Continuing my stories about visits to wineries, our next stop is at Tapiz in Medoza Argentina.  A "small family" winery with 2,000 acres in the Mendoza region; Mendoza is a region and a major city in western Argentina nestled up against the Andes mountains. Below is one of the vineyard managers cooking off some amazingly delicious empanadas made by his wife for our lunch in a wood fired earth oven. I only ate 10, but one of my fellow Wine Managers had a whole lot more and she will remain nameless. You can see one of Tapiz's vineyards and then the Andes Mountains in the background.

Wines tend to show very well in such a setting, but they also show very well back here in Houston. My favorites are:

• Chardonnay, rich tropical fruits of mango and papaya, but without the heaviness from oak barrels, as this was made in stainless steel tanks. 

• Merlot, a soft lighter style that is perfect with summer time BBQs. Juicy ripe black fruits stay long in the dry finish.

• Cabernet Sauvignon, hints of subtle vanillin from judicious use of oak barrels, and hints of herbs d' provence blended with black cherries make this a spectacular wine with steaks, like the rib-eyes and strips that have been on sale.

Cheers, Martin K, Resident Wino, Houston Central Market