Dolcetto is a structured, meaty red wine, a perfect accompaniment for Texas beef!  

You can read this on their web site at mandolaestatewinery.com/italian-grapes/ . Just scroll down a little.  

Notice the patio umbrellas in the reflection at the top of the bottle of Dolcetto. Let them remind you that Dolcetto makes a wonderful easy going patio wine. Dolcetto pairs well with chicken, esp. grilled and or with tomato sauce; hamburgers; meatloaf, mushrooms, onions; red meat, especially grilled or roasted; pasta especially with cheese; pesto sauce; pizza; prosciutto; salad. Dolcetto is just such an easy wine to pair with fun. When you are setting out comfortable food for friends and fun, just set out some Dolcetto to enjoy with it.    

Mandola Estate Winery Dolcetto 2008

Or just sip on a little Dolcetto on the patio all by itself, surround by family and friends.  

Blessings, Betty