Wine News

New sampler combines 5 of Texas' best and most rare wines in one package

Wine is good for the holidays and every other day, as well.

Photo courtesy of Beviamo

Five wineries in Texas have come together to create a package that lets you sample some of Texas' very best wines.

They're calling it a Holiday Celebration Pack because the wines are designed to go well with your holiday spread and could also be a gift, although obviously you are more than welcome to get the wine for yourself for personal consumption any day of the week.

Participating wineries include:

Bending Branch Winery, boutique winery near Comfort that embraces sustainable growing and winemaking practices
Brennan Vineyards in Comanche, located on one of the oldest homesteads in Texas dating back to 1876
Duchman Family Winery, award-winning winery in Driftwood known for its Italian varieties, strong on fruit and Texas terroir
Pedernales Cellars in Stonewall, specializing in Spanish- and Rhone-style wines with stellar Tempranillo and Viognier
Spicewood Vineyards, whose 32-acre vineyard in Spicewood is focused on estate wines

In 2014, these five wineries came together to form a marketing alliance called Texas Fine Wine to promote their wines collectively. Their main commonality is their standard of excellence; they represent some of the best names in Texas wine.

Texas Fine Wine spokesperson Denise Clarke says this package is appealing — and rare — because of its sampler status, which you wouldn't be able get it in any other way unless you were to drive to each winery and buy an individual bottle.

"We've all been able to buy wine directly from wineries, but it's hard to get a variety pack like this," she says.

The pack includes:

Bending Branch Winery 2017 Tallent Vineyards Tannat
Brennan Vineyards Winemaker's Choice Vol. VI
Duchman Family Winery 2016 Oswald Vineyard Aglianico
Pedernales Cellars 2018 Viognier Reserve
Spicewood Vineyards 2016 Good Guy

"Each winery selected the wine they feel should be on a holiday table," Clarke says. "These are the nicer, higher-end wines in their portfolio, but priced well. A lot of these are not in distribution. For example, the Bending Branch Tannat and the Duchman Aglianico are vineyard-specific. The Pedernales Viognier Reserve, Brennan's Choice, the Spicewood Good Guy, those are their higher-end selections. This was, 'What's the nicest wine you want on your holiday table?'"

Many wineries were shut down for part of 2020 due to the coronavirus, and online sales picked up considerably. Most have reopened their facilities but most tasting rooms remain closed.

"All of these wineries were doing curbside pickup, but online shipping has become a bigger part of a winery's business than it was in the past," Clarke says. "Putting this together was a challenge logistically, but we knew it would be something people love."

The package is $160 + tax, and shipping begins in December as follows:

Order November 4-November 25 for December 2 shipment
Order November 26-December 9 for December 16 shipment
Order December 10-December 31 for January 6 shipment

wine holidays

Hummus News

Revered family-owned Mediterranean restaurant debuts in North Dallas

Samantha Marie Photography

Zon Zon food spread

An upscale Mediterranean restaurant is coming to North Dallas from a trusted name: Called Zon Zon, it'll open at 5455 Belt Line Rd. #130, in the Work/Shop center, and it's hospitality group Yela Concepts led by Yaser Khalaf (Darna, Baboush), together with his son Mak Khalef in their first collaboration.

According to a release, it'll open on December 22.

Named for Mak's sister Zaina (“Zon Zon”), the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner with a refined take on Mediterranean dining, rooted in tradition but with modern influences.

"We tried to merge what embodies Mediterranean cuisine with dishes that people in Dallas love," Mak says. "A lot of the dishes we have on menu are Mediterranean but have American and Texan influences."

Mezze favorites include hummus topped with green shatta and extra-virgin olive oil; baba ghanoush with charred eggplant, tahini, dukka, and pomegranate; crispy cauliflower with saffron labneh; tuna neya with tahini, mixed pickles, and Aleppo pepper; and kibbeh with ground lamb, onions, pine nuts, and dill labneh.

Salads include seared tuna salad with freekeh and golden beets; Tahini Caesar with tahini–Caesar dressing and za’atar croutons; and roasted beets with burrata, oranges, and pistachios.

Entrées include roasted chicken with garlic-batata and pomegranate jus; chicken shish kebab over saffron rice with almonds and raisins; hanger steak shawarma frites — a clever twist on steak frites with hand-cut fries; ZZ’s Wagyu cheeseburger with smoked provolone and house pickles; Prime ribeye with za’atar chimichurri and heirloom carrots; and apricot lamb couscous.

The beverage program complements the menu with a Mediterranean-focused wine list and creative cocktails such as the coffee-kissed Midnight Istanbul and ZZ’s Margarita, with burnt pineapple and ras el hanout.

Designed in collaboration with Dallas-based Coeval Studios, the restaurant features a 2,130-square-foot interior with an expansive 735-square-foot patio that seats 76, for a total occupancy near 100.

The restaurant boasts an open kitchen, while decorative finishes include modern woodwork, rich textures, and Middle Eastern-inspired details — stylish yet inviting, with a setting that feels like home.

“The inspiration behind Zon Zon came from wanting to create the kind of place we’ve always wished existed — a neighborhood Mediterranean spot that feels both familiar and exciting - we wanted to create a comfortable space where guests can meet up with friends or neighbors on a regular basis,” says Yaser in a statement.

Mak went to college to sudy biomedical engineering, but says he couldn't resist the lure of the restaurant world in which he grew up.

"Zon Zon is a reflection of everything we love about food," Mak says. "What makes this especially meaningful is building it with my dad — bringing our family’s story and passion to the table."

openings