The Fairmont Hotel hosts the Duchman Family Winery 2010 White Wine Roadshow Thursday, 5 to 8 p.m.

This is a big deal in Texas wines because Duchman in Driftwood is working with three Italian grapes that show great promise in the state - pinot grigio, trebbiano and vermentino - and these will all be part of the release tasting. So, too, what's proving to be the warhorse Texas white, viognier.

The wines will be paired with Fairmont Executive Chef Andre Natera's appetizers. Yummy, matched bites, in other words. It's $30 a person; for reservations, contact Lisa Elliott at events@duchmanwines.com or call her at 512-858-1470 extension 107.

I cheered when Bolsa Mercado opened, thinking its excellent selection of pick-up-tonight wines was a first for North Oak Cliff. What a surprise to learn that down the street next to Urban Acres co-op, Chelsmati's Wine Market has been quietly providing the same thing since July.

This is an amazing little place, with a focus on value wines priced under $20 and most in the $10 t $15 range. Owner Tina Acosta (at left) says she tastes every wine and "hand sells" to shoppers' tastes.

She's assembled an innovative and quirky collection, ranging from one of the largest Israeli wine sections in the city at 13 to Brotherhood Winery Riesling, from America's oldest winery in upstate New York. There's also a nice Argentinean section, including a wine made from the Italian bonarda grape from Uma that she gave me to taste. What a nice surprise: Its peppery, dark berries and unapologetic tannins show a leaner, more Old World sensibility that goes well with food.

Chile, Italy, Spain are represented in her racks. California, not so much. Plus, she has a shelf of products such as Turkish coffee and Indian masala tea that a friend picks up in her travels around the world. "Once it's gone, it's gone," says Acosta. Oh, and the shop's name is a composite of her daughters' names.

1307 1/2 W. Davis; 214-923-9814; www.chelsmati.com (work in progress). Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 4 to 9 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday.

Check out Maria Halkias' report. Here's the lede:

"Dallas-based Sigel's Beverages is in negotiations to be acquired by Houston-based Spec's Wines, Spirits and Finer Foods.

Sigel's president John Rector confirmed Tuesday that talks are under way. He said Tony Bandiera, who has been majority owner of Sigel's since 1995, is considering an offer."

This will be a game-changer in Dallas, no doubt about it.

Christina Valenzuela is the enthusiastic Don Julio brand ambassador, and she recently took me to lunch to demonstrate how tequilas change depending on the order you taste them in.

We started sipping not in the usual order, from least aged to most aged (blanco, reposado, anejo), but with Don Julio 70, an artisanal anejo created to celebrate Don Julio's 70th anniversary; it uses a proprietary double-filitration system and ages 18 months in oak. "Enrique [de Colsa] loves anejos," says Valenzuela of the DJ master distiller. "He also loves blanco with its crispy agave. He wanted to create a tequila that was crispy, with lots of agave character, with a little color to it."

We taste the silky smooth 70. It has an unmistakable cotton-candy character, with orange peel, honey and almond accents.

Then we taste the blanco, which reminded alternately of banana and sweet potato. "That's pure agave," says Valenzuela. What happened next was completely unexpected.

Through a quirk of Texas law, when Christmas (and New Year's) falls on a Sunday, liquor stores must also close on Monday. I can't begin to explain the reasoning; I'm just the cipher, in case you had plans to pick up a bottle of tequila or scotch on Monday. The same will be true next Monday, the day after New Year's day.

You will be able to buy wine at grocery stores. Go figure the logic there.

Hope everyone is gearing up for a wonderful holiday. I know I am. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah.

Just in time for Hanukkah - but not just for Hanukkah - a collection of fine Israeli wines has arrived in the Dallas market.

These kosher wines are nothing like the Manischevitz-style beverages one usually associates with the holidays. These are fine wines that happen to be kosher.

They come from Carmel Winery, one of the largest and oldest modern wineries in Israel. (Don't forget, people were making wine in this part of the world millennia ago.) Three in particular are available locally and stand out for the holidays.

Pictured: Carmel Sha'al Gewurztraminer Late Harvest 2007, Carmel Mediterranean Blend 2007, Caramel Appellation Old Vines Petite Syrah 2007

In my review of the Pyramid, I didn't have the space to mention that the restaurant is without a general manager at the moment. That makes it all the more remarkable that the service there is so good.

The exception, as I mentioned in the review, is the fact that the servers aren't equipped to help much with the wine list. I hope whomever the hotel brings in as the Pyramid's new GM will make wine training a focus. No doubt sommelier Hunter Hammett needs a day off every now and then!

Photo of Hunter Hammett (right) with diners at the Pyramid by Mona Reeder/Staff Photographer

There's a new line of tequilas on the market -- PaQui -- and it's pretty impressive. The PaQui folks sent me sample bottles of all three on offer -- Silvera, Reposado and Añejo -- and over the weekend I lit a fire in the fireplace, poured glasses of all three and tried to match them up with people on my Christmas list.

When it comes to sipping, normally I'm a reposado girl -- I like some age on a tequila, but not too much richness or caramel flavor. PaQui Reposado delivered -- it's fine, elegant and just rich enough. Usually I prefer to use silver tequilas in cocktails, and this Silvera will definitely make a great margarita. But it's ideal for sipping too, with terrific agave character that's grassy and fresh, with with plenty of depth but no hard edges. My husband fell for the Añejo, and I have to say, it's pretty darn good, absolutely smooth and suave, with a brown sugar finish that went on forever. So which did I prefer? I don't know -- I'm going to have to repeat the taste test -- probably several times. Good thing I just stocked up on firewood! In any case, any of the three would make a wonderful gift for a tequila lover.

PaQui Silvera, Reposado and Añejo Tequila, about $45, $47 and $49 respectively at selected Sigel's and Centennial liquor stores

"Oak Cliff Cellars is not a winery in Oak Cliff," begins J.R. Richardson at a recent dinner to introduce some new releases. "We've lived in Oak Cliff 20 years and named it after the place we've loved so long."

"We" is he and wife Maria, and they still live in Oak Cliff. They crossed the river to hold their dinner recently at Parigi in Oak Lawn; I was an invited guest.

Oak Cliff Cellars is a micro-winery in Calistoga, Calif., where winemaker Bruce Regalia is turning out some good, no-nonsense, un-spoofalated wines.

The happy surprises with the wine began with the first offering, the 2009 Sonoma Chardonnay, green-apple-crisp with warm melon fruit and not a trace of oak. 124 cases made.

Co-chef-owners Janice Provost and Chad Houser also consistently came up with spot-on food matches - as good as Stephan Pyles', whom I rate as tops at this. Read on for more and how to find Oak Cliff Cellars wines.

Here's something that would make a terrific holiday gift: Rebecca Creek Fine Texas Spirit Whiskey. The 80-proof spirit, made from a blend of corn, wheat, rye and malted barley, is a wonderful sipping whiskey, fine and smooth, with a flavor that reminds me of a good rye. (Rebecca Creek Distillery sent me a bottle to sample.) Billed as "Texas' first and finest spirit whiskey," it would be great in cocktails, too. Could this be the beginning of a beautiful movement?

Come to think of it, it would be a fabulous gift to bring to Thanksgiving dinner.

Rebecca Creek Fine Texas Spirit Whiskey, 750 ml bottle, about $33 to $36 at most Goody Goody Liquor, Centennial and Sigel's stores, as well as selected independents including American Spirits Beverage Co. in Addison and Spirits Liquor in Dallas

I'll just post this in full, from Jasper Russo at Sigel's Fine Wines:

"Each year the Wine Spectator Magazine selects their Top 100 Wines of the Year, setting off a mad scramble by retailers and customers to source and acquire the top wines. The magazine has listed #s 2-10 on their website and will reveal the #1 on Nov 21st and the entire list on Nov 27th.

