When you think of France, chances are you think of the Eiffel Tower, the Musée du Louvre and other landmarks. But what if you’ve never been to France? Wouldn’t it be great to journey there passport free? Well, that’s what happened to me when I visited French Country Wines recently. I had read an article that said the winery offered a free wine tasting each Saturday. So I jotted down the address and headed out. My GPS guided me to Kirby Drive, one of Houston’s most congested arteries. How could there be a winery here? But Country French Wines is tucked away on a quiet side street behind Goode Co. Texas Bar-B-Q. The nondescript building, with a splash of flowers out front, didn’t inspire a Voila! Upon entering, however, I was transported to another time and place. The walls of an expansive room were lined with artwork. The paintings represented some of the most bucolic regions in France. Next, I heard classic French music coming from deep inside. Unlike other wineries, this one had no row after row of wine propped up on wine racks. Nonetheless,at this winery, French wine enthusiasts can savor wines from 10 distinct regions: Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Cahors, Cassis, Champagne, Loire Valley, the Rhone Valley, Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon. The wine tasting room displayed several wines with prices beside each bottle. Tim Smith and Phyllis Madeleine Adatto, the owners,are Francophiles. It’s no wonder they paired French ambiance with the weekly wine tastings. The prospect of savoring French wines was one thing. But hearing the lyrics to “La Vie En Rose” soulfully sung by French icon Edith Piaf, felt surreal. The first wine I tasted was a sparkling white wine from the Charles Baur Estate. Baur Cremant D’Alsace Brut is made from 40 percent Auxerrois, 40 percent Pinot Blanc and 20 percent Chardonnay. Suggested pairings include dessert and as an aperitif. I loved the crisp, clean taste of this wine. It had notes of green apple, pear and hints of lemon. The tiny bubbles added to the zing I felt in the mouth and on my palate. I savored every drop of the wine that sells for $18.00 a bottle. The 16-acre estate is situated on the slopes of Eguisheim in the heart of the Alsace wine region. The complex terroir results in very aromatic wines. Several Charles Baur wines are classified Grand Cru due to their excellence. A long table with a huge aluminum tub held several bottles of select wines from Smith’s on-site warehouse. The couple takes pride in storing wines there instead of at the Port of Houston. Their due diligence includes keeping their wines at a constant temperature of 60 degrees. “Our wines are a good value because they are all estate-bottled and none of them are co-op,” said Phyllis, explaining that co-op equals mass-produced wines. “We have about 27 different vineyards and the smallest is eight acres. So you can’t get these wines anywhere in Houston but here.” The Houston Rodeo holds a wine competition prior to its opening each year. Phyllis proudly added that two of their superb wines had recently won the prestigious rodeo-related wine award. Judging from clients milling around during the wine tasting, Smith and company has built a solid reputation for fine French wines. The clients bought several bottles after tasting a few of the wines they liked best. As Piaf continued crooning behind the scenes, I drained my glass and rinsed it. Then Craig Adams, winery manager, poured me a sample of Masquin Cotes du Rhone Blanc “Humeur” 2009. The vines have been in Julien Masquin’s family for three generations. But only three acres of a 55-acre site are used to produce the Domaine Julien Masquin white (Chateauneuf-du-Pape) wine. “We are narrowly but sharply focused on our wine selection. We know the vineyards and we know the winemakers and wine owners. This helps us keep our prices on these artisan wines lower,” said Adams. A blend of 60 percent Grenache Blanc, 15 percent Clairette and 10 percent Bourboulence, this wine’s nose reflected aromas of white peach, apple, lilac and a hint of anise. In the mouth, it was fresh and round. This wine is excellent as an aperitif or with light summer dishes. A bottle sells for $16.00. Subliminal messages that I was indeed in France, inspired me to try yet another sample. Rouge-Bleu Cotes du Rhone Rose 2010. This orange-pink wine hails from the organic 20-acre farm in Domaine Rouge-Bleu’s Rhone Valley. Jean-Marc Espinasse and his author wife, Kristin, nurture their mature vines on a vineyard in the southern Rhone Valley, near the village of Cairanne. They prefer to adhere to the traditional methods. Cranberry aromas and hints of peaches make it ideal for pairing with seafood, white meats and Latin and Thai foods. In the mouth, this rose was fresh and lively. The wine is 70 percent Carignan and 30 percent Grenache. It sells for a mere $13.00 a bottle. I took this rare, palate-pleasing one home. Since I had not brought along a “designated driver,” I thought it prudent to skip the rest of the wine tastings. What I missed-but will try next time-included: Chateau Les Valentines Rouge 2008 from Provence, La Roche Buissiere “Gaia” 2006 from Domaine La Roche Buissiere in the Rhone Valley and Pere Caboche Chateauneuf Rouge 2008 from Domaine du Pere Chateauneuf-du-Pape. “We’re just a small business, so we don’t do much advertising. People find out about our wine tastings through word of mouth or through Local Wine Events.com,” said Tim, a retired attorney and investment banker. Christopher Massie, Diplome D’Honneur de Sommelier and founder of the Houston Wine Idealist(www.houstonwineidealist)said the winery’s prices are better than well-known retail and package stores. In his column,Massie said wine-searcher.com (www.wine-searcher.com)confirmed Country French Wines not only has the best prices in Houston, but the best prices for hand-selected French wines nationwide! The keyword being “selective,” French Country Wines provides its array of French wines to nearly 25 French restaurants in Houston. From first-growth to bottling, these wines, winemakers and vineyard owners have close, family-like ties to Tim and Phyllis. In fact, they held the wine tasting a day before boarding a flight to France. So I said “au revoir” and promised to return. Their wine business keeps them shuttling from Houston to France to visit client vineyards. Once there, the videos demonstrate the hands-on approach has had its rewards. French Country Wines website: www.frenchcountrywines.com allows visitors to travel to France An added bonus are the colorful videos that chronicle the couple’s frequent visits and allows viewers to travel to France vicariously. Hours of operation are: Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday wine tastings are from noon to 6 p.m. The winery is closed on Sunday and Monday. Want to schedule an event? Do you want more information? Call (713) 993-9500.
