Texas Vino in Summertime

Honestly. It’s hands down the hottest 2023 summer ever in Houston, Texas. The extreme summer heat and record-setting temperatures continue to torment the entire state of Texas. During these long hot summer months, I have the tendency to seek out white wines because of their good acidy levels and great food paring options. Crisp white wines are excellent summer sippers enlivening those tasty summertime salads, pastas, and pesto.

Whether it’s a fruit-forward white or mineral white wine, the primary rule is to keep white wines chilled.

August 4th is traditionally national white wine day. This August, I had three white wine samples of Texas Fine Wine to taste with some of my favorite summertime bites.

Texas white wines in the photo below are:

Spicewood Vineyards 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, Dell City, Texas
Pedernales Cellars 2022 Texas High Plains Trebbiano
Duchman Family Winery 2021 Roussanne, Oswald Vineyard

With some fresh peaches, I made my homemade peach salsa and paired it with the Spicewood Vineyards 2022 Sauvignon Blanc. Fantastic pairing, if I say so myself. On this vino we have a fair amount of citrusy scents of grapefruit, and lemon, with a taste of kiwi fruit.

Spicewood Vineyards is one of the first Texas Hill Country wineries, established in 1992 and purchased by Ron Yates in 2007. It produces estate wines from 32 acres and a nearby 10-acre vineyard in Round Mountain. With a passion for Spanish varieties including Tempranillo, Graciano and Carignan, Spicewood Vineyards is also recognized for its estate Sauvignon Blanc.

Peach salsa recipe!

You will need:

Peaches (one or two firm fresh peaches)
Jalapeño
Tomato
Cilantro
Garlic
Purple onion
Avocado oil
Apple cider vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste

Dice a peach, jalapeño, tomato, clove of garlic, add chopped cilantro, and purple onion. Place all these ingredients in a bowl adding a little bit of avocado oil, and some apple cider vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste. Delicious.

Second pairing is a Thai basil turkey meatball appetizer with the Pedernales Cellars 2022 Texas High Plains Trebbiano. This Trebbiano has a touch of golden apple, hint of white flower, and brioche- meaning soft, lightly sweet, rich bread.

Pedernales Cellars is a boutique winery specializing in Spanish and Rhone-style wines made from 100%-sourced fruit. Its owners are sixth-generation Texans dedicated to handcrafted fine wines and sustainable practices. The estate vineyard, Kuhlken Vineyards, was planted in 1995 in Texas’ oldest AVA, Bell Mountain, which is within the Texas Hill Country AVA. Co-owners and siblings of Pedernales Cellars are Julie and David Kulken, and their winemaker is Johanna Wilczoch.

Third pairing is salmon baked in garlic herb butter, over spaghetti in a creamy caper, dill, and lemon sauce. This vino blanco is the Duchman Family Winery 2021 Oswald Vineyards Roussane. With pear and tropical fruit tasting notes on this white wine, it really works with salmon in my book.

Working with the top grape growers in the state, Duchman Family Winery makes 100% Texas wines from carefully selected varieties suited for Texas, including many Italian grapes. Focusing on pure expression of fruit and Texas terroir, Duchman wines show precision, character and balance. The owners of the Duchman Family are Drs. Stan and Lisa Duchman, and their winemaker is Dave Reilly.