The Super Texican

I know its pretty early in the morning, but we're just writing about wine here, not drinking it, so it's okay.  When I was home in Texas back in December, I stopped off in my long-time favorite wine store.  I picked up this bottle, intrigued by the label.  Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards--a pine tree.  Sangiovese and cabernet sauvignon blend--with a spicy finish...what could go wrong? I flipped the bottle to read the back label...produced and bottled in Pittsburg, Texas.  Pittsburg, Texas?  Are you kidding me?  What does Pittsburg, Texas know about wine?

Teddy ambled over and said, "it's actually pretty good and we are selling a lot of it."  I love sangiovese.  She said, "It has a nice spicy finish--like you like."  Okay, I am feeling like taking the risk.  Besides, it would not be the first bottle of wine I poured out because I did not like it.

I finally opened it a week ago, and was beyond surprised.  It was really good,  The winemaker invoked the Super Tuscans, but their play on the muscular fruity red blend was the Super Texican.  I personally don't know a lot of cowboy wine drinkers, other than the one I sat next to on a plane from St. Paul, Minnesota to Anchorage, Alaska one year who pulled off his boots, put his feet up on the back of the seat, and drank red wine all the way to Anchorage.  And, you have to wonder about a wine that is billed as being made "the cowboy way" with old world tradition.  I have no idea what that means, but all in all, it was a very good bottle of wine, and for a Texas wine, it was superb!