• Texas winery finally sold: Cap*Rock Winery has finally been sold, for $2.5 million in a bankruptcy sale to a San Antonio man who owns 117 fast food franchises. New owner Jim Bodenstedt isn't speaking publicly about his plans for the winery, although Vintage Texas' Russ Kane is supposed to talk to Bodenstedt soon. In a news release, the new owner was vague, other than saying he would upgrade the winery's operations. The Cap*Rock sale has been news since Laurent Gruet, of New Mexico's Gruet sparkling wine house, withdrew his $6.5 million bid for the winery. Bodenstedt likely has two choices in revitalizing Cap*Rock. He can buy California fruit and turn the winery into a tourist attraction, which will likely pay his debt in the quickest time possible and would be the smart business thing to do. Or, he can make Texas wine at a Texas winery and help improve the state's wine industry. I'll be curious to see what he does.
• Best California winery: The Wine Curmudgeon often has harsh words for California wine, but that never includes Paso Robles' Robert Hall Winery. Dollar for dollar, winemaker Don Brady (who started at Texas' Pheasant Ridge and Llano Estacado, and is always nice to me when we taste) produces some of California's top wines. His Rhone de Robles, a red blend, is always worth drinking, and the rose isn't bad, either. And now the winery has a prestigious award to prove how good the wine is -- the state's winery of the year for 2010. This is the first time that a winery from Paso Robles or the Central Coast has won the award. Sadly, Don didn't get much of a chance to enjoy it, His son, Bryan, was killed in a car accident at about the time the award was announced. My condolences to Don and his family.
• South Africa pushing pinotage: Pinotage is South Africa's signature red wine grape, and the South Africans -- despite skepticism from many, including the Wine Curmudgeon -- are always eager to prove its value. This article, from a leading business newspaper, is a good introduction to pinotage -- where it has been and where it is going.
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