http://gusclemensonwine.com/, https://gusclemens.substack.com/, https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social, h

Gus Clemens on Wine, 2702 Nasworthy Drive, San Angelo, TX (2026)

08/29/2026

All the toilets in the police headquarters were stolen. The police report they have nothing to go on. Wine time.

08/29/2026

Beronia Tempranillo Rioja, España 2023 is a textbook example of the Tempranillo aromas and flavors you anticipate in a Rioja. It is 100% Tempranillo made to be relatively simple on your palate and easy on your pocketbook. Nothing to write about with exclamation points in your wine journal, but no need for frowning emojis either. Good weekday tipple from a consistent maker. Typically $14-18.

Fruit-forward, modern Rioja made for drinking young when all you want is a tasty wine that does not demand deep contemplation. This is young “joven” style Rioja (joven is Spanish for “young”) made with limited time in mixed oak barrels—American oak staves, French oak ends—to get oak impact in six months. Intended as an introductory effort leading to Beronia’s more serious, and more tannic and complex wines, for which you might pay up to double the price.

The Beronia company was founded in 1973 by a group of businessmen from the Basque Country and who would come to La Rioja on holiday. Sharing a love of food and wine, they created their own gastronomic society, or txoko as it is called locally. Next, they decided to produce their own wines to enjoy with the local cuisine, specializing in Reserva and Gran Reserva wines, for which they are now famous. This is a toddler Rioja compared to those efforts.

In 1982, the winery joined the González Byass Family of Wines and expanded into international markets. Today, Beronia is one of the best-known Spanish wineries in both international and domestic markets, producing pure, traditional Rioja wines with its own personality and Beronia style.

Rioja is the best-known Spanish wine region. It lies in the valley of the Ebro River with the Cantabrian Mountains to the north and the Demanda range to the south. The region encompasses more than 165,000 acres of vines that produced more than 68.6 million gallons of wine in 2023. By contrast, the next year saw challenges, and the region produced 50 million gallons.

The region is traditionally believed to get its name from the Oja River (Río Oja in Spanish), but some sources indicate a Latin-Basque origin. Rioja is divided into three zones: Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Alta, and Rioja Baja (renamed Rioja Oriental in 2018). Bodegas Beronia is located in the village of Ollauri in north-central Spain and in the heart of Rioja Alta. Rioja Alta sits on the western edge of Rioja and is higher in elevation—hence the name—and is known for its Old World-style wines. The higher elevation means a shorter growing season and wines with bright fruit flavors that are lighter on the palate.

Beronia Tempranillo Rioja, España 2023: Deep ruby color; blackberry, black plum, cherry, blueberry, cocoa, vanilla, coconut, light spice on the nose and palate.

Dry; gentle tannins; enough acidity to be brisk without demanding attention. Medium body, juicy and round in the mouth rather than grippy or structured. Clean, mouthwatering finish that lingers long enough to be noticed. This is a value-focused Rioja to be enjoyed early. At three years, this is likely at its affable peak. Not a great Rioja, but more than adequate for a swirl you bought with spare change in your pocket. 14% ABV

Pairing—Grilled red meat, lamb, pasta with red sauces; grilled poultry, Ibérico sausage, seared pork tenderloin; mushroom and Mediterranean vegetable dishes. Meat-lover pizza, burgers and sliders, Spanish tapas, meatloaf. Cheese—Aged Manchego (6–12 months), Idiazábal, Mahón, Zamorano, young Ossau-Iraty, aged Gouda, Edam. Avoid pungent blues, very fresh goat cheese, and washed-rind cheeses.

Beronia website http://www.beronia.com/en/

Photos: Bodegas Beronia; Bodegas Beronia barrel room; Bodegas Beronia bottle aging; Rioja region old vine; Beronia vineyard; Beronia vineyard; Beronia vineyard

08/22/2026

What do sprinters eat before a race? Nothing. They fast.
Wine time.

08/22/2026

W. & J. Graham’s Six Grapes Special Vila Velha Edition Reserve Porto, Douro Valley, Portugal: Is there a better way to finish a quality meal than enjoying a glass of Porto (authentic port wine from Portugal)? I don’t think so either.

