Jay’s Wine Club

Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life’s most civilized pleasures. – Michael Broadbent.

In the kitchen, chef Andrew Steiner is poaching burgers with herbed butter after searing them. It’s his little secret for moist burgers. The bison sliders will be paired with a storied Napa Valley estate cabernet sauvignon.

Back in 2010, Wine Spectator awarded 97 points to Revana’s 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. It was No. 4 out of the magazine’s top 100 wines. The bold red typically is paired with elegant fare. “But Mr. Williams wanted burgers,” Andrew said, referring to Jay Williams, who is hosting the dinner for members of his wine club.

“There are no rules anymore,” the chef noted. “With wines these days, you have to go with your gut feeling.”

The group of nine guys doesn’t have an official name. Members fondly refer to it as Jay’s Wine Club. Jay conceived the idea three years ago. “I asked one of the smartest guys I know how he got to be so knowledgeable about wines,” recalled the real-estate developer and mayor of the City of Bunker Hill Village. “He said that he and about four or five friends would get together every month to taste wines, and that was how they learned about wines. I thought, ‘What a good way to do this,’ so I started calling my friends.”

Members, along with their guests, meet every other month to learn about wines. The venue varies widely, from a kitchen table to a fancy restaurant. Sometimes, they sample wines with just hors d’oeuvres, and on more than one occasion, pizzas. Tonight  is different. Chef Andrew has prepared a five-course dinner. Even so, dress remains casual. Jeans are encouraged along with lighthearted bantering.

Vintner Madaiah Revana will be there to discuss his wines, along with Revana Wines president John Gabelhausen. To start, light appetizers of smoked trout and beef carpaccio will be paired with a crisp Riesling from Alexana, an Oregon vineyard Revana purchased nearly a decade after he planted grapes on a 10-acre virgin plot in the Napa Valley. His California estate on the edge of the idyllic town of St. Helena remains the crown jewel of his three vineyards, which now includes the 20-acre Corazon Del Sol in Argentina.

WINE'S UP Jay Williams started a club where members meet regularly to learn about – and sample – wines. (Photo: lawellphoto.com)

Revana’s story echoes the American Dream: a humble farm boy from a tiny Indian village near Bangalore who immigrated to New York to train in internal medicine in the mid-’70s. He never raised a wine glass until age 27. It was in Dallas, and it was love at first sip. Decades later, after establishing himself as one of Houston’s premier cardiologists, the father of two returned to his farming roots and planted grapes.

“Three vineyards. That is impressive. Have you turned a profit yet, Dr. Revana?” a wine club member asked.

“No, not yet,” replied Revana with a chuckle. “But I love the vineyards and the settings. The whole process of grapes to wines resonates with me. I do this because wine is my passion. Not only does it bring people together, but as a cardiologist, I consider, too, the health benefits of drinking a glass or two a day. “

The wines started to pour. Revana makes about 26 different wines, and Chef Andrew has kicked off the meal with honey-roasted duck salad. The tart cherries in the vinaigrette echo the berries in the three  Alexana Winery pinot noirs. Next, he pairs braised wine-marinated pork belly with the Argentinean wines. At his Kat’s Barbecue joint 45 minutes southeast of Houston in Santa Fe, pork is the star of his menu.

“I have a question for everyone tonight,” Jay announced. “What is the last glass of wine you would go out with?” 

“Kosta Browne Sonoma Pinot Noir 2012,” said attorney Ned Barnett without missing a beat.

“Can I have two instead of just one?” asked Revana’s president John Gabelhausen. “The 1990  Coche-Dury Meursault Les Genevrières and the 1947 Château Haut-Brion. It’s spectacular, and did you know it was Thomas Jefferson’s favorite wine? There is just this purity and innocence to the wine. So balanced and gracious.”

“The 1990 Château Lynch-Bages,” said David Peterman. “I bought a case of that. I’ve been drinking the same case ever since. Some years, it’s not so good. And right now, it is so spectacular. Funny how that works.”

“My choice? The Biondi-Santi, a Brunello. No doubt I would go out with that,” Jay says. “My wife and I spent our first anniversary in Italy, and we visited the winery, so there is good memory there.... You know with wine, it’s not necessary the best wine you choose to go out with. It could be just because of a great memory.”

Along with the bison burgers, the evening ended with Matt Shaffer, who, fellow members said, has the keenest palate. “I can’t remember the names of wine,” the attorney said. “So the best bottle I have had is the last bottle I had.”