One of the perks of writing about wine are trade tastings, where producers and importers offer samples of their various wines. At a recent Dallas trade tasting, two of my favorite Gascon wines were in attendance — Domaine Duffour and Domaine du Tariquet.

Getting to taste them reminded me how much I appreciate Gascon wine, which is cheap, made with odd grapes, and just the thing to keep in the refrigerator for wine emergencies. So I did a quick round of the stores to find some more, and came up with the Artigaux ($10, purchased, available at Whole Foods).

It’s made with the Gascon grapes, ugni blanc and colombard, and it’s not quite the wine that the Duffour or the Tariquet are. The Artiguaux is more simple, with a touch too much white grapey-ness. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, since the wine is fresh with low alcohol (11 1/2 percent) and almost enough acid to balance the fruit.

This is 105-degree wine, and wouldn’t be bad at any other time in the summer — or as a refrigerator emergency wine for a glass after work or something to drink with Chinese takeout.

Students at Richardson ISD high schools are graduating better-prepared for college than their peers at other neighboring suburbs, according to a new analysis by Dallas Morning News. In this online story (you’ll have trouble viewing it if you aren’t a subscriber) more of RISD’s 2009 graduates were deemed “college ready” than students in Plano, Mesquite, Garland, Frisco and Allen. The analysis accounted for poverty and other student challenges, significant given that more than half of RISD’s students in 2009 were considered economically disadvantaged.

Jeffrey Weiss of DMN listed several factors in RISD’s success:

• The momentum of tradition,
• Early and aggressive use of technology,
• Effective staff training programs,
• Close partnerships with Texas Instruments and nearby UT-Dallas,
• Good teachers want to work for Richardson.

In a speech to the Lake Highlands Exchange Club, RISD Superintendent Dr. Kay Waggoner listed several of these factors as indicative of the district’s bright future and praised the students and teachers of RISD.

Most of the younger generation has probably never even heard of it. But ask any veteran Dallasite about the Olla Podrida Mall, and they’ll likely perk up, surprised by the mention of it, and say “Oh yeah … that place was so cool!” Then, the sweet nostalgia sets in.

Well, there’s Facebook page for that.

It’s called “I Miss Olla Podrida Mall”, and it’s a treasure trove of old photographs and newspaper clippings along with pages of reminiscent comments about the unique arts and crafts shopping center that used to be off Coit Road just south of LBJ from the 1970s to the 1990s. Now, the site is home to the Yavneh Academy and Akiba Academy.

Fond memories of the eclectic mall abound on the social network, as stories float around about everyone’s favorite little shops. When the mall closed, several of the stores moved to other parts of the city, including the dollhouse boutique Through the Keyhole at Preston and Forest.

I came across this page while working on an upcoming story for the October magazine – a brief retrospective on Olla Podrida and the spooky things that went on there.

Keep an eye out for my article next month. And, in the meantime, connect with some “Olla brats” via the wonderful world of Facebook.

So, you step out to grab the Sunday paper from its usual spot on your lawn, but, it’s not there. You figure it’s just some delivery glitch, so later that morning you pick one up at the grocery store, but it’s a little light. Something’s missing. Could be you have a coupon junkie in your neighborhood.

My mom loves coupons. She keeps them in a little box and often brags to me about how she saved $4 on shampoo or some such. Sure she had to buy four 20 oz. bottles of the stuff (mind you, between her and my dad, there is only one full head of hair in the house) but she saved FOUR friggin’ dollars! But my mom’s frugality focused mind would be totally blown by today’s coupon clippers — the practice has become an art, a sport, and, of course, the subject of a reality TV show — TLC just announced a second season, beginning Sept. 28, of Extreme Couponing.

I’ve watched the show, and shopping with a book of painstakingly organized coupons, and executing a plan to get $300 worth of groceries without spending a dollar does seems like a fun game, though I cannot imagine putting a cashier through the rigmarole in which the self -proclaimed coupon queens apparently revel.

These truly extreme couponers are obsessive, addicted and kind of like hoarders, only way more organized. They can get downright rude and annoying — see for yourself: check out this clip from the show — and might even resort to stealing newspapers from yards or sections of newspapers from stores, or digging through trash cans, according to a recent USA Today story. You’ve been warned — get your morning paper first-thing, because these extreme couponers get up early, and as Extreme(ly witchy) Couponer Michelle, in the above-linked preview told some poor guy after she cleared the shelf of Power Bars, “early bird gets the worm.”

(To be fair, there are serious and ambitious coupon clippers, penny pinchers and savers out there who follow a code of ethics and who do not steal and pillage to save a few bucks).

It’s hard to argue with the judges’  choice of Buffalo Chicken in a Flapjack as “best tasting” among the eight finalists for this 2011 State Fair of Texas Big Tex Choice Awards, and it’s hard to argue with Fried Bubblegum being selected as the “most creative.”