Medium-plus sweet; balancing acidity. Very full body. Velvety richness masks the high alcohol (19.5% ABV). “Reserve Porto” is relatively young port. The name indicates style and quality. Graham’s ages this wine two to three years in seasoned casks to preserve youthful fruit characteristics. $40–47

This is a single-vineyard production from Quinta da Vila Velha, property purchased by James Symington in 1987. Over the next three decades, Symington restored and expanded the quinta into a well-tended 358-acre riverside property with 135 acres under vine. Principally a blend of the Douro region’s major grapes: 56% Touriga Nacional (tannins, richness), 36% Touriga Franca (aromatics), 8% Alicante Bouschet (blackberry). Each variety is picked according to its ideal ripeness, then often fermented separately. Blending happens later according to each variety’s characteristics. Charles Symington was the winemaker. This special edition honored James Symington, who died in 2020.

Brothers William and John Graham first established their firm in northwest Portugal to trade in textiles. In 1820, they accepted 27 barrels (“pipes”) of Porto in payment of a debt. Shortly thereafter, they devoted all their energy to making port wine. In the ensuing years, W. & J. Graham’s became one of the great Porto houses.

In 1970, the Symington family, who had produced Porto since 1882, purchased the Graham’s operation. The purchase represented an interesting twist, since 88 years before, the founder of Symington, A.J. Symington, began his career at Graham’s. The Symingtons now control or have historically controlled Cockburn’s, Graham’s, Warre’s, Dow’s, Smith Woodhouse, Gould Campbell, Quarles Harris, and Martinez—by far the world’s strongest Porto portfolio. They have the largest vineyard ownership in the Douro.

The six grapes label does not mean six different grapes. The grapes are grown and turned into wine in the upper Douro in northern Portugal, then transported to Gaia (on the opposite bank of the Douro from the port of Porto) where the wines are aged in “lodges” before being taken by truck to shipping facilities in the port city that gives the wine its name. To identify the different grades of wine leaving facilities in northern Portugal, barrels are marked with coded symbols describing the type of wine they contain. When the barrels are received in Gaia, the requisite symbol and quantity are entered into large ledgers known as “lot books.”

Graham’s adopted its own set of lot book codes, with geometric symbols, letters and other designs describing the style of the maturing wines. Only the wines with vintage potential were designated “Six Grapes”, that being the highest of their six possible classifications.

People sadly pigeonhole Porto as a winter wine to be sipped around blazing fireplaces while cold winds whistle outside. That is unfortunate. Porto is an all-the-year libation. Porto can be served chilled, which knocks down the heat on the finish and makes it a nice warm-weather drink. Graham’s suggests enjoying this at a summer evening picnic paired with s’mores and a campfire under starry skies. Sounds wonderful and decadently delicious.

Because it is a fortified wine, it can remain fresh after opening for two months if stored in a cool, dark place. Graham’s ports traditionally are sweeter and more fruit-driven than others. They’re also sensationally smooth on the palate and delicious. They virtually command you to take another sip—although at 19.5% ABV, some resistance is advised.

W. & J. Graham’s Six Grapes Special Vila Velha Edition Reserve Porto, Douro Valley, Portugal: Deep ruby-purple color; plum, black cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant, raisin, licorice, chocolate, mocha, rosemary, mint, pine resin, esteva, subtle oak on the nose and palate. Medium-plus sweet (98 g/L); tight tannins; balancing acidity (4.6 g/L tartaric acid). Lush and jammy; a plum and chocolate delight. Intense and focused through long finish.

Pairing—While this is a classic after-dinner sipper enjoyed on its own, it also pairs with dark chocolate, chocolate desserts and other sweet desserts; pistachio sorbet; and dark chocolate truffles. Cheese—Mature and hard cheeses; blue cheese is classic; aged Gouda, Gruyère, Romano, Parmesan, Cheddar.

Graham’s website https://www.grahams-port.com/wines/
Six Grapes website http://sixgrapes.grahams-port.com

Photos: Graham’s vineyard; Graham’s vineyard; Graham’s vineyard; William & John Graham; Graham’s barrel aging room; Graham’s library room; Entrance to Graham’s lodge; Graham’s barrel aging and tasting room; Symington family: Johnny, Rupert, Charles, Paul, Dominic

08/18/2026

What did the pirate get on his report card? Seven Cs.
Wine time.

