It was this past Monday morning at 11:30 am, and I’m sitting in a room packed full of sommeliers, wine buyers and other wine professionals hanging on every word dished out by famed wine educator, Kevin Zraly. The subject? Brunello di Montalcino wines. The tasting? Five wines from the four-star rated 2008 vintage of Brunello di Montalcino and three wines from the 1999, 1996 and 1990 vintages.

I admit to knowing little about Brunello before that lecture, but I left it armed with important bits of knowledge, not only on how to taste wines, but about Brunello itself. And that was what I needed, because when I left the room, what greeted me was a roomful of elite producers from Tuscany, in Houston to showcase their wines as part of the Benvenuto Brunello event.

Benvenuto Brunello is a trade show that was first established in 2001, essentially a tour for the producers who are part of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino (CVBM) to showcase their wines to the industry. In the past, it was held in New York City and one other U.S. market. This year, the second market the organizers chose was Houston.

“Texas is an ideal market for prestige wines like Brunello di Montalcino,” explained Fabrizio Bindocci, the president of the CVBM. “Its economy is strong. The restaurant scene is doing well, and Brunello wines pair beautifully with all that great Texas beef.”

More than 35 producers from the Montalcino region presented their wines, which included the younger Rosso di Montalcino, 2008 Brunello di Montalcino and five-star rated Brunello vintages from 2004, 2006 and 2007.

The tasting, which lasted from 12:30 to 5:30 pm, was packed with industry folks – sommeliers, servers, restaurant owners, wine sales reps, distributors, buyers and more.
When asked what his impressions were of the event, Houston sommelier James Watkins of the new restaurant project, 11:11 in Montrose, said it was “like I ate a fistful of Sweet Tarts! Fruit in those wines is stewed, overripe, cherry, lots of sweet tobacco and subtle notes of potting soil. Really a treasure to see. I was just sorry I couldn’t get into the Zraly seminar – that’s like having Jack Nicklaus give you putting instructions. Also, the ’97 and ’98 Poggio al Vento deserves more praise.”

Antonio Gianola, whom many readers will remember from his days directing the wine program at Chris Shepherd’s Catalan and who is now Texas regional manager for Vias importers, waxed poetic about what the event meant to Houston: “It’s a testament to the work of the chefs in the city, the prestige in the press that Houston has at the moment.”

And Richard Langley, a server and bartender at Killen’s Steakhouse, said, “We will definitely serve more of it at Killen’s. Now that several of us have had a chance to explore the whole region, we will know how to pair it and suggest it. Brunello – and by that I mean a good Brunello – is a perfect pairing with a wet-aged or mishima ribeye with a very buttery fatty texture, because it has enough bite to cut the richness of the steak and yet not overpower it. I am very excited that I had the chance to taste these wines and the opportunity to turn people onto this great region.”

And me? I learned about this lovely Italian red that will pair well with anything from pasta to a good piece of steak. I learned about its fruity notes, like cherry and raisins, figs, and raspberry. And most of all, I am thankful that the CVBM chose Houston to host this exciting event, because I got the chance to meet several producers from Tuscany, where I hope to visit someday soon.