"#s 10 1 and 4 will be in Sigel's stores by tomorrow.
"#3 is only available through Sigel's and will arrive in January.
"#2 is produced by Kathryn Hall of Dallas and should be available in very limited quantities by the end of the week. We have started a waiting list for our pitifully small allocation.

"The rest of the wines have been sold out for a while."

Update: Russo emailed a correction: Nos. 10 and 4 will be in stores today.

I was having a hard time wrapping my head around the coming events for Dallas Beer Week - dinners, keg tappings, special tastings - starting tomorrow and culminating in a huge event Saturday.

Then I saw Teresa Gubbins' post on Pegasus, and it all made sense. It's a week of craft beer brouhaha with something to excite everyone. The organizers put together a similar event in Houston.

Saturday at 11 a.m., events kick off with a Deep Ellum Brewing Co. launch party at The Common Table. Ringo's Pub hosts a Franconia Beer dinner on Sunday, Rahr & Sons do two beer dinners at Cowtown Diner. There's a blind beer challenge at Holy Grail Pub Wednesday, a Brooklyn Brewery special tap at the Ginger Man - 22 events in all.

Keep reading on the jump; there's so much more, including a link to the events calendar.

Saturday, one day only, Stoney's Fine Wine will hold a 20-percent-off sale on all the wines in the store. It's great opportunity to stock up for the holidays. The store is in East Dallas on Oram, just off of Skillman.

Jimmy's Food Store is moving wines out to make room for holiday stock. It's red dot sale means all wines on tables at the front of the store with a red dot are 50 percent off the regular price. While supplies last.

As an invited guest at third-generation distiller Carlos Camarena's El Tesoro tasting, I had the thrill of sampling Paradiso, a simply amazing, over-the-top sipping tequila. "This was my crazy idea," he says. Crazy, like a fox.

Paradiso is aged five years in used Cognac barrels, and by the time the aging is finished, it's as warm and inviting as a Cognac. Amber. Smooth. The long barrel-aging in French barrels adds chocolate-vanilla-nut notes to the distinctive agave flavor, which Camarena describes as pumpkin, smokiness, pepper and banana. He notes that black pepper and spice are characteristics of highland-grown agave.

Sensational by itself, Paradiso was also a beautiful amplifier of foods, most notably Komali's tamalitos and the flan-chocolate-cake dessert. The tequila was served in a champagne flute, the better to savor its nuanced aroma.

Cupcake Vineyards wines have taken off like rocket, from 10,000 cases of chardonnay sold in 2007 to more than a million cases today. Winemaker Adam Richardson, who breezed through Dallas recently, has his hands full - in the best of ways. Today there are 15 different Cupcakes on the market, line priced at $13.99 a bottle (easily found for less), and available from supermarkets to discount stores.

"The wines are very flexible," says Richardson at a lunch where I was an invited guest. "They are versatile styles of wine on purpose." And they're aimed at young wine drinkers. Move over, Yellowtail.

Here's my prediction about the new Red Velvet: The first blended wine from Cupcake is going to kick holiday sales through the roof because it's front-loaded with chocolate notes and juicy, ripe fruit. My mind goes to the boysenberries of my childhood, but if that's not a reference for you, think marionberries or the ripest, plumpest blackberries and raspberries you've ever eaten, preferably right off the vine.

There are still a few days to enjoy the wine garden at the State Fair of Texas, and when you stop by, be sure to sample the 125-year commemorative wine, which just happens to be the McPherson Sangiovese 2009.

It's one of several wines available for sampling, and the vintage hasn't yet been released under Kim McPherson's own label. I didn't realize it was McPherson's till too late, so I didn't get a taste. But I can tell you this: If past performance is any indication (and I think it is), this is a superb wine. McPherson does almost magical things with High Plains sangiovese.

Today and tomorrow, at 1, 3 and 5 p.m., you can catch a wine chat on the wine garden stage. These are informative, informal interviews with local wine experts. Today's lineup: 1 p.m.: Benny Barrett (Fall Creek); 3 p.m.: Bianca Christie (Whole Foods); and 5 p.m.: Bill Rich (Prestige).

Italian Wine Guy

Monday is the day for an intensive sake class that collapses three days of instruction into one for those pursuing the entry-level certification from the Sake Service Institute in Japan.

The Sake Advisor Course will be taught by SSI certified sake instructor and master sake sommelier Toshio Ueno and covers sake history, production, styles, regionality, understanding labels, serving, storing and sake culture. Participants who successfully complete the course earn an SSI Sake Adviser Certificate.

It takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday at Kazy's Gourmet Shop, costs $475 (you have to be serious about this), and one of your classmates will be Tei An's Yosuke Fukuda. He's your contact to learn more at 214-220-2828.

I love this recommedation from Fukuda: "The accelerated edition of the sake class will have a challenging test at the end. It is highly recommended that you review the class textbook at least six hours prior to the event." Got that?

When I was out at the State Fair last week to participate on the wine stage, I made sure to sample the wines being poured at the adjacent tables in the wine garden, and one of them was Weinhof Winery's Blackberry wine.

Weinhof Winery

I spent several minutes chatting with winemaker Brenda Thompson, whose German family made fruit wines the old-country way in Perrin County, Mo., while she was growing up. She and husband Larry started as amateur winemakers in 2000, making fruit wine according to her uncle Willie Bruckerhoff's recipe. In 2005, they went commercial and in 2007 opened the doors of their Weinhof Winery in Forestburg.

They also make grape wines, but I was completely captivated by the fruit varieties, all made from local fruit. The blackberry tasted like blackberries with a nice, acidic buzz that rolled to a drier finish, not unlike a riesling. If you're out at the fair Monday or Tuesday, stop by the wine garden for a taste.

Bar 828, the pop-up speakeasy for charity, is set to kick off tonight in Oak Cliff, but Eddie "Lucky" Campbell -- one of the two organizers -- will not be involved. I just got off the phone with Campbell, who told me, "I have completely disengaged myself from it." He declined to say why.

Though he will not be there, he did say it promises to be "one heck of a cocktail show."

Cocktail mavens Eddie "Lucky" Campbell and Michael Martensen will be running a pop-up speakeasy near Oak Cliff's Bishop Arts district for three consecutive weekends beginning on Thursday. Bar 828, they're calling it.

Other high-profile bartenders also plan to participate, says Campbell, including Dub Davis of Marquee Bar and Grill, Sean Conner of Whiskey Cake, Omar Yeefoon of the People's Last Stand, Brian McCullough of Sfuzzi and Standard Pour, Kyle Hilla of Bolsa, Brad Hensarling of the Usual Bar in Fort Worth and the entire crew of the Cedars Social.

Bar 828 will be serving a lot of pre-Prohibition cocktails, says Campbell. "And we'll be airing some of the new techniques that we'll be doing downtown," -- meaning at the bar he and Martensen plan to open soon. To wit -- they'll be chipping ice from blocks and smoking cocktails to order. That's an elaborate technique that involves a smoking a dried ingredient such as an herb (in fact the device is made to use with an illicit herb) into a decanter, filling it with a cocktail and swirling it around. "You remove the liquid and the smoke lingers in the decanter," says Campbell. "You can do it for a few drinks at a time."

They plan to have three food trucks there every night -- there's a big parking lot -- with tables and chairs set up.