08/18/2026

Teliani Valley 8K Ancient Red, Georgia is a rich Saperavi wine aged in qvevri (clay amphora) in Georgian tradition dating back thousands of years. Georgian winemaking has made a spectacular comeback from its dreary days of Soviet plonk pushing. This is a crowd-pleasing example of that revival at a bargain price. $12-20

This is not complex, not exotic, just an acceptable everyday table wine. Part of its allure, certainly, is that you are drinking wine made in the birthplace of wine. Georgia can credibly claim an 8,000-year-old winemaking tradition, confirmed by archaeological evidence. By comparison, France’s prestigious classed-growth châteaux are still in their toddler-in-diapers stage.

Two young winemakers started Teliani Valley in 1997. Today’s winery was built largely from scratch rather than taking over a Soviet-era wine factory, but it is on a site that dates to a 19th-century winery. Its Soviet-era successor, the Teliani Wine Cellar No. 2, built in the 1950s. By 1997, the Soviet winery was largely in disrepair, certainly not configured for quality wine. The operation had built a new facility in 2005. Teliani Valley winery is located in Telavi, Kakheti Region, the heart of Georgia’s wine country. Grapes come from the 1,730-acre estate vineyard. Temuri Dakishvili is the winemaker.

Teliani Valley’s mission is to combine ancient Georgian winemaking—including the use of qvevri in this bottling—with modern equipment and techniques. Teliani also makes other wines using oak barrels, for instance. They aim to fuse the best of both worlds. That includes using indigenous grapes that teetered on the brink of extinction under the Soviet system that demanded quantity over quality. Georgians bristled under that imposition of state power and kept the ancient vines alive in backyard plots. Now we get to appreciate the fruits of those acts of courageous cultural preservation.

Saperavi means “paint” or “something to dye with” in Georgian, a reference to the wine’s deep purple-ruby color. Saperavi is one of the world’s few teinturier grapes—it has red flesh in addition to its red skin. This gives the wine its distinctive dark color. Native to the Kakheti region of eastern Georgia, it is now grown in Armenia, Moldova, Ukraine, Australia, and New York’s Finger Lakes region, testimony to its cold-hardiness when climate demands it and adaptable to various soil types. It ripens late while retaining natural acidity. Well worth a taste.

Teliani Valley 8K Ancient Red, Georgia: Deep ruby color; blackberry, black plum, ripe cherry, pomegranate, black tea, licorice, clove, earth, dried herbs on the nose and palate.

Dry, but rich fruitiness gives the illusion of semi-dry; smooth, round tannins; pleasant acidity. Full, fleshy body. Its admirably discreet alcohol (12.5% ABV) keeps it from feeling massive. The finish amply delivers plush, lingering flavors. It is an easy-drinking, affordable gateway to Georgian wine.

Pairing—Grilled lamb chops, braised short ribs, hearty stews, barbecue. Roast duck, duck breast, game birds with berry reductions. Venison and other wild game. Creamy mushroom pastas. General comfort foods—meat lover’s pizza, meatloaf, hamburgers, tomato-based pastas. Cheese—Georgian aged Sulguni, smoked cow’s milk cheeses. Aged Gouda, sharp white Cheddar, Manchego, aged Pecorino.

Teliani Valley website https://telianivalley.com/en

Photos: Teliani Valley winery; Teliani Valley vineyard; Teliani Valley harvest; Teliani Valley qvevri; Teliani Valley qvevri cellar; Tending qvevri at Teliani Valley

08/16/2026

Two obstreperous poets argued very loudly in a pub.

Fed up with the ruckus, the pub owner ripped a scone in half and shoved a piece into each poet’s mouth. Both poets choked to death.

The pub owner killed two bards with one scone.

Wine time

08/16/2026

Wedding Oak Winery Tioja Texas Red Wine 2022 is a Texas riff on Spain’s Rioja reds, “Tioja” being a play on the Spanish name. Tempranillo is the dominant Rioja grape, and dominates Texas’s Tioja, too, with a blending assist from Primitivo, Dolcetto, Pinot Noir, and Mourvèdre. Meat-friendly crowd pleaser worth finding. $30-37

The blend is a window into Texas winemaking. Tempranillo does well in Texas, where the climate echoes parts of Spain. While the grape has found a welcoming home in Texas in general, winemaker Penny Adams and her team had their hands full in 2022 from Texas weather. Beginning with a hard winter freeze, followed by stiff spring winds disrupted flowering (causing shattering), then triple-digit days in summer. Irrigation was required. Yields were restricted and the fruit more concentrated. Not a bad thing for wine quality, a vexation for the vineyard’s bean counters.

