wine guy Wednesday

Chris Shepherd recommends more wines for Thanksgiving, plus a can't-miss meal

I love a great wine event, especially when it’s a winery that I truly love. This one is a true banger.

On Wednesday, November 19, the team at The Marigold Club will be hosting Scribe Winery owner Andrew Mariani. Scribe has redefined the wine experience in Sonoma, where the breathtaking hacienda estate looks out over the picturesque vineyards and hills of lower Sonoma Valley.

For one evening only, they will be be bringing an exceptional lineup of wines featuring limited production wines rarely seen outside the winery, new releases that will be making their Houston debut, and a few of their brilliant flagship wines that show their distinctive style.

We personally love their wines like the Sylvaner which is so bright and clean. The Chardonnays show such distinctive vineyard characteristics and their Pinot Noirs just scream sunshine! They have such an exciting line up that whatever they are pouring is going to hit perfectly with the menu. I know that the culinary team has got this menu on lock, because Scribe makes some of the most food-friendly wines I’ve ever had. I also got a sneak peak at the menu and it looks amazing!

This, in fact, is a tasting that Lindsey and I must do every time we are out there. Plus, we are club members, so to say this is a special dinner is an understatement. It’s been a hard few weeks and you deserve to treat yourself before the holiday season kicks off.

Get your tickets here ($295)!

More Thanksgiving Day wine picks

We should discuss some more Turkey Day wines while we are at it. Remember that St Joseph Blanc we talked about over at Houston Wine Merchant last week? Well, you guys went and bought all of it, so I spoke with June Rodil, who is one of Houston’s seven master sommeliers, about wines at Montrose Cheese & Wine for this special day.

Hold on to your cranberry sauce, because we are going deep!

From June:
This is our Thanksgiving pack and can be purchased as a 4 pack or individually!

Domaine du Père Caboche Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Rhone Valley, France, 2023
Beautiful bright color with light yellow and green reflections. The nose is very complex and pretty with white flowers, peach, and ginger. This wine is unmistakably delicious, with notes of fresh pear at the end. The mouth is smooth and lush with nice aromatics and light peppered notes.

Tribute to Grace, Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard, California, Grenache Rosé, 2024
Winemaker Angela Osborne connects deeply with this single vineyard old-vine Grenache grown at 3,200 feet and uses biodynamic principles to convert the energy of the land into this graceful (no pun intended) Rosé. Angela foot treads the whole-cluster fruit before fermentation to extract color for this Rosé. With this bottle, you can expect a palate packed with delicate floral and stone fruit flavors with bright acidity and an herbal anise-tinged finish.

Claus Preisinger 'Puszta Libre' Burgenland, Austria, 2023
A wild-yet-lively and very drinkable red wine blend from Burgenland, Austria that's made from Saint Laurent and Zweigelt. Delicate tannins and a vibrant red and black berried fruit character make this an excellent wine for the table. Drinks well with a slight chill.

Gregoletto, Treviso Sui Lieviti Prosecco, Veneto, Italy, 2023
Naturally made Prosecco, made by refermenting in bottle without disgorgement. It has the slight cloudiness of a pet-nat with bracingly pure, clean flavors. It is crafted via sustainable, traditional practices in the hilly epicenter of the vast Prosecco zone, and that great terroir shines through with clarity in each mouthwatering sip. You’ll see that the Gregoletto family is in a league all their own when it comes to old-school Italian farmer fizz.

All of these for $125. That is a damn fine price for this.

June also reminded me that the annual Beaujolais release is set for November 20 and how this is perfect wine for Thanksgiving. I love Cru Beaujolais, and Montrose Cheese & Wine has put together a 12-pack for the season.

More from June:
We have a 12 pack of all the Crus of Beaujolais and then some on presale for Beaujo Day on Nov 20! Tour de Beaujolais, $395 (Par 12)

Montrose Cheese and Wine Thanksgiving 4-pack

Photo by Zach Horst

Find these four wines at Montrose Cheese & Wine.

Juicy, opulent, palate wetting, and diverse, the array of Beaujolais we’ve put together will provide an immaculate pairing alongside Thanksgiving dinner and festivities alike. Here at Montrose Cheese & Wine, we have a proclivity to the delectable array of expressions based in Beaujolais; you deserve to taste through the entirety of what Beaujolais has to offer as well!