But having had a chance to taste all eight of the finalists following the Labor Day judging competition, I have a few observations for those of you who can’t afford — either monetarily or nutritionally — to go around the world this year and try all eight of the fried food newcomers, along with a few of your annual favorites, too.

Fried Bubblegum is really a marshmallow dipped in batter, drizzled with sauce and topped with a few tiny Chiclet pieces of gum. It’s a creative name, and the appearance is awfully pink in terms of coloration. I tried a piece, and if you remember Bazooka Joe bubble gum, you’ll know exactly what this dish tastes like through and through. Personally, it’s not my favorite, but I suspect the name alone will make the lines long at the Fair.

The Buffalo Chicken in a Flapjack is simply a chicken strip speared with a stick, soaked in spicy sauce, coated with batter and then breaded again and served with maple syrup. You don’t need the syrup to enjoy this one — it’s like eating a spicy chicken finger.

Fried Butter creator Abel Gonzalez came up with Deep Fried Pineapple Upside Down Cake this year, and it was a great, light (if you can say that about anything fried) dessert worth a few tickets. But the allure of Fried Bubblegum blew this one away, I’m afraid.

Deep Fried Texas Salsa was great — the mix of chips and salsa ingredients, rolled into a ball, fried and then served with queso was great. You won’t be sorry about spending some tickets on this one.

El Bananarita is exactly what is sounds like — a banana rolled in a flour tortilla and coated with sugary stuff. It’s good and probably, thanks to the banana, kind of good for you.

Fried Autumn Pie tasted like pumpkin pie in lightly fried dough to me. I like pumpkin pie and whipped cream, and this one reminded me of both.

The Walking Taco is simply a snack-sized bag of Doritos covered with taco ingredients. This is the one for Doritos fans.

Finally, Hans’ Kraut Ball sounded the most creepy — pork sausage mixed with sauerkraut and mustard, covered with breadcrumbs and fried. But honestly, it was the biggest surprise in terms of taste, since the generally sour kraut taste was muted by the mustard and breadcrumbs. My wife says she hates kraut, but she liked this one.

My tip: Try the Kraut Ball and the Bubblegum, if you only have enough tickets or stomach for two, and you’ll have plenty of remember and talk about.

If there’s such a thing as gourmet pub food, you’ll probably find it at Social House.

The supper pub moved from Uptown to Addison now tucked away in the Village on the Parkway shopping center at Belt Line and Montfort. The space was previously home to the very short-lived Vu.

Social House has an extensive menu of about 50 beers from around the world – much like Flying Sauce next door. But, the folks at Social House insist you can’t get their beer menu and their upscale cuisine anywhere else.

The atmosphere is nice and flexible – you can dress up or down, and you’ll still fit in.

The food is, well, bar food. And it’s a bit hit or miss. The beef tenderloin steak salad is delicious, topped with smoked bacon, caramelized red onions, roasted shallot and sherry dressing. The burgers are heavy – bring your appetite for those. The chicken pasta combines roasted mushrooms, shallots, pancetta, garlic and mascarpone cream sauce, although, it tastes a bit bland; there’s nothing much to it. The beer-battered fish and chips are simple, straightforward and just perfect. Call me picky, but that’s by far my favorite dish on the menu.

There’s also pulled pork tacos, chicken wings, shrimp and grits, and Irish pork nachos – instead of tortilla chips, everything comes on potato chips.

Repertory Company Theatre is bringing back its fall theater program that offers group bookings for the popular show “Little Red”, starting Tuesday, Sept. 6. Performances run at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and continue through April.

“Little Red” is a 1950s, rock ‘n’ roll musical based on the story of Little Red Riding Hood. The cast includes RCT actors Laura Alley, Danny Miranda, Loree Westbrooks, Michelle Breedlove and Heather Shin.

Show can be booked for groups including family outings and school events. Admission is $5 per child. Call 972.690.5029.

Staying in town this Labor Day weekend? Be sure to take advantage of these neighborhood deals and happenings in addition to those posted earlier.

Sunstone Yoga at Preston and Belt Line has a trunk show going on all weekend, featuring collections from Body Rio, KOS, Tyoga. Stop by on Monday when members can bring a friend for free yoga classes at 8:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Coffee House Cafe, the semi-new breakfast/brunch spot at Preston and Frankford, will host an all-day happy hour 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday, offering $1 beers and $5 mimosas and Bloody Marys. The restaurant experienced a small fire last week, but did not skip a beat.

Feel like flying? The Cavanaugh Flight Museum presents Labor Day Warbird Rides on Monday, featuring eight different aircraft to choose from: OH-13 Sioux, N2S-4 Stearman, AT-6 Texan, T-28 Trojan, AD-5 Skyraider, A-26 Invader, TBM Avenger and P-51 Mustang.