Mike and Lynn McHenry own Wedding Oak Winery. In 1996, on a whim following a trade show in Dallas, they purchased 112 acres south of San Saba, Texas. Soon thereafter, Mike retired after a 33-year career with Ecolab, a sustainability leader in water, hygiene, and infection prevention services worldwide.

By 2010, encouraged by San Saba business leaders, the McHenrys began an effort to place Wedding Oak Winery in the historic heart of San Saba, a Texas Hill Country town on the San Saba River, north of San Antonio and southwest of Dallas-Fort Worth. The town asserts it is the “Pecan Capital of the World.” The McHenrys restored a 1926 building near the town center to house a tasting room and a 10,000-case production facility at the intersection of U.S. Highway 190 and State Highway 16 on the northern edge of the Texas Hill Country AVA.

To begin their adventure, the McHenrys hired Penny Adams, an iconic figure and a pioneering woman winemaker in Texas. From the beginning, Penny insisted on using only Texas grapes, a policy that has not changed since the production facility began bottling wine in 2012. Adams moved to the position of director of wine operations in 2019. Seth Urbanek was the winemaker for this vintage. Van Johnson took over the cellar in 2023.

The winery maintains tasting rooms in San Saba, Fredericksburg, and Burnet. The winery’s name comes from the 400-year-old Wedding Oak Tree that stands 2.5 miles northwest of the winery. The website notes: “Centuries ago, the local Native Americans, particularly the Comanche, revered this majestic tree as sacred, gathering for important council meetings beneath its sheltering branches. They believed in the tree’s mystical powers and utilized it as a Matrimonial Altar. By exchanging vows beneath its graceful canopy, couples sought the tree’s magical blessings upon their union.”

Wedding Oak Winery Tioja Texas Red Wine 2022: Medium-deep ruby color; black cherry, black plum, cranberry, blueberry, pepper on the nose and palate.

Off-dry (4.95 g/L RS); moderate tannins; expected acidity for a warm-climate Tempranillo (3.8 pH). Medium body; smooth, supple in the mouth. Blend of Tempranillo and a platoon of other grapes, all from Texas vineyards. Mirasol Vineyards in the Texas Hill Country AVA provided the Tempranillo. Aged 18 months in American oak, 20% new. 13.8% ABV

Pairing—Texas barbecue, slow-cooked brisket, smoked ribs; grilled ribeye, New York strip. Roast leg of lamb with rosemary, braised shank. Beef stew, short ribs. Sausage, pork ribs, pork tenderloin with herbs. Roast turkey or duck with pan gravy. Venison. Tomato-based pastas, wood-fired pizza. Cheese—Aged Manchego, Idiazábal, Mahón, Zamorano, Roncal, aged Gouda, aged Asiago, Parmigiano-Reggiano, mature cheddar. Avoid fresh chèvre, triple-crèmes, stinky washed-rind cheeses.

Wedding Oak Winery website https://www.weddingoakwinery.com/

Photos: Wedding Oak owners Lynn and Mike McHenry; Wedding Oak Winery tasting room in San Saba, Texas; Wedding Oak Winery tasting room in Burnet, Texas; Wedding Oak Winery tasting room in Fredericksburg, Texas; Wedding Oak vineyard; Wedding Oak, San Saba, Texas

08/11/2026

My boss asked why I only get sick on week days.
I said it must be my week-end immune system.
Wine time.

08/11/2026

San Felice Chianti Classico Borgo DOCG 2022 is the next level of their Chianti Classico bottlings. Clean, affable tannins, helpful accompanying acidity. Chianti made darker and more interesting with the rare, revived Pugnitello grape. Delicious, palate-pleasing pour. Worth finding. $30-35

According to San Felice, the 2022 season at Borgo was relatively benign, although other Tuscan operations had different experiences—such is wine and grape farming. There were no extreme weather events in San Felice’s report on the vineyard for this wine. There was, however, a general drought in Tuscany. Fortunately, high summer temperatures and drought were mitigated by August rains, encouraging grape ripening. At the same time, some of San Felice’s properties had a rougher adventure that reduced overall yields by 30 percent. There are years wine makers just have to sit back and say: “Nature, take the wheel.”