Sounds like the deejay -- J.T. Donaldson -- is a kick. "He puts a house beat on Puttin' on the Ritz or Parisian music, big band stuff, old jazz standards," says Campbell.

A portion of the proceeds every night will go to Promise House. Campbell declined to say what portion, but "We're going to be generous."

Bar 828 begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday beginning Thursday, Oct. 13 for three weekends, at 828 W. Davis, Dallas. No phone, no website -- kind of like a speakeasy.

Photo of Eddie "Lucky" Campbell by Jason Janik/Special Contributor

At $4.99 a bottle, these Campodesole wines from Emilia Romagna are going to be running, not walking, out the door at Jimmy's Food Store:

Selva Albana Secca (white)
San Pascasio Pagadebit (white)
Durano Sangiovese (red)

Jimmy's is in East Dallas, at Fitzhugh and Bryan.

On International Sake Day, Texas Sake Co. in Austin celebrates the grand opening of its organic sake kura (brewery) and debuts the nation's first sake made from Texas rice.

You read that right: Texas is adding a boutique sake - a GoTexan product at that - to its ever-growing lineup of spirits. "The rice we use in our saké is a variety grown from Japanese seed that arrived here more than 100 years ago," notes the kura's website. "This history is what allows us to make great sake and we're putting this great tasting history in a bottle."

If you head to Austin, festivities take place Oct. 1 from 1 to 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $25 advance, $30 at the door; purchase them online here. The address is 5501 N. Lamar Blvd. A115. Check the full details taken from the website on the jump.

Gascon Malbec (SRP $15) from Argentina is one of those delicious, value-priced wines that should be on everyone's go-to list, especially with game and beef on the menu. It's round and mellow, with lots of dark cherry, blueberry and plum fruit, plus a back note of herbs such as cumin and oregano.

I was having dinner as an invited guest with winemaker Ernesto Badja (right), who is part of the new generation taking the reins at wineries around the world. Beyond winemaking, he's a specialist in high-altitude wines, and I'm delighted to share an update on their health benefits, which we already know to be considerable.

High-altitude vines, like those that grow in Mendoza and go into Gascon and Gascon Riserva, develop extra-thick skins to protect against the sun, and this loads up the skins with powerful antioxidants. I love the way Badja explains it: "Inside the berries are the seeds, which are the next generation, and the skins have to protect it."

In this rough economy, more and more restaurants in an around Dallas are offering pretty cool promotions. For instance, Zanata, the Plano spot where Jamie Samford is now chef, has a "Get Sauced Sunday" deal: $25 buys you any pizza on the list, a Caesar salad and a bottle of Chianti. The 12-inch pizzas, done in the wood-burning oven, are very good, and the Caesar's pretty giant -- so that's a nice dinner for two. The 2009 Piccini Chianti, served at the right temperature and in lovely glasses, is just right. That's about $48 worth of food and drink for $25. They have other deals on other days of the week.

But obviously Zanata's not the only place offering something worthwhile. Let's hear it: What's your favorite dining deal?

Photo of Zanata's "fruit and pig" pizza by Lara Solt/Staff Photographer

The recession makes for strange bedfellows, but Texans are nothing if not innovative. And so I give you Slocum Printing/Deep Ellum Brewing Co.

Yes, the printing company and the beer-makers are sharing a corner building in deep Deep Ellum at the corner of Malcolm X and St. Louis. Slocum was there first, and the dueling owners struck a deal to split the space and make room for stainless steel tanks and all the rest of the paraphernalia that goes into brewing craft beer.

But this isn't a split-it-down-the-middle, you-take-that-side-we'll-take-this-side accommodation. No, they're sort of entwined with one another, like conjoined twins. For instance, they share the restrooms.

Deep Ellum Brewing is on the verge of opening, and that posterish illustration is their Facebook landing page. But you gotta "like" them before you get updates. If you take the plunge, a virtual tour awaits.

Robin Lail is Napa royalty, a vintner whose roots extend back to the beginnings of Napa's wine heritage; her great-grand-uncle Gustav Niebaum founded the legendary Inglenook Vineyards in the late 1800s. But she has a long string is accomplishments in her own right, and she and husband Jon founded and co-own Lail Vineyards.

She's the guest of honor at "An Evening With Robin Lail" at Sevy's Grill, 6:30 p.m. Monday for a wine-and-food club dinner that's also open to the public. It's a must-do event for fans of Napa wines who are also interested in learning more about the storied appellation's past and future.

Cost is $89 (plus tax and gratuity); make reservations at 214-265-7389. Check on the menu on the jump. (It includes Georgia and J. Daniel.)

From Sigel's Director of Wine Marketing Jasper Russo, after confirming that next week's DFW Food Truck Festival is expected to be an annual event: "Pretty sure the next one will not be in August!"

The event will be Saturday, August 27 at 6 p.m. at Sigel's Greenville Avenue location (5757 Greenville Ave.) During the festival, there will be a wine and craft beer tasting inside the store.

A current list of participating trucks comes after the jump.

File this under "who knew he had such a hidden talent?" Bill Elsey, director of sales at Duchman Family Winery in Driftwood (the winery that gave us the incredible vermentino) was named Texsom's 2011 Texas Best Sommelier last night at the Grand Tasting and Awards Reception at the Four Seasons Resort & Club in Las Colinas.

First runner-up was Nathan Prater, wine specialist at Good2Go in Austin. Second runner-up was David Keck from Prestige Wine Cellars in Houston. All the winners get various scholarships to the Court of Master Sommeliers to continue their studies toward becoming master sommeliers.

What a great year for Texsom, the Texas Sommelier Conference. Skip to the jump for some amazing numbers.

Left to right: Nathan Prater, Bill Elsey and David Keck

I forgot to mention that my Austin friend Jeremy Parzen (who came for brunch with his wife Tracie, also a good friend), is now a contributor to Eating Our Words, the Houston Press food and wine blog. Check out his post on on TexSom. You might know Jeremy from his own terrific blog, Do Bianchi.

I first tasted this sparking wine cocktail over dinner at Foreign and Domestic, when I dined there for a story on Austin restaurants last fall. It's fresh pineapple juice infused with cardamom, tarted up with lime and topped with sparkling wine. My friend Michalene, who loved the drink, asked the chefs for the recipe, and they were kind enough to oblige. Though we enjoyed it at dinner, it struck her as a great brunch drink -- and she's right.

I had friends over for brunch yesterday -- they were on their way home to Austin from TexSom, the big sommelier event at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas in Las Colinas. The aperitif was a big hit.

In case you're looking for a mimosa alternative for your next brunch, here's how to make it:

I forgot to mention in my post about TexSom, the Texas Sommelier Conference coming up this weekend, that there is a grand tasting from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 15 at the end of the conference.

Texas Best Sommelier will be recognized, and some 130 wines will be poured for tasting, representing wineries from around the world as well as some familiar Texas "faces," such as Duchman Family Winery and Inwood Estates Vineyards.

It's all at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas, as are the other events. The tasting, which includes hors d'oeuvres, is $75. Get your tickets here.

TexSom is the annual Texas Sommelier Conference that rotates among the state's major cities, and this might be the last time it's in North Texas for a few years. So listen up.

It's geared toward wine professionals, but from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 14, back-to-back seminars open to the public delve deeply into selected topics. In the past, I've attended when I could, and I learn so much. But it is an intense day of winespeak.

