The Wine Gardener visits The Wine Garden

Fall means cooler weather, fairs, fried foods, and now wine gardens.
 

I might have missed it in the past, but Sunday on a visit to the State Fair of Texas, I found
it. The weather was nice — perfect for relaxing outside and taking a load off your feet while
you watch your favorite football team beat the Philadelphia Eagles on the big screen.
 

In addition to Texas wines, the garden sold craft beers from around the state. Vendors
also sold cheese plates to nosh on while drinking your wine.
 

My favorite wine from the garden was a merlot from a winery in the Red River Valley in
St. Joe, Texas.
Blue Ostrich Winery and Vineyard was, for many years, one of the foremost ostrich
breeding and ranching facilities in the southwest. The structure that contains the
winery, tasting room and offices was once filled with ostrich eggs. In the 1980s and
90s, hundreds of ostrich roamed on the property.
 

Another wine I enjoyed in the garden was a "Super Texan," which is a dry mediumbodied
Sangiovese blend from Flat Creek Estate in Marble Falls, Texas.

On the fence? The wine garden offered taste tests before committing to the full glass.

The Texas state fair is known for its fried food. Hundreds of vendors serve up creative concoctions, all battered and tossed in the deep fryer.
 

Some foods are larger than life. And look like something Fred Flinstone would enjoy.

If you're drinking red wine, I suggest the fried Cuban roll, which is pork shoulder, ham, swiss cheese and special sauce rolled up in pastry dough, fried. 

If you like white, try the fried Thanksgiving, which is stuffing, turkey and cream corn fried. The Texas Fireball, which is pimiento cheese, pickles, cayenne pepper and bacon, covered in jalapeno-infused batter and fried, would also do well with a crisp white.
  

You have better chances winning the Powerball than winning a ring toss, according to one fair employee.

When you're done in the wine garden and you've had your fill of fried food, don't forget
to stop by the Midway — you might get lucky and win an electric guitar.