Best Texas Wines

The best Texas wines of 2015: Syrah and Viognier

We partnered with the Texas Wine Journal to bring you the best Texas wines of 2015.

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You call yourself a locavore. You like to eat what’s grown nearby — not only to follow the seasons but also to support your fellow Texans. Maybe you want to support local wineries too, but you don’t know where to start.

Enter Texas Wine Journal, which is devoted to building awareness for Texas wine through independent, credible, and objective ratings. That means the journal relies on consensus, rather than the opinion of a single taster, to make recommendations.

The journal held its first tasting in December 2013. It now packages all ratings from the year in a consumer-friendly, best-of list broken down by varietal. And we have partnered with the Texas Wine Journal to publish its panels picks for 2015.

“In no other time in our 360-plus year history of making wine in Texas have the wines been better, more expressive, more rooted to their place, and more appreciated and sought after,” says tasting director Daniel Kelada.

“The industry is advancing at every level. Growers both big and small are not just farming grapevines, they are wine growing. And producers are simply crafting better wines, with better quality fruit, better understanding, better tools and resources, and more experience.”

The TWJ scores range from 75-100, and wines are rated as average, good, very good, excellent, and extraordinary; only wines scoring 80 points or higher are published. In addition to pointed ratings, consumer ratings are provided in the form of “recommended” and “highly recommended” wines. The complete methodology is available on the Texas Wine Journal website, as is a list of judges.

We are presenting the list of the best Texas wines of 2015 in four batches, with the top three in two varietals per batch.

A caveat about where to buy and price information: Some of these are sold out, or they are available only at select locations of the places mentioned. Plus, the price can vary. But this gives you a good idea about where to start, and we mention wine retailers around Texas, not just in Dallas-Fort Worth.

First up: Syrah and Viognier. In cases where the wines received the same number of points, they are presented in alphabetical order.

SYRAH

Lost Oak Winery, Texas Shiraz, Gold Label, NV
92 points, $30
This wine is a bit closed at first but opens with air, says Jim Cubberley, who also calls it “chewy,” “intense,” “balanced,” and “classically structured.” It’s a full-bodied wine, but it’s not heavy.
Where to buy: This one is sold out, but a new vintage is coming this summer.

Perissos Vineyard & Winery, Texas Hill Country, Estate Syrah, 2013
91 points, $68
This well-made wine is “just plain delicious,” according to Jim Cubberley. Although not the most complex, this Syrah is “nicely concentrated, slightly floral, with juicy black plum and blackberry fruit.” A lack of oak “adds to the allure.”
Where to buy: Houston Wine Merchant (Houston), The Vintage Cellar (Fredericksburg)

Salt Lick Cellars, Texas Hill Country, Maile’s Vineyard, Syrah, 2013
89 points, $55
“This is a rare and exceptional expression of Texas Syrah,” writes Jennifer Beckmann in her tasting notes. Aromatics of flowers and baking spice are followed by flavors of rich blackberry, anisette, white pepper, and earthy wet soil.
Where to buy: Spec’s, Total Wine

VIOGNIER

Blue Ostrich Winery, Texas, Viognier, 2014
91 points, $22
“A brilliant pair for warm weather,” writes Rae Wilson, who also notes the wine’s pale straw color, clean tropical fruit, hints of aromatic garden herbs, and flinty texture.
Where to buy: Checkered Past Winery (Dallas), Wine Styles (Keller, Mansfield, Flower Mound), Metzler’s (Denton), Silver Dollar Winery (Bedford)

Lost Oak Winery, Texas High Plains, Bingham Family Vineyard, Viognier, 2014
91 points, $21
“Don’t let the light, clear color of this wine fool you,” writes Jim Cubberley. “This Viognier is definitely the fuller-bodied style.” He goes on to note flavors of stone fruits, honey, and minerals, with a fine acidity that balances the richness. He suggests pairing with cold soups or ceviche.
Where to buy: It is currently sold out but will be rebottled.

McPherson Cellars, Texas, Viognier, 2014
91 points, $16
In his tasting notes, Rob Moshein remarks that this wine has a pretty, floral nose and flavors of rich, peach-toned fruit. He also notes a nice viscosity, bright acids, full flavors, and long finish.
Where to buy: Spec’s, H-E-B, Central Market, Whole Foods, Total Wine

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Coming up next: white blends and red blends.

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Asian Food News

Taste of Malaysia restaurant brings rare Asian cuisine to Dallas area

Taste of Malaysia

A new restaurant has debuted in Coppell with a cuisine that's relatively rare in Dallas. Called Taste of Malaysia, it's now open at 3001 Olympus Blvd #130, at the Sound at Cypress Waters, between an Ari's Italian market and a Kilwin's ice cream shop, where it's serving authentic Malaysian dishes and flavors — adding another option to Dallas' burgeoning Asian restaurant scene.

A neighbor to Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia, Malaysia has been described as having some of the best street food in Southeast Asia, boasting a mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous flavors. Signature dishes include satays — skewered meats — plus vividly spiced soups and rice dishes.

The country's national dish is nasi lemak, a beloved comfort food originally devised as a breakfast staple, featuring fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk with pandan leaves, sometimes enhanced with boiled egg and sliced cucumber and ikan bilis, i.e. anchovies.

Coming in at a close second is laksa, a spicy noodle soup made with rice noodles or egg noodles in a broth flavored with aromatic spices, shrimp paste, and coconut milk or tamarind.

These are the dishes that natives of Malaysia and fans of Malaysian food crave, says Shiva Nair, part of the team, along with his wife, Vsruti "Vish" Nair, that opened Taste of Malaysia.

Shiva has more than 20 years in the hospitality business including managing hotels and running other restaurants.

"There are a lot of Malaysians here in Dallas-Fort Worth but not many Malaysian restaurants," Shiva says. "That's what gave us the idea to open this."

Their menu features seven varieties of nasi lemak — including vegetable curry, chicken curry, slow cooked beef, slow-cooked chicken, fried chicken, fish, and spicy shrimp — all made with coconut rice, peanuts, boiled egg, and cucumber.

They also have fried rice, noodle dishes, satay chicken skewers, spring rolls, a samosa-style pastry with potatoes and vegetables called karipap, and a chicken "kutlet" — a breaded patty with minced chicken enclosed in a crunchy crust.

All of their meat is halal, meaning that the animals are raised and butchered in accordance with Islamic guidelines — a growing trend in Dallas-Fort Worth.

There's a full bar and the ultimate lure for timid diners: a lunchtime buffet, $18 on weekdays and $20 on weekends, with 15 to 20 dishes, with chicken, shrimp, fish, and vegetarian and vegan options, which are plentiful in Malaysian cuisine.

"We serve the buffet only at lunch, so that those who are unfamiliar with the cuisine can sample every dish," Shiva says.

"We saw an opportunity to bring Malaysian flavors to North Texas, a region hungry for authentic, halal-certified Asian food with real spicing and real heritage," he says.

openings coppell asian cuisine