The seminars this year include: Terroir Focus: Wines of Spain; Regional Diversity: South Africa; White Wines: Benchmark Styles of Modern Classics; Varietal Focus: Grenache; and Terroir Focus: Red Wines of Burgundy's Cote d'Or.

It's at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas. An all-day pass is $150 with lunch included. Find out more and sign up at www.texsom.com.

In the Dallas Morning News business section, Maria Halkias confirms that the popular, Houston-based liquor store Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods is coming to Dallas as part of its effort to establish a statewide presence. Check out her story here.

Two of the six newly minted master sommeliers in the land are a couple of my favorite wine peeps in Texas: Devon Broglie, the Whole Foods Market regional wine specialist, and Craig Collins, who works with the Prestige division of Glazer's, the wholesale distributor.

These guys are also part of the Texas Sommelier Association team that brings us TexSom, the Texas Sommelier Conference each August (more about that in a future post). They join founding members Drew Hendricks (Pappas Bros.) and James Tidwell (Four Seasons) as master somms. Along with Guy Stout (Glazer's) and Barbara Werley (Pappas), they bring the Texas total to six.

For a great photo of the newbies, who are also good friends, see the Do Bianchi blog post here.

There are lots of bargains and finds in Sigel's Fine Wines' summer sale, including a Bordeaux rose and the highly rated 2009 pinot noir portfolio from California's Loring Wine Company. There's also a Ninety Plus Cellars Barolo marked down to 24 bucks.

Check out the whole list on the jump. The sale runs through Aug. 13.

Want to weigh in on your favorite place in or around Dallas for cocktails? Now is the last chance. We'll be publishing readers picks, focusing on bars and restaurants not mentioned in the Best in DFW: Cocktails story, in the July 29 edition of Guide.

How to weigh in? Tell us here or on the story in a comment. We'd love to hear where your favorite cocktails are, and what's great about them. Or you can send an email to lbrenner@dallasnews.com.

Photo of the Mansion Bar's Miami Splice by David Woo/Staff Photographer

Yes, I know it's a little early in the morning to be thinking about such things, but we just couldn't wait to tell you about the latest installment of the Best in DFW dining series. I've been seeking out the best house cocktails in and around Dallas for months and months, and what I've found has been positively exciting. That's why we're so happy to present the Best in DFW: Cocktails.

Have we missed one of your favorite spots for drinks? Of course we'd love to know about it. Please tell us in a comment -- either here, or on the story itself. Or send me an email at lbrenner@dallasnews. If you mention particular cocktails, or what about a bar's drinks makes them so wonderful, so much the better. We'll be publishing a selection of readers' picks, focusing on those not included in the story, in the July 29 issue of Guide.

Photo of Bailey Prime Plus Park Lane's Jasmine cocktail by Rex C. Curry/Special Contributor

In reviewing Local, chef Tracy Miller's charming 8-year old restaurant in the old Boyd Hotel in Deep Ellum, I found it curious that the menu didn't play up local ingredients more. After all, chefs everywhere are capitalizing on the locavore trend. Here's a restaurant that's well-positioned to tout "local" in a very natural way.

Wouldn't it be cool if Miller played up the idea to the hilt on her wine list? Her current list includes mostly California and other West Coast wines, with a few Australian and old world selections as well. She also offers a Gruet sparkling wine from New Mexico. Wouldn't Local's wine list be the perfect place to feature Texas wines? I've been drinking a lovely little rosé from Becker Vineyards at home -- a 2009 Provençal Mourvedre. It's light, simple, fresh, pretty and inexpensive (I've been paying about $10 a bottle for it at Whole Foods) -- and would go great with many of Miller's dishes. I don't think I've seen it on any lists around town.

Have you tasted that Becker rosé? Which Texas wines would you love to see on wine lists -- Local's or otherwise?

Staff photo

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Quoth the press release: "In support of the Texas Wine Industry and clean environment awareness, we [at Calais Winery] are accepting empty bottles from any Texas winery for recycling. The EPA estimates the national recycling rate for wine bottles is only 30%. Bringing your bottles August 6th will help increase that number."

The recycling event is from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6. In return for your returns, Calais is hosting a tasting and discounting prices:

Bring six empty bottles: Get a free tasting and 5 percent off any purchase.
Bring 12 empty bottles: Get the tasting and a 10 percent discount.
Bring 24 empty bottles: Get the tasting and a 15 percent discount.

Discounts are per person. If all your empties are from Calais, the free tasting will be good for two people. Nice promotion. Calais Winery is located 3000 Commerce in Deep Ellum.

Spec's, the popular wine-and-spirits chain based in Houston, confirms that it will be "statewide" by the end of the year.

I had called last week to find out whether it was true that the chain was coming to Dallas, as I'd been told by a well-placed source.

I take this statement to be a "yes." But I guess we'll know for sure when a sign goes up someplace. Or not. Stay tuned.

As Christopher Wynn reported last week, cocktail whiz Eddie "Lucky" Campbell has left Bolsa. Now he has a new gig: Edward C. Bailey Enterprises, owner of the Bailey's Prime Plus and Patrizio mini-chains, has brought him on as bar program director.

Bailey Enterprises has also brought on cocktail heavyweight Michael Martensen as a creative consultant. (Martensen is a co-owner of the Cedars Social and co-founder of the North Texas chapter of the United States Bartenders' Guild.)

The duo has just debuted a new cocktail menu at Bailey's Prime Plus' Dallas location (Mr. Dallas previewed it recently). They also plan to roll out new bar programs and cocktail menus at two other Bailey's and the Patrizio chain later this year. In addition, Bailey Enterprises chief Ed Bailey has partnered with Campbell and Martensen to open a new bar this fall in the former Dr. Bell's BBQ space downtown.

Bailey's Prime Plus, 8160 Park Lane, Dallas; 214-750-8100; www.baileysprimeplus.com

Photo of Michael Martensen mixing drinks at Bailey's Prime Plus by Ben Torres/Special Contributor

I love mojitos and the way the whole lime goes into the muddling with the mint, producing all kinds of wonderful layers and flavors. Special Contributor Tina Danze tells all about the newest mojitos in town as well as how to make La Duni's Mojito Criollo (pictured foreground, right).

La Duni co-owner Espartaco Borga says he went to Havana 10 years ago and, "with some cajoling and a $100 bribe, learned one seasoned bartender's technique." It's all here in Danze's story. And if you just want to learn the technique, check out this great step-by-step video with La Duni's beverage manager, Ivan Rimach.

Evans Caglage/Staff Photographer
La Duni's Mojito Criollo and Mango Mojito

Is it too early to think about a cocktail? That's the subject of this week's Back Story. In my review of Nonna, I mentioned bartender Andrew Kelley's splendid new aperitivi and cocktails. He was kind enough to share the recipe for one I loved, the Black Manhattan:

Over ice, stir together 2 parts Maker's Mark bourbon and 1 part Averna Amaro with a dash each of Reagan's Orange Bitters and Angostura bitters for each drink. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with an orange slice. Suave!

Averna, by the way, is an amaro -- a lightly bitter Italian liqueur flavored with herbs and citrus. It's excellent sipping on its own if you love bitters.

Photo of Nonna's Black Manhattan by Mona Reeder/Staff Photographer

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Jasper Russo writes to tell me that British Royal Navy Black Tot Rum, which I blogged about here, is available by special order through Sigel's Fine Wines. Price: $1,199.99 $999.99. (Allow two to three weeks for delivery.)

P.S. My resident wine and spirits expert says that even though this rum has lain fallow for 41 years, it has not "aged." Such spirits do not age once they're in the bottle. Any change in taste is due to deterioration, and the flavor will not improve.

