“It all started back in the 1990s with a group of my buddies tasting wines in Napa we created in a garage for our personal cellars,” says Houstonian John Harris reminiscing about his crush on the wine industry. That passion led to Amici Cellars, meaning “friends” in Italian. Harris, a Memorial High School and University of Texas grad, had been living the Silicon Valley with his wife Sharon and working in a tech job since the late 80s.
Long story short: Harris and partners Cecilia and Bob Shepard, Bart Woytowicz and newest gang member winemaker Joel Aiken now sell premium, award-winning wines throughout the country. Aiken, one of California’s best-known winemakers, was formerly with Beaulieu and Acacia, to name a few.
The current portfolio – the wines are readily available in Houston – includes Napa Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa and Spring Mountain, and Mendocino Pinot Noir. Amici also produces a higher-end single-vineyard series of Napa Valley Cabernets, as well as the more affordable Olema label with a Chardonnay and Cabernet sourced from Sonoma County grapes. If you’re looking to taste the wines, Amici has a new tasting room in Calistoga open by appointment only.
Harris and family now reside full time in the Napa Valley, although he has a soft spot for the Bayou City. “First and foremost I miss my family and friends in Houston, closely followed by the great restaurant scene. I love going back to old favorites and working with my friends at Republic Beverage. There is so much food and wine sophistication in Houston,” says Harris.
Naturally, he also loves his home in the Napa Valley. “I can grow anything here. My sons [who are 15 and 13] harvest and sell our own olive oil. I love our summers of 85-degree highs and 50s at night with low humidity. We live in a small town of 5,000 people and our world centers around growing great food and grapes to make great wines and food.”
Cheers to that!
Where to find the wine in Houston: Max’s Wine Dive, The Tasting Room, III Forks, Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille, Perry’s Italian Kitchen, Reef, Sonoma Wine Bar Cafe, Uchi and Vic & Anthony’s.
Good eats in the wine country: Sip and sup at celeb-TV chef Michael Chiarello’s Bottega, in Yountville. Expect a vibrant crowd, alfresco dining and contemporary Italian cuisine. His NapaStyle boutique is next door and carries Chiarello wines and other epicurean delights including house-made salumi, artisan cheeses, cookware and more. [Editor’s note: Michael Chiarello will be here in Houston this Thursday, October 25, at 5 pm for a cooking demo and book-signing at Central Market. Visit centralmarket.com to enroll.)
Drop-by-anytime casual and affordable is Healdsburg’s new Pizzando, a sliver of a pizza emporium by the Hotel Healdsburg group. A must-try from the roaring wood-fired pizza oven is the crispy thin-crust arugula pie with blobs of creamy burrata and roasted lemon marmalade slices. Great people watching, too.
In St. Helena, John Harris recommends JoLe Farm to Table, Solbar and Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen.
Zin fanatics flock to Ravenswood for “the father of Zin” founder Joel Peterson’s bodacious Zinfandels. The laid-back tasting room with other varietals on offer sports zero snootiness and “no wimpy wines.” Check out the small lot Designate Tasting of rare Zinfandel treasures and the awesome veranda with outdoor kitchen and lounge.
Don’t miss: The Culinary Institute of America Greystone with Wine Spectator Restaurant. As chef Emeril Lagasse says, “Now we’re really cooking.”
(This is the final installment of Robin Barr Sussman’s four-part series on Houstonians who live and make wine in the California wine country.)