You’ve probably already figured out that my pretentions were dropped immediately at the use of the adjective “cheap” in the name of this blog.   So keep that in mind as I insert my cheap wino ways into a very upscale Dallas restaurant, Fearing’s.

A good friend of mine was in town from NYC and he loves the restaurant Fearing’s (www.fearingsrestaurant.com) when he comes to Dallas. I get it. Dean Fearing does a masterful job of blending old standards with new innovations that all proudly carry the flag of Texas quisine. Well, he also has an amazing wine list and talented somelliers.

I’m there with my friend, who doesn’t drink wine, bless his heart. So I peruse the list looking for something intriguing that also might not cost too much. There it is: “Shooting Star Blue Franc, Washington State       36”.   This is way below the median price of the expansive list that sufficiently covers many of the world’s best wines.

So I ask the somellier, “What about that one?” as I point to the Blue Franc. His face lights up. He says, “This is a really nice drinking wine that goes with nearly everything on the menu.” After enjoying it with most of the meal he returned to check on our selection.   After I have affirmed his recommendation, he then admitted, “I buy this at the liquor store down the street for under $15.”

Sold!!!

It was great with my buffalo steak at Fearing’s. It has paired nicely with grilled meats—ribs, grilled pork chops and of course, steak.

Given that this is such a rare find, I ran across these notes on Wine Anthology from the winemaker, Jed Steele, and wanted to share them: “Unlike other Steele and Shooting Star red wine bottlings, our Blue Franc receives little, or no, oak aging. Some liken our Blue Franc, depending on vintage, to Pinot Noir in lighter years and Zinfandel in the riper vintages. Sometimes it is totally akin to a top-flight Gamay from Beaujolais. The wine is clean, crisp, and unpretentious with tons of fruit, including warm berry pie, complementing the traces of pepper, almond, cherry and cinnamon. Our Shooting Star Blue Franc has soft tannins, medium body, great color and is the perfect red wine to enjoy over the summer with any festive occasion.”

You can pick this up on the winemaker’s site for $13. I found it at a local Sigel’s for $12.99.

Composition: Blue Franc (Blau Frankisch) or Lemberger (100%)

Producer: Steele Wines (www.steelewines.com)

Appellation: Washington State – Yakima Valley

Appearance: Medium bodied; color of black cherries – deep red

Aroma: Lovely aroma of red fruit, chocolate and light smokiness

Taste: Big red fruit, spiciness, velvety feel with smooth tannins and a balanced finish