As a region, Beaujolais is divided into 10 different departments, titled crus, shown by a declaration of which cru on the face of the label. Each of these crus have a unique expression and allow a different part of the delicious gamay grape to shine, from the aromatic nature of Fleurie to the bold presence of Moulin-à-Vent. We’ve put together a selection of 10 bottles, one from each of the 10 crus, plus a Beaujolais Nouveau and Beaujolais-Village, to make a full 12 bottle case!

Ten crus, North to South: Saint-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié, Côte de Brouilly, and Brouilly

Who wants to take the tour with me? I love all of this, and you should add this to that game plan I wrote about in last week’s column. One stop shop is what I’m talking about. Wine dinners, Turkey Day packs, and a tour of Cru Beaujolais?

Goodnight is right!

Have fun this Thanksgiving and remember to email me if you have any questions!!!

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Need any other Thanksgiving advice? Send Chris an 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 $15 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.

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rumor no more

East Coast-style Austin pizzeria confirms plans to open in the Heights

Home Slice Pizza Heights location rendering

Courtesy of the Michael Hsu Office of Architecture

A rendering previews Home Slice Pizza's new location in the Heights.

One of Austin’s pizzerias is expanding its presence in Houston. Home Slice Pizza has claimed the former Mapojeong space in the Heights (602 Studewood) for a new location that will open in the fall of 2026.

Founder Joseph Strickland tells CultureMap that Home Slice wanted to add a second Houston location that would build on the success of its Midtown restaurant that opened in late 2022. Unlike Midtown, which is counter service and offers limited seating, the Heights location will offer full service, an expanded menu, and cocktails, which is in line with Home Slice’s North Austin location.

“We saw a lot of synergy in North Austin and the Heights,” Strickland says. “They have a similar feel, a lot of families, a lot of people looking to get together in big groups. There’s also a robust bar scene on White Oak that we’re happy to be part of.”

Strickland says Home Slice had several requirements for a new location, including a larger dining room than Midtown, a decent-sized parking lot, and enough kitchen capacity to serve both dine-in and larger to-go orders. Not only did they find the right building, but they established a productive relationship with the property’s owner, Revive Development, the Houston-based firm that also owns properties that are home to Loro, Squable, Camaraderie, and the Stomping Grounds development in Garden Oaks.

“It was hard to believe at first. The more we talked with the Revive folks, there was a lot of alignment and opportunity for us to expand what we’re showing Houston,” Stickland says.

Home Slice is working with the Michael Hsu Office of Architecture to renovate the building. Strickland notes that it will require some extensive changes, including removing the butcher shop that was installed as part of its iteration as Ritual, a steakhouse that closed in 2021. Assuming everything goes according to plan, the restaurant should open sometime in the fall of 2026.

Home Slice Pizza food spread Home Slice serves New York-style pizza.Photo by Garrett Smith

Once open, Home Slice will serve its East Coast-inspired menu of New York-style pizzas (whole or by-the-slice), hot and cold Italian deli sandwiches, salads, and desserts — all of which utilize dough or bread that’s made in-house. In particular, the restaurant is known for its white clam pizza, as well as classics such as pepperoni and mushroom or sausage with ricotta and roasted peppers. In 2024, the Houston Press awarded “Best Sandwich” to the restaurant’s Italian Assorted, which is made with ham, dry salami, capicola, genoa salami, vegetables, provolone, mayo, and oil & vinegar.

Critically, the Heights Home Slice location will add wings to the New York and Sicilian-style pizzas, salads, and sandwiches that the restaurant serves in Midtown. Inspired by the wings served at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, Home Slice keeps its wings simple — medium or hot and served with a house made blue cheese dressing. “It goes with our pizza quite wonderfully,” Stickland says.

He hopes that the the wide-ranging menu, flexible menu, and late night hours will appeal to Heights locals, people patronizing the nearby bars on White Oak, and anyone else looking for a slice and a drink. The larger location and full service should make home slice an option for date nights, office happy hours, any just about any other occasion.

“We hope the neighborhood will be happy to have another offering that’s like ours, where you can bring a first date or your office or go by yourself. We offer all those experiences,” Strickland says.

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