Wow. Deflate that balloon.

P.S. No. 2: Mansion wine and beverage director Michael Flynn says that this rum has been through some positive changes due to aging. Check the jump to see why.

Wine and beverage director Michael Flynn called to tell me that The Rosewood Mansion has secured a bottle of Black Tot Rum. What's that, you might ask?

Flynn explains: In the British Royal Navy, it had been a tradition since 1655 to issue a daily rum ration to every sailor. The powers that be decided this needed to end, and on July 31, 1970, the final ration was issued. That became Black Tot Day, with "tot" referring to the shots. The remaining rum was sequestered in stone demijohns (wicker-clad stone flagons) in warehouses in rural England and bought out only for state occasions and royal weddings.

The British government has decided to sell the remaining stock, and the Mansion bought its bottle (singular) yesterday. "We're going to sell it by the ounce," says Flynn.

Michael Flynn

Here's a little extra to go with the Best in DFW: Japanese Restaurants story. Sake lists in restaurants can be overwhelming. It's sometimes hard to know what to order, and servers often have difficulty describing the qualities of a particular sake. But here's a tip: The best strategy might be to order whichever sake is freshest. That's right -- many sakes have sell-by-dates. Well, they're not exactly sell-by-dates; they're really the dates the sake was shipped. But it gives you good insight into how fresh the sake is. And as this little story explains, when it comes to sake, you want it fresh.

Another note: The story refers to ordering sake in restaurants. But I also made the rounds of various retail places you can buy sake, and was interested to learn that it's not always so easy to find it fresh in stores. I did find a couple of fresh bottles at 99 Ranch Market in Plano, but the best selection I found was at Sigel's -- particular the store on Greenville (though I didn't check all of their stores).

Photo by Evans Caglage/Staff Photographer

Next Saturday, June 11, the Lakewood Whole Foods Market unveils its wine bar, No. 3 in the chain locally. The official party, with wine and beer tastings, hors d'oeuvres and music, is from noon to 3 p.m.

Lakewood on Tap, at the center of the store will feature not only four wines on tap, but eight beers as well. 'Don't know the full wine lineup, but Driftwood's Duchman Family Winery, with its outstanding, High Plains grown vermentino, will figure prominently.

One other new feature starts with Lakewood, according to a store rep: beer growlers, which are refillable, half-gallon glass jugs (so you can take some of that tap beer home). Unopened, the beer stays fresh for four days; opened, one or two.

I've gotten three email blasts on local wine, spirits and beer sales for the holiday weekend.

Phillip Nikpour says that mix-'n'-match six-packs are 60 percent off at the Wine Therapist, noon to 7 p.m. today and Saturday and 3 to 11 p.m. Sunday. He's got some nice wines, too.

At Pogo's Wine & Spirits, it's all about spirits, ales and beers now through Monday. Check out the list on the jump.

And Sigel's Fine Wines has a sale through Monday as well on spirits, mixes, beer and select wines. Check out its list on the jump, too. (Well, what do you know? Antinori Santa Cristina's on sale for $8.99. We can party like it's 2000 again.)

Meet Alvaro Palacios and taste wine

Alvaro Palacios, at Pogo's from 2:30 to 4 p.m. today, is one of the most promising of the new generation of Spanish winemakers, taking the reins of Palacios Remondo after his father died in 2000. Alvaro's flagship Priorat wine, L'Ermita, is widely considered one of Spain's most important.

He now makes wine in three different viticultural areas: Priorat, Bierzo and his hometown of Alfaro in Eastern Rioja. Taste his newest vintages to see the enormous impact he's had on his country and family's wines.

Pogo's Wine & Spirits, 5360 W. Lovers, at Inwood; 214-350-8989; www.pogoswine.com

Kim Pierce has a very cool story this morning in which she offers 10 tips to make the most of local farmers markets -- including her three favorite markets. Did you know North Texas is now raising Berkshire pork? I didn't. Kim also sheds light on the markets that offer organic dairy products, the markets that offer samples of Texas wines and more. Khampha Bouaphanh's photos are gorgeous. In case you missed it, here's a link. And here's a link to Kim's updated farmers market guide. And here is a very cool interactive farmers market guide map.

Photo of organic eggs and produce at McKinney Farmers Market by Khampha Bouaphanh/Special Contributor

In the crazy-quilt of Texas liquor laws, Sigel's Fine Wines on Fitzhugh actually functions as a wholesaler to restaurants in certain areas. Every so often, the retail store reduces its inventory of restaurant wines not purchased for various reasons (wine programs change, vintages change, restaurants go out of business, etc.).

This time the inventory-reduction sale includes all manner of wines from very inexpensive Barefoot Zinfandel to Pierre Damoy Chapelle Chambertin 2006. (My breaks heart to see Planeta Syrah 2005 marked down from $49.99 to $9.99. I'll bet someone has already snatched it up.)

Anyway, the full list is on the jump. Sale runs through May 28, but of course the choice lots won't last that long.

It was 40 years ago today (well, maybe not today exactly) that Mariano Martinez, inspired by a Slurpee machine, invented the frozen margarita. Matthew Huisman has the very interesting story, reported from our Washington, D.C. bureau. In case you suspect this of being an urban legend, the original margarita machine is in the National Museum of American History there.

How about toasting Martinez tonight with a big frozen one? Sounds like a plan to me!

Photo by Vernon Bryant/Staff Photographer

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And in Dallas, you won't have to buy a ticket to a football game to get in. Next Wednesday is the grand opening for Dee Lincoln's Tasting Room & Bubble Bar at Rosewood Court, in the same building as Ocean Prime.

Promising the same glitzy digs as Dee's place at Cowboys Stadium, with patio and "sexy bar," the 4,000-square-foot room is going to have wine, bubbly, food and more. One of the innovative features is a Flute brand dispensing machine that keeps champagne cold and measures pours by the ounce.

Cocktails are also in the offing, and the menu was developed with consulting chef Blaine Staniford to include munchies such as high-end cheeses, smoked salmon stack and "not your ordinary meatballs."

But you may forget to eat, caught up in gazing at the bubble chandeliers designed in Venice or sinking into a low, modern Italian leather sofa. Can you say "see and be seen"?

2101 Cedar Springs Road, at McKinney; 214-979-9463; www.deelincolnstastingroom.com

But first, there's a new face and a new vineyard in the Newsom Family Vineyards out in Plains. Grape growers Neal and Janice's son, Nolan, has come back to join the family business. He just graduated from Texas Tech with a degree in geophysics, and has his own, brand new vineyard. That's Nolan standing behind some baby sangiovese grapes on his father's vines.

Now, about Benjamin Calais, winemaker and co-owner of Calais Winery in Deep Ellum, and how he got his first Texas tempranillo grapes in 2009. Newsom Family Vineyard grapes are in high demand, so in 2009 there were none left that Calais could purchase.

Nolan Newsom

I just got back from an excellent trip (sponsored by the Texas Department of Agriculture) to visit wineries and vineyards in Texas' hottest American Viticulture Area, the Texas High Plains. I'll be writing about the adventure over the coming days. (I'm still dusting off the fine, red West Texas sand today - it's own story of true grit.)

First stop was Kim McPherson's McPherson Cellars in Lubbock, and who should be on the premises but Clinton "Doc" McPherson, Kim's dad, generally acknowledged as the father of the Texas wine industry. The retired Texas Tech chemistry professor and Bob Reed started the first modern winery in Texas, Llano Estacado Winery, and Doc, 93, has been growing grapes on the High Plains since 1967.

