A winery to know

Chris Shepherd celebrates a hopeful winery growing forgotten grapes

For this week’s Wine Guy column, we are going to talk about one of my favorite wineries right now — Forlorn Hope. Yep, I have mentioned them from time to time, and you will see them on my Instagram, as well, but we are going to dig a little deeper today.

I had the opportunity to drive out to the vineyard and winery a couple of weeks ago and meet with winemaker Matthew Rorick. Rorick Heritage Vineyard is located is Calaveras County that is just outside the Sierra Foothills. I think we need to take a deep dive into the formation of The Sierra Foothills so you can start to understand how special this place is, not just to this county but to all of the Central Valley which is a massive wine/produce growing region.

A little geologic history
The Sierra Nevada foothills in California were formed primarily through a combination of tectonic plate collision and subduction, followed by subsequent erosion and uplift. Here is what has happened recently out there that makes it important (by recently I mean the last significant surge around 3 to 5 million years ago): the Sierra Nevada region experienced renewed uplift and tilting to the west. This uplift is thought to have been caused by various factors, including the removal of a dense "root" beneath the range and isostatic adjustments. The mountains essentially rose along a massive fault system on their eastern side, tilting the entire block westward.

As the Sierra Nevada was uplifted, erosion by glaciers, rivers, and other forces gradually exposed the granite core and shaped the landscape, including the foothills. The erosion also removed much of the volcanic rock that initially covered the granite. This is also the area where the California Gold Rush happened in the late 1840s.

Why is this important to the Rorick Heritage Vineyard? Well, for one, I thought one of the first things I saw when visiting the vineyard were big chunks of marble, but I was wrong. It was limestone. Why is limestone important? Limestone in California vineyards is prized for its ability to provide excellent drainage, retain moisture, and contribute to a mineral-rich soil profile, all of which can enhance vine health and wine quality. Specifically, its porous nature allows water to permeate through the soil, preventing waterlogging while still retaining enough moisture for dry spells. This, combined with the calcium carbonate content, which is crucial for vine growth, helps produce grapes with balanced characteristics and contributes to the distinctive minerality often found in wines from these vineyards. This vineyard is absolutely filled with it so it produces fantastic grapes for the wines.

The Forgotten Grapes
Forlorn Hope focuses on the underdogs, the old school varietals, the forgotten grapes. Or as they call them, the Rare Creatures. Wines like Verdelho, Picpoul, Semillon, Pineau d’aunis, Mouvedre and Trousseau noir.

Yes, you have probably heard of these varietals before, but they’re unusual for California. You know Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel all are delicious as well. The varietals that Forlorn is using are grafts from other winemakers that were brought here over the past 100 years or longer.

Forlorn Winery grapevine These Wente clone Chardonnay vines are over 50 years old.Photo by Chris Shepherd

Take the Chardonnay that is planted on the vineyard. It is the old Wente clone and has been planted for over 50 years at this point. Is all this special from a historical and delicious aspect? Yes, absolutely, because it’s not just what happens in the vineyard. The production methods that are used after picking also matter.

Once harvested, the grapes (depending on varietal) are pressed, either left on the skin or not, and left to the wishes of the natural yeast in the air. It goes through fermentation and either sits in stainless or, more traditionally, toasted new oak barrels until finished. Not at Forlorn Hope — they use old neutral barrels that let the grape and the vineyard speak for themselves. You get a clean taste of what that varietal and terroir taste like. It’s brilliant. Matthew’s partner Mara studied sparkling wine production in Northern California, and they have instilled a delicious sparkling program as well so you can have wines like Sparkling Rosé of Mondeuse.

What am I trying to tell you? If you want to try something different in your life and you love to learn, then Forlorn Hope is for you. It’s a club that we joined in 2021 and have been in love with every shipment. It’s not a wine you cellar because they have already done that for you. On one shipment, we got 3 vintages of semillon — 2014, 2015, and 2016.

This winery is fun, thoughtful, thought-provoking, and absolutely delicious without breaking the bank. I would say order some bottles off the website to try and then figure out if you want to join the club. Then start asking all your restaurants and wine shops to start carrying them as well. What they are doing matters, and we should celebrate it.

Photo by Chris Shepherd

Our Wine Guy recommends trying Forlorn Hope.

Till next time, drink something delicious and something new. Break outside of the same box that you have built for your palate and mind. You just might like it.

Here is a quote that I love: “Once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest places if you look at it right.” This speaks to the idea that the new discoveries can come from unexpected places if you are open to them. That is what Forlorn Hope is to me.

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Reach Chris via email at chris@chrisshepherd.is.

Chris Shepherd won a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest in 2014. The Southern Smoke Foundation, a nonprofit he co-founded with his wife Lindsey Brown, has distributed more than $12 million to hospitality workers in crisis through its Emergency Relief Fund. Catch his TV show, Eat Like a Local, every Saturday at 10 am on KPRC Channel 2 or on YouTube.

chris shepherd wine

designed for all occasions

New restaurant's Astrodome-inspired design is 'unlike anything in Houston'

Photo by Leonid Furmansky

Kirkwood's design includes a recreation of the Astrodome's ceiling.

