Modern Lifestyles FALL 2015 | Page 64

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