"It's gone way further than I thought it'd go," said Doc. I'll get into some of Kim's insights in a later post. But first, check out the proper photo of father and son, then see what Doc was really drinking on the jump.

Kim and Doc McPherson

Willamette Valley's Domaine Serene makes some of Oregon's best pinot noir (although that's not all the family-owned winery makes). On Thursday, winery general manager Allan Carter will lead a five-course wine dinner created by chef Bruno Davaillon at the Rosewood Mansion on on Turtle Creek. As the press release says, it's not to be missed.

From the website: "Their wines have won many accolades and awards, including besting Domaine de la Romanee Conti in blind tastings, being called "the Chateau Lafite of Oregon" by Anthony Dias Blue, the best Oregon pinot noir by the Wall Street Journal, and an outstanding ( top rating) Oregon producer by Robert Parker."

It starts at 7:15 p.m.; cost is $175 (inclusive). Make a res at 214-5443-4747, and check out the complete menu on the jump.

Domaine Serene

No, not that NRA. The National Restaurant Association has named the six semi-finalists of its Star of the Bar Competition (sponsored by Bacardi) and Sean Conner from Whiskey Cake in Plano is one of them -- honored for his "the Cake's Watermelon Crush" cocktail. He'll be going to Chicago on May 22 to compete for the title at the 2011 International Wine, Spirits and Beer Event.

So what is the Cake's Whiskey Crush? It's muddled cucumber and watermelon, plus Barcardi Superior, lemon juice and simple syrup, shaken, then strained over ice in a Collins glass. Conner tops it with a little crushed ice and garnishes it with a sliver of watermelon rind. (Find a more detailed recipe after the jump.)

"I based it on an agua fresca," says Conner, who, as Whiskey Cake's bar manager, created many of its cocktails. "It's a dangerous drink actually. You have no idea, it's so refreshing, you can drink it like punch or like water, and before you know it you've had like three of them."

Although Napa's Louis M. Martini Winery is part of the Gallo family these days, it's still managed by the Martini family, with grandson and winemaker Michael Martini firmly at the helm. A colorful, sometimes bigger-than-life personality, Michael still makes cabernet sauvignons that are synonymous with California cab. The way he likes to explain it: Once the harvest is in, he picks the recipe (for winemaking) to show off the grapes' best characteristics.

From 5 to 7 this evening at Sigel's Fine Wines in Addison, Martini will lead a tasting through his new releases, from the very affordable Sonoma, Alexander Valley and Napa cabs all the way up to the the 2005 Monte Rosso and 2007 Lot 1 from Cellar 254 (533 cases), made in the micro-winery on the property.

At lunch where I was the guest, we talked about the wines. We also talked about the rattlesnakes at the Monte Rosso vineyard.

15003 Inwood, south of Belt Line; 972-387-9873

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society and the Robb Report host The Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza® in 14 major markets around the United States.

It's for novices and connoisseurs alike: Attendees have the opportunity to taste from among 110 single-malt and Scotch whiskies with a buffet dinner.

It comes to Dallas Thursday at 7 p.m. at the The Intercontinental Dallas (15201 Dallas Parkway).

Tickets to the public are $135 and must be purchased in advance online at http://www.singlemaltextravaganza.com/.

This morning on the New York Times' op-ed page, David White, founder and editor of the blog Terroirist, writes about proposed legislation in Congress that would make interstate liquor laws even more restrictive than they are now. "But instead of burdening consumers by foisting more restrictions on alcohol sales, lawmakers should free the market and expand consumer choice by scrapping this bill," White writes.

Texas figures prominently in the piece. Check it, and let us know your thoughts.

Photo by Evans Caglage/Staff Photographer

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This time, the Urbano Cafe dinner is not BYOB. Ken Coopersmith, winemaker Merry Edwards' husband, will lead a five-course dinner with the wines of Merry Edwards Winery. She's one of the preeminent female winemakers in California.

Included in the dinner are the Russian River Valley sauvignon blanc and four pinot noirs from different vineyards. Pinot noir is an Edwards specialty.

The dinner is at 12:30 p.m. Friday; cost is $80. Make reservations at 214-823-8550. You can see the menu here.

Ken Coopersmith and Merry Edwards/Merry Edwards Winery

I noted in this week's review of Komali that the restaurant's cocktails are superb.

But one night, my husband and I sat at the bar, and while I could not resist the Mexican Martini, my husband asked for a list of mezcals. Both bartenders perked up. No one ever asks for mezcal, one told us. It wasn't the first time we heard that in the bar of a Dallas Mexican restaurant. It's just not very well-known or popular here. It turns out they have two at Komali, and the one my husband sipped was terrific -- smoky, elegant and nuanced, full of character. To me the spirit, served neat, can be as wonderful as an after-dinner sipper as a good Armagnac or Cognac.

I'm hoping that with new interest in regional Mexican cooking, Dallasites will warm to this lovable spirit. Think you could be a potential mezcal-lover? Read on.

Last week, we were visited by not one, but two generations of the Mondavi wine dynasty.

It all started with Cesare and Rosa, who married and emigrated to the U.S. in 1908 and bought the Charles Krug Winery in '43. They begat Robert - THE Robert Mondavi who helped put California wines on the map, and Peter Sr. (And if you want untangle the history, start with House of Mondavi, Julia Flynn Siler's take on the family saga.)

Peter Jr., whose family owns the Krug winery today - celebrating its 150th anniversary - was in town to help Morton's The Steakhouse and Make-A-Wish Foundation auction off a primat of wine. That's 28 liters, or three cases.

The sons of Peter Jr.'s cousin, Tim (one of three Robert Mondavi begats) were also in town touting their one and only wine, Continuum. This time, Carlo and Dante left the RV at home.

Dante (left) and Carlo Mondavi with Continuum

When I traveled to Arche Winery and Ancient Ovens outside Saint Jo in January, I could hardly keep my mouth shut about the find. It was like something out of Italy, two places - a vineyard and winery and a restaurant doing a single fixed-price menu - so remote that you have to want to seek them out.

They're located in what's known as the North Texas Hill Country, beautiful rolling hills in Montague County northwest of Denton.

Howard Davies' wonderful wines are made from the grapes he grows at his Oak Creek Vineyards (he's pictured doing winter pruning) , where he and his wife live and where Arche Winery is located. Ancient Ovens, where dinner is served Thursday through Saturday nights, sometimes outside on a pavilion and sometimes in the lodge, is about a half mile away. The star is Neapolitan-style pizza made in a wood-fired brick oven.

Check out the Arche story here, and Ancient Ovens here.

Evans Caglage/Staff Photographer

Sigel's Fine Wine is sponsoring a dazzling evening with some of the premier wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, two of the world's great wine regions, with master of wine Clive Coats leading the discussion.

"An Evening of Bordeaux and Burgundy" is at 7 p.m. on April 8 at the Park City Club. This dinner is the culmination of the combined efforts of the Commanderie de Bordeaux, the Chaine des Rotisseurs, the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin and PCC. Tickets are $165 inclusive. Contact Randy McLaughlin at rmclaughlin@sigels.com or call at 214-350-1271. See the menu on the jump.

Pssst. Pssssttt! Yes, you, Mr. Waiter. I'm talking to you. Want to boost your tips? Click here for a primer on how to provide your guests with flawless wine service.

Photo by David Woo/Staff Photographer

Anyone who ventures very far into wine knows that Bordeaux, France, is one of the premier regions of the world, famous for names such as Rothschild, Latour and Margaux - towering chateaux with dizzying price tags that attract plenty of wine snobs and intimidate a lot of the rest of us.

