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Collector's Corner
Ever wonder how a BYOB (bring your own bottle) restaurant makes any money, since everyone knows that most restaurants make their real money off their alcohol sales? Well, they have to have really good food and excellent service.
There is one such restaurant around the corner from where we live. It is Lucio's,
located at 905 Taft Street in Houston, Texas. They are open only for dinner and it is a BYOB. Naturally, I love these types of places, because I can take a really nice or special bottle of wine with me without cleaning out my wallet. Paying a small corkage fee (Lucio's charges $5) is a lot better than paying 150% markup.
My wife and I visited Lucio's the other night and shared a bottle of Sterling Vineyards
Winery Lake Merlot. We both had Lucio's filet
mignon in a demi glaze for our entrees. I know you've heard me, as well as others, say that a wine should be chosen that will compliment the dish, or as I do many times, chose the dish to compliment the wine, which is what I did in this case. Of course the more you practice, the better you will get at selecting both so they compliment each other.
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Both the food and wine on this occasion were simply magnificent. We went early and the place was empty, but before we left it was full. However,
the service did not suffer and was very good. If
you're in Houston and want to dine with a special bottle of your own, I recommend giving Lucio's a try. For more information, check them out at www.luciosbyob.com.
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In case you haven't guessed by now, this month's recommendation is Sterling Vineyards Winery Lake Merlot. Sterling's Winey is located at the northern end of Napa Valley near Calistoga. However, their Winey Lake vineyard is located at the southern end of Napa Valley in the Carneros AVA (American Viticultural Area). While the Carneros AVA is better known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay used in the production of sparkling wine, Sterling has produced a superior Merlot in this month's
recommendation. Maybe it's Carneros close proximity to San Francisco's San Pablo Bay, which provides the advantage of cool fog and sea breezes to moderate the warmer temperatures found in the northern parts of the valleys, thereby, extending the ripening time of the grapes? Whatever their strategy, it's right-on! I've seen this wine for as much as $135 for a 1998, but you can buy a 2002 direct from Sterling for $35 a bottle plus tax and shipping. The winemaker says the wine has deep plum colors with a rich nose of intense blackberry, followed by hints of violet, vanilla, and cinnamon. The wine also has flavors of dark chocolate and toasty caramel to compliment the its flavors of ripe plum and blackberry. The finish is rich and toasty supported by structured tannins.
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| And speaking of Sterling, another one of my favorites is their Three Palms Merlot. You can usually find a 2004 or 2005 for around $60 a bottle. However, Sterling recently offered some of their 1998 Three Palms Merlot to club members (see my previous articles for how wine clubs work) for $21 a bottle plus tax and shipping, which came out to $27.63 a bottle delivered to my door. |
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Needless to say, I purchased several cases for myself and some friends. If you like merlot and haven't tried this one, please do yourself a favor and give it a try. I'm confident that you will find it irresistible and simply delicious. You can't go wrong pairing a Winery Lake Merlot or a Three Palms Merlot with a nice juicy steak, lamb chop, duck, or even give it a go with some grilled salmon. Yum! Yum! Oh, and for you chocolate lovers, try them with a creamy chocolate mousse. Bon Appetite!
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Until next time, CHEERS!
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