SUNDAY, MARCH 29
It was an enjoyable evening at Eos, where a couple of dozen wine lovers gathered to sample wines from Vina Robles paired with dishes from Chef Wes Long. Vina Robles President Hans Michel was on hand to talk about each wine and vineyard operations.

From left: Eos partner Martha Chapman; Eos owner Shelley Smith; Hans Michel, president of Vina Robles; Eos partner Brian Torres; and Russell Krautheim of Ultimate Distributors.

While every course was a a winner, two stood out for me.

First, house-smoked smoked halibut with fava beans and twice baked fingerling potatoes paired perfectly with the slightly smoky nose of Vina Robles 2007 Sauvignon Blanc. The wine was atypical to a degree – lacking the often pronounced grapefruit characteristics of Sauv Blanc. Stringent vineyard management and not undergoing malolactic fermentation drives the character of this delightfully diverse wine.

Vina Robles Red 4 blend matched brilliantly with house cured pork belly with seared crisp skin – and joined by oyster mushrooms, arugula and sugarette. What a beautiful array of flavors.

Watch for upcoming release of White 4 – the blended white wine companion to wildly popular Red 4. A meritage is coming as well. Suendero marries majority Cabernet Sauvignon with Petite Verdot to form a big, landmark wine. It recently won Grand Champion Best of Show at the 2009 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo International Wine Competition.