Overshadowed by these titans of wine are the more modest and approachable Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur AOC offerings, less august wines that still possess true Bordeaux character. Not long ago, I received a sample of such wines, each retailing for under $20. You can learn more about them and about Bordeaux in general at www.Planet-Bordeaux.com. The site will take the intimidation out of Bordeaux and has a Twitter tasting coming up March 18.

That's a perfect set-up for what comes next: In a blast of serendipity, Whole Foods Market has grabbed a number of 2009 Bordeaux that retail for under $20 and will host a Twitter tasting of these wines, and cheeses to go with them, on Friday. Read on for details.

Whole Foods Market

One of standard lines in wine circles is that wine is made in the vineyard. Tend your vines well, tread lightly in the winery and the wine muse will work its magic. Most of the time, this is PR hokum, but once in a while a vintner actually lives by this practice.

I met one who does earlier this week. I'd never heard of Neal Family Vineyards before Stephan Pyles asked me to be a guest at his dinner for the winemaker, Gove Celio. Having tasted the wines with Pyles' thoughtful pairings, I am not likely to forget them. Take the 2009 zinfandel. The flavors and aromas woven through the fennel-braised pork belly at right with zinfandel-compressed apples (a form of sous vide), vanilla grits and sliced fennel were beautifully echoed in the wine, which was 9 percent petite syrah.

Best of all, these qualify as ultra-premium wines, but at retail prices far lower than you might expect, from $30 for the zin to $53 for the 2007 cabernet sauvignon.

I was delighted to be a guest of the Duchman Family Winery at the Texas Hill country AVA "road show" last week at Reata, wherein winemakers from the Central Texas appellation strutted their stuff.

There were a number of excellent wines: I would rave about the crisp, clean Duchman Vermentino whether the winery paid for my ticket or not. I was also intrigued by the Bending Branch Texas Tannat, an inky dark red made from a new grape (to me). Tannat is such an obscure grape, it's not even in the Wine Lover's Companion. ('Looks like it's a French table grape that's had some success in Uruguay.)

But I was disappointed that the organizers didn't take the opportunity to talk about the appellation, its terrior and the grapes that grow there. I also would have liked them to explain, ever so briefly, why some wines were labeled "for sale in Texas only."

Cliff Bingham, patriarch of Bingham Family Vineyards, will be featured in the next Texas Twitter Tuesday this Tuesday at 7 p.m. He'll talk about some of the most exciting and promising varieties being grown in the High Plains AVA, where he and his family have vineyards south of Lubbock.

This guy is one of the most engaged and engaging grape-growers in the state, a longtime farmer bent on finding the best, most sustainable methods and varieties (for years, all his grapes were organic) for Texas. He's in this for the long haul, and his commitment shows.

His vineyard is the source of Duchman Family Winery's vermentino, one of the most talked-about wines in Texas right now. His grapes are also in the Becker Vineyards Viognier and the Landon Winery Tempranillo. Bingham will also talk about the success of the Italian red varieties dolcetto, montepulciano and aglianico. Who knew these grapes would do so well in Texas?

Go to the jump for instructions on how to participate.

www.VintageTexas.com

In January, a group of Texas sommeliers got together in Austin to blind-taste more than 100 Texas wines with an eye toward singling out their favorites that best represent Texas and its terroir. What an exciting list it is, as this state really starts to find its groove in grape-production.

From the Texas Department of Agriculture press release: "This tasting showed the strength of the Texas wine industry and how well Mediterranean varieties are doing," said Drew Hendricks, MS, director of beverage education and wine for the Houston-based Pappas Restaurant Group and one of the tasters. Hendricks got his start in wine at Pappas in Dallas.

Some of my favorites on the list include Brennan Vineyards 2009 Viognier, Haak Vineyards and Winery 2010 Dry Blanc du Bois (can't we just rename this grape Blanche du Bois?), Duchman Family Winery 2009 Vermentino (and 2009 Montepulciano), LLano Estcado 2009 Viviana (and 2007 Viviano), Fall Creek Vineyards 2006 Meritus and McPherson Cellars 2009 Rose of Syrah, to name a few. Check out the whole list on the jump. Better yet, clip and save for your next wine-buying trip.

I just got word that the Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch tasting scheduled for tonight at Sigel's in Addison has been canceled. No indication whether it will be rescheduled.

I'm sure there will be more of these cancellations. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: It will be rescheduled. Sigel's hasn't pinned down a new date yet.

Henderson strip's Veritas and NS open

The Veritas Wine Room team alerts me that they are open tonight, and the first glass of wine is half-off if you mention the e-mail I'm writing about here. (Just tell them Kim sent you.) They talked to Nick Badovinus, who owns Neighborhood Services Tavern up the street, and it will be open, too. Maybe a temporary fix for cabin fever?

Veritas, 2323 N. Henderson, Dallas; 214-841-9463; www.veritaswinedallas.com
Neighborhood Services Tavern, 24405 N. Henderson; 214-827-2405; www.neighborhoodservicesdallas.com

Yes, the Green Bay Packers cornerback Charles Woodson has his own boutique Napa winery - a casualty of spending time in Oakland with the Raiders - and he'll be signing bottles from 4 to 5 p.m. Friday at the Dallas Central Market. The wine is Twentyfour by Charles Woodson, and it comes in two varieties: cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc.

Here's the game plan: You've got to buy a bottle of wine. It goes on sale at noon Friday. Purchase of a bottle or bottles secures you a ticket to the signing. You buy your wine, then go to CM's information desk to get your ticket. How much is a bottle? $150. (He only makes 1,000 cases.) the line for the bottle signing starts forming at 3 p.m.

Oh, and he's signing bottles only, so don't show up with football memorabilia.

UPDATE: From the distributor: Woodson will only have the cabernet sauvignon available today.

Russ Kane, premier blogger on the Texas wine beat at VintageTexas.com, is up in arms over the state Legislative Budget Board's recommendation to zero-out all appropriations to the Texas Department of Agriculture for wine and grape industry development. He writes an impassioned entry about the consequences and short-sightedness/wrongmindedness of such thinking.

He is correct that if the monies are withdrawn, it will set the industry back. It's not only about marketing and supporting research and new plantings, the state would also lose the viticulture extension agents that support the growers, as I understand it. I know our legislators face difficult choices, but they've already declared that new (or dedicated) taxes and tapping the rainy-day fund are off the table.

'Seems to me that nothing should be off the table in this fiscal climate. I'll leave it to Russ to set your hair on fire with his call to action.

The free tasting at Sigel's this afternoon with French wine that work with importer Robert Kacher has been canceled because of the weather.

UPDATE: It's been rescheduled for Thursday, Feb. 10. I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume it will be the same time: 5 to 7 p.m.

Sigel's Fine Wines, 5757 Greenville, north of Lovers, Dallas; 214-739-4012 (reservations recommended).

There are two kinds of winemakers: One is terroir-driven, coddling the vines, picking the grapes and preparing the juice so the muse can work her magic. The other type can see and feel and taste the wine he or she wants to create and goes in search of grapes to blend to achieve that vision.

Michael Eddy, winemaker for Gallo's newish Ghost Pines, is the latter. "I have an idea how I want wine to taste in my head, and I focus on the blending work." The percentages of the grapes from each source are on the front labels of his wines, and they can change dramatically from vintage to vintage.

The 2007 Merlot is 51 percent Napa, 49 percent Sonoma grapes. The 2008, just coming into the market, is 10 percent Napa and 90 percent Sonoma. But of course you want to know how that taste: Can you say jammin'? "I love intensity," Eddy says. "I don't mind things to scream."

