Tenth Anniversary Dinner at Flat Creek Estate

On April 10th, 2010 Flat Creek Estate celebrated their 10th Anniversary with a seven course dinner. We were joined by over fifty of their closest friends and best fans! We asked our dinner companions to share some of their favorite memories about Flat Creek Estate and here is what they had to say:

“This winery and these people are the greatest gift to wine lovers, the state of Texas and planet earth as a whole.” -Katy Jane

“We stood by you as your dream of a vineyard developed. Scoping out California, testing wines, checking out all of the competition and look at you now!” -Love, Susan and Ralph J.

“The 1st time we visited Flat Creek Estate was about ten years ago – the original tasting room was quite small – the trek down the hill to it treacherous – but once inside, the wine and the two proprietors – Rick and Madelyn- were wonderful – we enjoy the ‘Best Texas’ wine - Flat Creek Estate wines.” – Judy and Ken W.

“Unbelievable. Never give up one’s vision or dream. Your vision became a reality. Family and friends make things happen. Thank you for giving us the experience of a lifetime.”       -Randy and Cindy S.

“Thanks for a wonderful celebration. This is our favorite place to bring our guests – you are so friendly and your wine is great!” -Sandy D.

“We have always gone to barrel tastings in Colorado where we live, but this is our only and best loved winery in Texas.” -Jon and Diane B.

“We first met Rick and Madelyn at a Flat Creek Estate wine dinner at Silver K Cafe. We fell in love with the wine and are glad to know them as friends. Our favorite memories are picking grapes and the Father’s Day Sunday that Kathy caught 3 fish on a fly rod. Thank you for creating such a marvelous place.” -Mark and Kathy W.

“The first planting, 6o00 vines. Thought it would take two days? We got into a contest, team against team! We planted all the vines – 6:30 AM to 3 PM on Saturday alone. then we partied!” -Amy and Richard

Each of the seven courses, carefully prepared by Chef Sean and team, was paired with a Flat Creek Estate wine.

Big Eye Tuna Carpaccio with Watermelon Jerky, Daikon and Arugula Vermicelli, Wasabi Crème Fraîche paired with  Flat Creek Estate 2008 Estate Pinot Blanc

Trio of Demi Duck, Veal and Lobster Demi Glace in Mini Yorkshire Puddings with Seared Estate Broccoli Leaves and Broccoli Oil paired with Flat Creek Estate 2008 Super Texan

Lemon Sorbet with Estate Lavender paired with Flat Creek Estate 2008 Muscato Blanco

Estate Pecan Smoked Duck on Estate Greens with Jicama and Tri Citrus Supremes paired with Flat Creek Estate 2008 Estate Pinot Grigio

Tasmanian Crab Cake with Edamame Mousse, Estate Arugula and Sorrell and Lemon Beurre Blanc paired with Buckin’ Horse White~Viognier

New Zealand Venison Chop Black Truffle Butter and Stilton Purple Potato Rösti with Estate Turnip paired with Flat Creek Estate 2008 Tempranillo

Coconut Tangerine Tiramisu Tri-Citrus Candied Zests, Dark Chocolate Ganache and Toasted Coconut with Estate Mint paired with Flat Creek Estate Mistella

Last Part of our Cruise….

Our wine tour was at the Chateau Bas with a mix of old and new vines, some were even growing over Roman ruins on this light airy spring morning in the country.

Wine tasting and we were the tasters. Our knowledgeable and entertaining sommelier presented a classic rose’, nicely made, an award-winning sauvignon blanc, lightly oaked ~ a Vermantino, Rick’s personal favorite. Finished with a couple of reds, a Syrah and a Cab.

Looking forward to our finale, a journey to the Spanish Rioja wine country.

Nice!

We had a nice day in Nice! (sorry!) The farmer’s market, just a block off the beach, was fabulous.  The colors, flowers, aromas of spices and strawberries alongside fresh fish were wonderful.  We walked on stone and pebble beaches…no sand here (or anything remotely similar to the Texas Hill Country!)

At the Monaco casino hotel, we were not privy to viewing the 750,000 bottle wine cellar…maybe it was our tour bus arrival that didn’t get us admission or the lack of a Ferrari or Aston Martin?

We shared our Tempranillo with other Iowa Hawkeyes at dinner, while drinking a current favorite, the Pouilly Fume.

A Trip to Lucca

Back on the bus for a ride through the Tuscan countryside traveling from Livorno to Lucca. We rode past wheat fields, silvery olive groves & vineyards. The old & new walled city of Lucca has classic Italian narrow streets, where bicyclists & small cars compete with grocery shoppers & tourists for the right of way.

If we don’t return to our own Texas winery, you might look for us in the district of Monte Carlo, where the Michi estate gave us a tour of their production area at a striking location above gently sloping vineyards.

