Past Issues: Texas Wine Pick, oct/nov 1999

With all the hype and hoopla about the upcoming New Year's Eve, we decided to scout around for something besides champagne for our millennium bash guests. And red wine always seems to be a hard call for a big party. You hate to break out the super-expensive stuff, but you want to give red wine drinkers (God bless us all) a choice. What's needed is something smooth and easy that takes you into the wee hours.

Llano Estacado's 1997 Signature Red Meritage Texas is your answer. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, this wine was the first non-California wine to be accepted to the prestigious Meritage Association. It spends eight months in American oak, giving it just enough of that bourbony thing going underneath the smooth plum and berries.

The facts: Retails for around $7. Production: plenty. The distribution is across twenty-two states, with emphases in Texas (of course) and Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. But check your local wine store, Llano turns up in some surprising places.

You can read more about the current releases and history of Llano Estacado Winery on their website at www.llanowine.com.