Try something new and stop by the House of Poets if you’ve never been. At 7 p.m. every Monday night, it’s Open Stage, a variety show that allows anyone to get up and perform anything for the audience.

It’s your last chance to help out the North Texas Food Bank through Restaurant Week. The fundraising campaign ends Sunday. Find out which Far North Dallas restaurants are still participating.

The second annual Motors & Mutts Classic Car Show is 1-5 p.m. Sunday at the southeast corner of Preston and Belt Line, benefiting A Different Breed Animal Rescue. The dog-friendly event features pet-related vendors such as pet psychics and homemade dog food.

Jesuit Prep alumnus David Collins has his work on view now  through Sept. 24 at Valley House Gallery and Sculpture Garden.  The Dallas native presents abstract paintings that explore the unreliability of memory.

Lakeshore Learning offers free crafts for kids 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, featuring a craft on making a decorative backpack tag for school.

It’s hard to know where the idea for “fried bubblegum” came from, and it’s harder still to imagine what that could possibly taste like, but I guess that’s why we have the State Fair of Texas: Where else is your mother going to let you eat this stuff?

The eight finalists for the 7th Annual Big Tex Choice Awards for “best taste” and “most creative” new foods at the State Fair are: Buffalo Chicken in a Flapjack, Deep Fried Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Deep Fried Texas Salsa, El Bananarita, Fried Autumn Pie, Fried Bubblegum, Hans’ Kraut Ball and the Walking Taco.

The chicken-in-a-flapjack sounds promising to me, and the deep fried salsa could be interesting, too. Perennial champ Abel Gonzalez (of fried butter fame) is offering the upside down cake (just saw him on NBC’s Today Show this morning). The walking taco (taco ingredients served up in a Doritos bag) sounds similar to a taco in a bag I saw at the Minnesota State Fair last week.

Anyway, judging for the finalists is on Labor Day, so watch the TV stations, blogs, websites and DMN beginning at noon Monday to find out the winners. This year’s State Fair runs Sept. 30-Oct. 23.

Those of us here at the Advocate are part of the mix, too: We publish the printed Visitors Guide you’ll receive on-site, and we’re also working on a mobile Visitors Guide accessible from many smartphones this year, too. If you visit bigtex.com on your smartphone today, you’ll see at least part of what we’re preparing for the Fair, and if you have any comments or suggestions, please let me know at rwamre@advocatemag.com.

 

Where has this wine been all my life? It does everything a great cheap wine should — reflects its origins, pairs with food, and doesn’t cost a lot of money. Make room in the Hall of Fame, as well as the wine closet, since I’m buying a case.

The basics, quickly, about the La Fiera ($8, purchased, available at Jimmy’s) before I start waxing poetic: This is a red wine from the Abruzzo region east of Rome and is made with the montepulciano grape (and is not be confused with the pricer Montepulciano from Tuscany, which is made with sangiovese). Wine quality in Abruzzo has improved significantly over the past decade or so, but prices have remained more or less the same.

Which is one reason why this wine is so exciting. The La Fiera smells oh-so-Italian, and tastes of very sour cherries. Plus, it has that wonderful dark earth quality that isn’t so much a flavor or an aroma, but more of a presence — something that so many wines, of all prices, aspire to but can’t deliver. One sip of this and you’ll be thinking of your mom’s spaghetti and meatballs; or, failing that, drink the La Fiera with grilled sausages and peppers over the Labor Day weekend. Highly recommended.

As the LBJ Express approaches the reconstruction of key bridges along the freeway, drivers will begin to see the first major traffic impact (as if it hasn’t been bad enough yet). So, project officials are doing everything they can to direct people away from the Joe Ratcliff, Rosser, Marsh and Montfort bridges as they move to a reduced capacity Sept. 10-Oct. 17.

“We could have a DFW carmageddon,” says Andy Rittler of LBJ Infrastructure Group. “This when people are going to want to avoid LBJ completely.”

To help, they’ve partnered with the developers of the mobile app, WAZE, a community traffic and navigation tool that delivers real-time information and will direct people around these bridges.

The app will only direct people to neighborhood side streets if absolutely necessary, says  Michal Habdank-Kolaczkowski, Director of Communications for WAZ. “It’s programmed to find roads where traffic is moving the fastest – other surrounding freeways.

WAZE partnered with the ABC station in Los Angeles after one its major freeways shut down. Now,  it’s partnering with WFAA here in Dallas to help give traffic updates.

Here’s what to expect as the bridges start coming down:

- The Joe Ratcliff Pedestrian bridge will be demolished at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10 and will be completely closed through midnight.

- Next is Montfort, which will closed at 9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17 until noon the next day.

The bridges will reopen but at reduced capacity and, at times, just to one lane. The demolition of Preston Road has not yet been scheduled. Sign up for updates via the LBJ Express website.