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Well, maybe he did, or at least he was hoping it would. A whole year after filming was completed, The Winemakers debuted in the Austin area on KLRU this fall, keeping us tuned every Saturday afternoon to see our local wine expert in action. Having known him for a few years, I was sure that his gregarious personality, great sense of humor, and impressive wine knowledge would take him far on the show. So on Halloween Day, I was among the large crowd of friends, family and show enthusiasts who showed-up at Twin Liquors Emporium in Hancock Center to watch the series finale. After a year's wait and much suspense, Outon was proclaimed the winner amid cheers and toasts with the winning wine. I had been looking forward to peeling off the generic "remove label only after finale," so I did as I poured the wine in our glasses, revealing the 45 RPM label. As a music lover and long-time record collector (like Outon), I love the graphic of the 45-rpm record turntable attachment. To think that the new generations don't even know what I am talking about!
The show took place in vineyards and wineries in Paso Robles, so the contestants had Rhone varietals – what the region is well known for – to work with. "I tried to make a wine that works with brisket," says Outon, fully showing his true Texas Carnivore nature. "It's fruity enough to chill down 20 degrees without getting bitter, so it works with red meat and poultry," making it a perfect wine for Texas BBQ parties. Tasting it during the screening, I detected Grenache, Syrah and Zinfandel. I wasn't far off: "It's Grenache-based with Syrah, Petite Sirah, Mourvedre and Zin," Outon told me afterwards. "So, for the holidays it should work well with turkey, and all the way up to rack of lamb. I'm gonna try it with injected turkey and all the traditional fixin’s at Thanksgiving." Personally, I already have a few bottles slated for holiday consumption. Smooth and delicious right-off-the-bat, the wine grows in the glass and gets even more lush. Bright red fruits, a hint of chocolate and velvety tannins make it an elegant wine yet approachable for everyday drinking. “For all those hunters out there, I think this wine would be a great complement to venison. Hell, this wine would be a delicious marinade for venison. At $15.99 (less 20% on cases) it's not too precious to cook with,” says Outon with that big, bright smile of his.
Because of his many years at Twin Liquors, they are currently the only retail outlet where the wine is available, "but I am gonna talk to Central Market about maybe doing something in Houston and Dallas," he says. Of course, since he's behind the wine and cocktail list at Ranch 616, they are pouring it too. "I'd love to see it show up elsewhere in town," he confides.
So what's next for our new local celeb? He is working fewer hours at the store, concentrating on wine consulting and education, and as I teasingly tell him, is available for parties and functions (keep that in mind for your holiday parties and gifts). In fact, at the November Night to Remember event for the Hill Country Wine and Food Festival, two items featuring Outon were auctioned: a "Wine 101" tasting for 25, and a wine paring dinner for 12. He is also looking into a winemaking apprenticeship somewhere. "I talked to Adam Lee (winemaker at Siduri) when we hosted November Night. He is very cool and offered lots of interesting ideas," he says. And since his short visit to Argentina's wine region, he wouldn't mind a return. What I know is this: whatever his next step, he'll be successful. And we can say, "we knew him when ... "
Ross Outon can be contacted at
rossthewineguy@yahoo.com for events and consulting.