Schnell’s White Wine
Picks for Fall 2015
WORDS Karol Wilson
S
chnell Blanton really loves wine.
While she searched for a wine
club to join and couldn’t find
the right one, she started her
own – The African American
Wine Tasting Society – and
grew the membership to more than 200
members. The goal were to learn about
and taste wines from all over the world in
a non-pretentious setting. But one of her
friends told her she was on the wrong side
of the business, and now she is CEO of Imperial Beverage Group with offices in Dallas
and Houston. Imperial is a distributor of
wine and spirits with a focus on identifying
and promoting exceptional small estate
sales that represent an excellent value.
A couple of Schnell’s white wine picks for
this fall follow. She recommends serving
whites at approximately 50 degrees which
brings out the acidity. If the wine gets too
warm, the alcohol taste may come forward
and not the fruit or acidity you want.
2012 La Fiera Pinot Grigio – Veneto, Italian. “At $9.99 at most Whole Foods stores,
it greatly over-delivers for its price point.”
Schnell says it pairs well with pasta in
cream or olive oil and shrimp, as well as
soft cheeses.
2012 Tranquilo Cellars – 100% Texas
wine. This wine is made in the Cap Rock
High Plains in west Texas where the high
sea level combined with the cool nights
is mandatory for a quality wine. “If you’ve
never found a Texas wine you like, you will
be impressed with this one,” says Schnell.
The wine is a blend of Chenin Blanc, Viognier, and Muscat Canelli grapes grown in
Texas and has delicate fruity and citrus flavors blended just so and available at Spec’s
for around $12.99 per bottle.
62 ModernLifestyles.tv