The wine: Although we tasted several, the Fattoria Michi 2007 Vecchie Vigne ‘Toscana’ was a favorite, a white blend described as “reserve”, lightly oaked & lovely on a warm Tuscan afternoon.

The Streets of Rome

A bus ride from the port near Civitavecchia to Rome (1.5 hours) was followed by a marathon of walking~beginning near the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish steps. We found the Forum & the Colosseum and many, many tourists.

On our retreat to meet the bus, we wandered through the Borghese gardens, enjoyed a beer with lunch in the park. After lunch, we wandered the side streets enjoying a calmer atmosphere.

Arriving late for dinner onboard, we chose open deck dining where music & our favorite sommelier, Verdan, greeted us—The wine: Antinori 2007, a sangiovese blend that needed time to open & paired well with the ample time we had to enjoy.

Amalfi Coast and Positano – Wednesday

At first light we were greeted by the Amalfi coast.  A tender to shore, followed by a boat trip to Positano, revealed terraced lemon orchards dotting the hillsides ~ where all things lemon can be made, including limoncello.

Back on the ship, lunching with a view towards Amalfi and we were really starting to believe that we are on vacation! Our waiter described the house white wine as, well, house white wine twice (vacation or not, we thought of Flat Creek Diva Fritz back in the Texas Hill Country describing our port as, well, port!). He finally did get to defining our lunch wine as Italian Orvieta, a pleasant, light citrusy presentation.

We requested of the sommelier a ‘medium bodied red to pair with lamb’. His answer? Cotes Du Rhone 2007 Chateau Mont Redon. The result? Syrah, mouvedre, cincault – a beautiful cherry spicy character lightly oaked, best served lightly chilled – good mid palatte, long finish.

Messina~Taormina~Mt. Etna – Tuesday

Remarkable day filled with unremarkable wines left us longing for Flat Creek Estate Tempranillo back home in our Texas winery!

Our 5-star guide was well balanced as we traveled to Taormina, Italy by bus. Toured ruins and walked many many ancient streets. When Rick had his fill of walking, he sampled some unremarkable local red table wine.

Stopped for a vegetarian lunch with a drinkable, yet still unremarkable local red wine, on our way to Mt. Etna. Europe’s largest, and according to our guide ‘much loved’, volcano. It was worth the trip and made the vegetarian lunch a distant memory!  Midway up, the grapes grow in volcanic soils with terraces of lava rock lining the road. We drove through groves of chestnut trees. The chestnut is used for wine barrels.

Maybe not remarkable, but at least notable. Leaving the port we took a spin with an Albarino 2001 from Spain (a popular white wine), it was citrusy, crisp and paired well with tuna and lobster bisque.

Monday, Monday!

Sunday’s highlight? The wine. The low light? High seas kept us on board the ship and we were unable to tour the Santorini Winery.

The Barbera gave us some relief to our stuck on the ship boredom. It was a dry, medium bodied, fruity wine with a nice acidity. It paired well with both the fish and beef carpaccio.

Dinner on board was lovely with a variety of olive oils presented at the table. We had a choice of an excellent veal chop or the sea bass, but the dessert could not compare with Chef Sean’s tiramisu at the Bistro of Flat Creek Estate!

Monday gave us the opportunity for a brief tour of Zakynthos. Verdea and Coriant wines were seen, but sadly, not tasted. We were treated to great views of this agricultural island loaded with goats, hay bales, grapes and olives. Grape vines are grown close to homes and are all head trained. The island has two commercial wineries, apparently some distance from the port. Postcard perfect Greek island complete with turquoise waters as promised!

From Somewhere in the Mediterranean, Sunday May 16th

We were met in our stateroom with a bottle of red wine, Rioja. It was a good omen for the start of our trip. After cruising the Mediterranean, stopping in Turkey, Greece, Italy, Monaco and France, we will finally disembark in Barcelona Spain. From there, we will head to the Rioja wine country.

Next wine, a Bandol dry rose’, a citrusy strawberry that paired well with the turquoise Aegean from the aft deck in the evening.

On to a red table wine complete with an introduction to Turkish hospitality at a cooperative rug weaving demonstration. The wine was pleasant, red and lightly sweet after a drive through small towns and cotton fields. The farmers share their John Deere and New Holland equipment (and the roads). Only white wine grapes grown in the neighborhood of our touring, we spied but one plot on the adventure! Our tour guide was of a nomadic family with an English literature degree. He was funny and smart – our Texas wine Divas at Flat Creek would identify!

Off to the Mediterranean

Madelyn & Rick…and Arlie…are on the road…then to the skies before getting on a cruise departing from Athens, Greece!  No volcanic ash clouds or airport delays to be seen!  We’re hoping for smooth sailing, history lessons and great wine. We look forward to sharing our wine adventures with our friends back in Texas and at Flat Creek Estate!