We sent intern Meredith Stein to the 2010 Grape and Gridiron Classic for a play-by-play account of last night’s face-off between Texas and New York most able-bodied wines. Here’s her report from the sidelines:
Though the Cowboys suffered a devastating blow Monday night from the New York Giants (poor Romo), Texas wines plowed their competition – New York wines – at the 2010 Grape & Gridiron Classic. During the blind-tasting event, hosted by the Texas Department of Agriculture and held at the El Centro College Food & Hospitality Institute, 22 distinct state wines went glass-to-glass in celebration of the game. The final score: Texas: 8; New York: 3. Home field advantage? I think not!
Texas wine bloggers Jeff Siegel of the Wine Curmudgeon/ DrinkLocalWine.com, Russ Kane of VintageTexas, and Jim Trezise, president of the New York Wine and Grape Association led the tastings.
jump here for the final outcome…
“Wine is a wonderful, wonderful thing, and if we relegate ourselves to drinking the same wine over and over, we’re missing something,” Siegel told his audience of wine industry experts and media – Texans and NewYorkers alike. “The goal at drinklocalwine.com is to help the world realize that there’s wine made in 47 other states besides California, Washington, and Oregon. So an event like this is absolutely perfect for what we’re trying to do at drinklocalwine.com.”
White wines led the charge with Texas’ Llano Estacado Unoaked Chardonnay 2009 and Brennan Vineyards Viognier 2009, and New York’s Dr. Konstantin Frank Semi-Dry Riesling 2009, which was also voted “New York Wine MVP,” emerging as the winners.
In the Hybrid/Native Varietal category, Texas’ own Haak Vineyards Blanc du Bois Semi-Dry 2010 took home the gold for a two-point lead. Texas’ McPherson Cellars Rosé of Syrah 2009 scored as both the rosé of choice and the crowd’s choice for Texas wine MVP.
Winners in the red wine division, which was separated into five categories, included Wagner Vineyards Cabernet Franc 2007 from New York, Duchman Family Winery Dolcetto 2008 of the Texas High Plains, Lone Oak Winery Tempranillo Lost Draw Vineyards 2008 (also of the Texas High Plains), Inwood Estate Vineyards Magellan 2006 (Go Texas!), and the Dry Comal Creek Vineyards Black Spanish 2008 from the Texas Hill Country.
In the final category – dessert wines – Wagner Vineyards Vidal Blanc Ice Wine 2008 took home the final point for New York. And it was no surprise. The wine was quite literally “liquid dessert,” as Diane Teitelbaum (of Diane Teitelbaum & Associates) referred to it.
Wine tasting. A spectator sport? Absolutely. And for Texas wines, what a Rangers-esque victory it was.
