Fine Wine, In Style

Last week I was scrolling through my Twitter feed when one “Tweet” in particular jumped out at me:

“Don’t forget about our Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery TASTING this Sunday from 5-7pm! Meet FRED FRANK himself!!!”

I noticed this message because the Dr. Frank winery happens to be one of my (and my husband’s) favorites, from our native Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York.  I noticed that the Tweet had originated from the @TheTastingRoom account, and I did a double take; The Tasting Room is right here in Houston, Texas!  I purchased  tickets on the spot and surprised my husband with them as a “Father’s Day” gift from our dog, Sandy.

The author with Fred Frank, owner of Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery.

When we arrived on Father’s Day Sunday for the tasting, I was quite surprised to realize that I had been to TTR once before, when I attended an event with a client the previous month.  We were outside for the duration of the wine-and-cigar meet-and-greet, and I hadn’t even noticed the name of the venue, I was so busy interacting with the other guests.  Shame on me, because The Tasting Room is delightful; located in Uptown Park, the open space houses large tables with long benches for parties of eight or ten, as well as two- and four-tops for more intimate groups.  The walls are lined with wines from regions around the world: white and red, sweet and dry, as well as sparkling wines and champagnes.  Since we arrived early, we were able to peruse the selection and we were pleased to see many styles that suit our particular tastes – dry Rieslings, Pinot Noir, and some Sauvingon Blancs that looked particularly tempting.  According to their website, bottle prices are in line with retail, rather than restaurant, and our brief examination seemed to bear out the claim.

Because we had come for a tasting, we did not have the “usual” Tasting Room experience; we paid $15 to taste four wines from the Dr. Frank Winery, and we were able to meet and speak with Fred Frank, the winery owner and grandson of Dr. Frank.  This was in and of itself a real thrill for two native Finger Lakers, who have been enjoying his wines for more than ten years.  The wine was freely poured and we were welcomed to try anything more than once – which I did!  I had to just have a little more dry Riesling than the first 4 ounces, because the taste of home was simply too tempting.

The Tasting Room wine bar model allows visitors to enjoy wines by the glass or bottle, or enjoy a full meal complete with wine that you can select with the help of their head chef and their sommelier.  A “sommelier” is a trained wine professional, who in addition to being educated in wine and food pairing, is also in charge of selecting wines for sale, wine storage, and customer service.  I enjoy learning about wine as much as I enjoy drinking it, so having a trained sommelier available is a huge plus in my book, and we certainly plan on returning to TTR again to enjoy a meal and a bottle – or two.

The author and her husband, honeymooning at the Dr. Frank Winery, September 2009.

The Tasting Room has two locations:

Uptown Park: 1101-18 Uptown Park Blvd. (map); 713.993.9800

Hours: Monday-Wednesday 11:00 AM – Midnight; Thursday-Saturday 11 AM – 1:00 AM; Sunday 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM

River Oaks: 2409 West Alabama St. (map).; 713.526-2242

Hours: Monday-Friday 2:00 PM- Midnight; Saturday 3:00 PM – 1:00 AM; Sunday 3:00 PM – 10:00 PM

The folks at TTR also operate Max’s Wine Dive, located at 4720 Washington Ave. (map) and they recently launched The Black Door retail wine club, offering exclusive deals on wine.

Photos from the personal collection of Christina Uticone and Joshua Payne.