I love the dot sales at DSW Shoes. Pogo's Wine & Spirits is doing a similar concept. The color of the dot on the sale bottle of wine indicates the discount off retail:

Red dots: 35 percent off
Yellow dots: 25 percent off
Green dots: 15 percent off

Sales opps range from Dominus 2006 to a 92-point (Robert Parker) Brunello. Catch some examples on the jump, but since we're getting toward the end of the sale (I should have posted sooner: my bad), not all bottles will be available.

I've noticed an intriguing ingredient on the cocktail menus at two different restaurants within the space of a week: Paula's Texas Orange. I first saw it mentioned at the Ranch at Las Colinas as an ingredient in their Cadillac Rita and in their Tito's Texas Tea (though I didn't try either drink). And then I came across it at Smoke, where it's a component the No. 901 -- described on the cocktail menu as "Our maple wood-infused Bulleit bourbon, Paula's Texas Orange, Our Drunken Cherries & a dash of orange bitters." An excellent drink to be sure, but I didn't know what Paula's Texas Orange was until I came home and Googled it. As it turns out, it's an orange liqueur made in Austin -- something you can use instead of Cointreau or Triple Sec.

Now I'm curious to taste it on its own. Have you had it? What'd you think? Anyone know where to buy it?

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It's college bowl-game season, and in special contributor Tina Danze's story, the Dallas Morning News wine panel matched wits and wines with the Ultimate Grilled Cheese sandwich from Ina Garten, made with bacon, three cheeses and mustard-spiked mayo.

The mustard turned out to be the spoiler for several wines thought to be shoo-ins. Out of seven whites, two roses and five reds, the panel picked five plus a couple of beers and a hard cider. Check out the results and find the recipe here.

Photo by EVANS CAGLAGE/Staff Photographer

The Highland Park Whole Foods is so small, I wondered where it would shoehorn in a wine bar. But there it was yesterday: right between the coffee bar and the refrigerated beer case. There are something like five bar stools.

But here's the other first: Whole Foods partnered with Duchman Family Winery to install the first Texas wines on tap: Duchman Vermentino and Duchman Montepulciano. The former is grown by Bingham Family Vineyards south of Lubbock; the montepulciano comes from another High Plains grower, Vijay Reddy.

That's winemaker David Reilly (left) and Whole Foods regional wine specialist Devon Broglie by the tap, which shows the Duchman wine labels.

Photo courtesy of Duchman Family Winery

Duchman Family Vineyards is supplying the kegs just for Whole Foods Market. And what will they have on tap? The Vermentino that Oz Clarke just said he liked in a Wine Spectator post that I posted about earlier today on the Eats blog.

This is the first kegged Texas wine, from what I hear. Also on tap: Duchman's Montepulciano.

Check them out at the Highland Park store (4100 Lomo Alto) at its new wine bar from 4 to 6 p.m. Winemaker David Reilly will sign bottles the first hour.

Same drill at the Park Lane store (Greenville at Blackwell) from 5 to 7 p.m., with Reilly on hand from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

That may overstate the case a bit, but his latest blog post for Wine Spectator, about his trip to Texas' Hill Country, shows that he "gets" Texas wine.

I love that he gives a shout-out to Llano Estacado's Viviana white blend, which is also one of my favorite state wines. Oz calls it spicy and zippy and proclaims Llano Estacado the best winery he encountered in Texas' premier wine-growing region, the High Plains.

He says "Becker is probably the winery I was most impressed by." And while he was lamenting the fact that so many French varieties had been planted in Texas - perhaps not the best choices for our climate - "I came across a smashing, vivacious, 2009 Vermentino from Duchman off High Plains fruit." Wow. That's the vermentino I've been writing about since I tasted my first glass several years ago at Cliff Bingham's vineyard, where the fruit (organic) is grown.

Read the whole piece - it isn't long - for an astute bird's eye view of our industry. Oh, and Oz's guide on this trip? Wes Marshall. Good job, Wes.

There's a fascinating story in the New York Times today about Champagne bottles found on a shipwreck in Finland. By their corks, we shall know them: The collection is divided between Veuve Clicquot and Juglar, which was renamed Jacquesson after 1830.

You read that right: The bottles date from somewhere around or before 1830. Even more amazing, the Baltic Sea preserved them and produced enough pressure to keep the corks in so that several of the cache are still drinkable after some 180 years. Check out the story, with tasting notes, here.

Last December, a friend and I met for a drink at the Mansion Bar in Dallas and lamented the number of fruity, summery drinks on the menu. Where were the toddies and other wintry quaffs?

Happily, someone must have gotten the message.

The Mansion Bar debuted its winter cocktail menu last week and there are many fine choices, whether you're looking for something hot or cold.

That's a wildly sensationalized way to lead into a post about Patrick E. McGovern's talk last night at the Dallas Museum of Art.

He is - let me take a breath before I recite his title - Scientific Director of the Penn Museum's Biomolecular Archaeology Laboratory for Cuisine, Fermented Beverages and Health. Exhale.

He was giving a talk based on his 2009 book, Uncorking the Past: The Archaeological and Chemical Hunt for the Origins of Viniculture (University of California Press, $29.95)

And what do you know? Ten percent of the enzymes in our livers are devoted to breaking down alcoholic beverages into energy. "That's the genetic side of alcohol." There really are, he says, genes with names like "barfly." Aren't you sorry you missed this?

Patrick E. McGovern signing books at DMA

This is what happens when you name your critter wine after a real critter. Jim Jim the Down-under Dog at Hugh Hamilton Wines has died. Jim Jim was unique in that he had a knack for pointing out when the shiraz grapes were ripe in his owner's McLaren Vale vineyard.

He also had his own wine, Jim Jim Shiraz, which was quite a good value. Jim Jim even had his own website. And if all this was gimmicky, at least Jim Jim did make a real contribution to the wine team.

I also have enormous respect for Australian winemaker Hamilton, who survived more than a few bad, drought-laden years. He makes regular trips to the U.S., and one time he rented a camper and drove across the country for six months promoting his wines. I've included the whole Jim Jim release on the jump.

Photos courtesy of Hugh Hamilton Wines

Feel like enjoying one of the world's most distinguished champagnes, but with a little less bite on your wallet? Try a half bottle. Pogo's Wine & Spirits has half bottles of non-vintage Krug Grand Cuvee which, Krug notes, is the champagne most representative of the big, bold house style, for $59.99. The price is good through Dec. 20 or when supplies run out.

50 percent off sale at Sacred Cellars

'Had to call and be sure I read this right: 50 percent off ALL wines at Sacred Cellars, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. "I need to move the inventory to restock for Christmas," says owner Rudy Ced.

Well, ho ho ho and merry early Christmas for us. What a terrific bargain on his selections, typically offbeat, semi-cultish, interesting. Go for it.

5715 Sadler Circle, near Inwood at Maple, Dallas; 214-764-6858; www.sacredcellars.com

'Picked up this Piccolo Fiore Bianco di Sicilia 2009 (white of Sicily) at Whole Foods Market. It's quite an impressive, inexpensive wine: fruit of green apple and pear with a nice minerality. Good for the holidays? I think so. It's easy-drinking enough not to overwhelm wine-drinking newbies, but the mineral finish gives it a little soul for the more serious wine-drinker. And at under $6, you do the math.

Looking for some holiday wines or just a good price on some good wines? The Plano Whole Foods Market is having a deep-discount cellar sale this weekend.