Grapes were vinified in stainless steel, followed by a year in large Slavonian oak barrels. Barrel size and, likely, multiple uses mean there are no assertive oak elements in the wine, although its smoothness is likely from the gentle, natural oxygenation through the oak. Oak, especially multiple-use oak, does more than add vanilla, smoke, and spice.

“Borgo” is one of four inaugural releases of San Felice’s Vitiarium Collection. With this effort, San Felice fashioned a very food-friendly, easy-in-the-mouth Chianti. It is made only from vineyards closest to San Felice, a hamlet a east of Siena. Sangiovese, of course, is the foundation of any Chianti, but San Felice adds 12% Pugnitello to this blend. Pugnitello (“little fist” in Italian) is an ancient Tuscan red variety. It may have been reduced to only a smattering of vines when San Felice stepped in to resurrect it. The grape delivers intense color, a savory edge, fine-grained tannins, and acidity to a Sangiovese blend. Think of it as a spice to lift and frame the Sangiovese.

San Felice comprises three famous Tuscan estates. Production reaches more than 1.2 million bottles—more than one million of Chianti, 80,000 of Brunello, 40,000 of Rosso di Montalcino, and 55,000 of Bolgheri. There are 20 labels. All San Felice wines are made using estate-owned grapes. The San Felice winery is located in the southern part of the Chianti Classico zone. Its history dates back centuries. The estate is named for an early Christian saint and was owned by the Grisaldi del Taja family beginning in the 18th century. That family was important in the formation of the Chianti Classico consortium, a key group in the history of Italian wine.

Enzo Morganti, a visionary winemaker who spent two decades researching Sangiovese clones, joined the estate in 1967. Morganti focused on high-quality winemaking and restructuring the estate. In 1978, the Italian insurance company RAS acquired it, which in turn was acquired by the German insurance and financial services giant Allianz, which has continued improvements and expanded the operation.

San Felice is a leader in sustainable viticulture, moving toward regenerative and organic agriculture. The winery is energy self-sufficient through solar panels and has reduced the weight of its bottles to minimize carbon emissions. Today, the estate includes a resort, some 465 acres of vineyards and a 6-acre parcel dedicated to experimental viticulture. It is a key winery in the Chianti Classico region.

San Felice Chianti Classico Borgo DOCG 2022: Deep ruby, garnet edge color; cherry, raspberry, plum, cranberry, orange peel, blue flowers on the nose and palate.

Dry (0.5 g/l RS); soft tannins, very good acidity (6.0 g/l). Medium body. The label declares a blend of 88% Sangiovese, 12% Pugnitello. This combination is a step up from basic Chianti Classico wine and worth finding. The Sangiovese is excellent, as you would expect from San Felice, but the Pugnitello adds an enchanting nuance. I am a believer that, in most cases, a blended wine is more amenable and approachable than a pure varietal, and this makes that case for Chianti in my book. 13.5% ABV

Pairing—Tomato-based pasta, spaghetti with meatballs, lasagna, penne arrabbiata. Grilled, roasted red meat; lamb chops with rosemary and garlic. Grilled Italian sausage with peppers and onions, pork ribs, porchetta. Meat lovers’ pizza, sausage pizza. Mushroom risotto. Avoid delicate fish, cream-heavy sauces, anything aggressively sweet. Cheese—Medium-aged Pecorino Toscano; Parmigiano-Reggiano (aged 24-36 months); aged Asiago, Grana Padano; Fontina, young Toma. Avoid assertive blue cheeses and washed-rind stinky cheeses.

San Felice-Agricola website https://www.agricolasanfelice.it/en/

San Felice website https://www.sanfelice.com/en

Photos: San Felice winery, aerial view; San Felice winery, square; San Felice winery at night; Aerial view of Borgo San Felice; San Felice terroir; San Felice terroir; San Felice terroir; San Felice vines and harvest; San Felice harvest; San Felice harvest

Gus Clemens on Wine

08/29/2026

08/29/2026

08/22/2026

08/22/2026

08/18/2026

08/18/2026

08/16/2026

08/16/2026

08/11/2026

08/11/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Listing takedown request