Legendary Houstonian Mac Haik has managed to fit many lives into his impressive 80 years. Haik, whose empire of car dealerships made him a household name, played no small part in the development of the city’s booming west side. Prior to that, at just 22-years-old, Haik made history with the Houston Oilers as the first person to catch a touchdown pass in the Astrodome.

His latest venture — the glitzy Kirkwood restaurant — pays homage to the Energy Corridor, a storied football career, and the people who helped him along the way.

While the Mac Haik Restaurant Group has focused on franchises such as breakfast concept First Watch, Kirkwood is its debut signature restaurant concept. The restaurant’s kitchen is led by executive chef Stephen Chiang, who guests will see quite a lot of thanks to the copper-clad, open-concept kitchen that includes a custom copper hood.

Located at the base of Energy Tower II at 11720 Katy Freeway, MHRG designed Kirkwood to host a range of experiences. When it opens on Monday, May 11, Kirkwood is intended to become a go-to spot for lunch meetings, a chic spot for group dinners and celebrations, and a cozy place to share a romantic evening near the double-sided, all-seasons fireplace, among other occasions.

It takes a keen eye and majorly-sharp editing skills to create a space that can perform so many different tasks. It’s unusual for a space that highlights a career in sports to read as elegant and refined, but designer Gin Braverman has done just that. Gin Design Group is the firm behind many of the best hospitality designs in Houston — including Eunice, Haii Keii, and ChòpnBlọk — and Kirkwood is no exception.

“We were going for a classic clubhouse vibe with a Vegas layer of glitz — definitely a Vegas ‘wow factor,’” Braverman tells CultureMap. “It’s going to be a draw for everyone. You can rent out the sunroom as well as the private dining room, so that will be a big draw. There is a bar cart going around and table side features. There are so many different experiences to be had in the space. It’s going to hit all the boxes.”

The 242-seat restaurant covers almost 7,000 square feet separated into distinctive spaces: a 154-seat main dining area; 16-seat private Frances Room, named after Haik’s mother; and a 1,900-square-foot sunroom, named the Sunny Room after Haik’s wife, with seating for 72 centered around a curved, double-sided fireplace.

The restaurant’s symbol, a magnolia, is a nod to Haik’s home state of Mississippi. One impressive magnolia sighting belongs to the patinated-copper front doors inlaid with the flowers and accentuated by leather door pulls. Prior to entering, diners pass through a gallery of wall display cases with Mac Haik memorabilia.

In the rotunda, customers are greeted from above by a mirrored glass replica of the ceiling of the Houston Astrodome, created by the artisans at Houston-based design and fabrication firm Rootlab. Broken stone mosaic floor tiles add playful movement and patter to the space. Tactile installations like felt wallcoverings by Phillip Jeffries and velvet draperies keep the space feeling warm and inviting amid all the glass and stone.

The lounge occupies a raised platform with an artisan parquet floor and a burled-wood covered ceiling featuring beautifully-placed copper light fixtures by Tom Dixon, custom sofas, a custom rug, and custom tables.

An inviting, oversized wraparound bar beckons diners to mingle beneath a tiered canopy, composed of burled walnut, which is also carried through to the bar’s facade, bullnose trim, and integrated foot rail. A marble countertop completes the bar, while the stone is repeated in the custom tables. Custom barstools take inspiration from the seats of Mac’s now vintage Porsche.

Illuminated cove lighting anchors the bar space, with a red-tinted mirror installed behind the bar shelving and the liquor lockers on the end caps. The shelving is highlighted by custom LED racetrack lighting. Custom copper and alabaster bar lamps complete the space.

Kirkwood’s booths have been upholstered with alternating leather and teal velvet fabrics with a copper-tinted toe-kick for a bit of glam. Custom arched lighting — crossing above each booth — is comprised of a copper finish structure, alabaster lenses, and copper chain accents.

The central dining and exposition kitchen space is a framed with burled wood-clad banquettes with integrated planters. Broken stone mosaic floor tiles dance beneath the custom large-scale chandelier that features inverted alabaster and copper arches and a wood surround with integrated cove lighting.

The private dining room features rich leather wall panelings, a custom leather buffet table, and a metallic gold plaster ceiling with hand-painted magnolia detailing.

Lastly, the 1,400-square-foot sunroom features a knockout fireplace with an integrated overhead planter. Custom light columns with copper metal mesh flank the fireplace. An impressive glass-and-metal bar canopy attaches to the back bar fireplace.

The restaurant’s art collection further enriches the space, with original works by English artist Paul Dove displayed throughout. In the private dining room, an original painting by Austin-based artist Lucy MacQueen offers a more personal note, interpreting “The Grove” at Haik’s alma mater, Ole Miss. The piece also serves as a quiet tribute to his mother, Frances Jordan, who was recently honored with a memorial wall at the iconic site. Artist Melissa Leandro contributed a vibrantly embroidered interpretation of the magnolia motifs to the back wall of the sunroom.

Overall, Braverman is thrilled with the design of Kirkwood. So, which spot is her favorite?

“The sunroom,” she says. “That circular bar with the column lamps and fireplace with the skylight are unlike anything else in Houston.”

Photo by Leonid Furmansky

Kirkwood's design includes a recreation of the Astrodome's ceiling.