-
The Four Graces Pinot tasting at Bambu Thai (Richardson, TX)
Oregon terroir met an explosion of global flavors at a special Pinot-focused tasting of The Four Graces. Winemaker Tim Jones was the guest of Bambu Thai, which had prepared a special course of small bites to partner with these food-loving wines. The party started with Four Graces’ 2023 Willamette Valley Pinot Gris. It has flavors…
-
Review: Otronia “45° Rugientes” Patagonia Corte de Blancas (2017)
A Patagonian white blend is on the bar today: The “45° Rugientes” from Otronia. It was my first pick for “Try January” and it is a unique and delightful wine. “Try January” is a promo that my local wine bar hangout is doing this month. Instead of attempting to convince us that de-alcoholized wine tastes…
-
Merlot Thursday: Leonetti Cellar Walla Walla Valley Merlot (2023)
Merlot Thursday became Merlot Splurge Day when I was offered a wine from one of Washington State’s finest producers: The elegant and evolving Leonetti Cellar Merlot. Founded in 1977, Leonetti Cellar is Walla Walla Valley’s first winery. Its roughly 5,000 cases per year are distributed mostly through member allocation. And so, it was with great…
-
Review: Collezione di Paolo Chianti (2023)
You know that case of Italian wines from the WSJ Wine club that I panic-bought during a tariff scare? No? Well, in April 2025 I ordered a case of cheapo Italian wines and I’m still working my way through them. Sadly, I haven’t found any gems in that box yet. But I do reach for…
-
Review: Granbazán “Etiqueta Verde” Albariño Rías Baixas (2022)
When someone says, “Spanish wine,” do you immediately envision red? I know I do–and I will never stop loving the spicy Riojas and toothsome Garnachas that first made me fall for the country’s exports. But lately, another Spanish love has been creeping into my thoughts…and it’s Albariño from Rías Baixas. This is a wine I…
-
Review: Bonpas Grande Réserve des Challières Ventoux (2020)
I get giddy over a great-value Rhône, and this one is a doozy: The Bonpas Grande Réserve des Challières Ventoux. It even looks substantial and rich. There’s the heavy embossed bottle, the rawkin’ Gothic font, and the castle on the label. I bought the Bonpas during a Grenache spree a year ago and promptly forgot…
-
Merlot Thursday: RdV Vineyards “Rendezvous” (2021)
With great Merlot comes great responsibility. That was my thought as I took my first sip of the “Rendezvous” Merlot-based blend from RdV Vineyards of Virginia. Pizza in hand, fire blazing, feet propped up on the couch, I thought I was settling for a casual wine-and-takeout weeknight with friends. But the wine was poured and–wouldn’t…
-
Under $12 Review: Segura Viudas Brut Cava (NV)
A very happy New Year from The Wine Fairy! I’m shopping for party wine in the Houston suburbs–where, to my surprise, the local Spec’s Liquor has a very respectable European wine selection. Despite the holiday rush, the sales guys are even willing to stand around and recommend a Bordeaux to pair with BBQ and Tex-Mex.…
-
Review: Château de Corcelles Fleurie Poncié Beaujolais (2023)
It’s a Beaujolais day, hooray! I’ve already enjoyed my annual allocation of Beaujolais Nouveau (that’s one bottle each November, per spousal diktat.) But happily, no such limits apply to the Beaujolais crus. So when I spy a Fleurie sitting unassumingly on the bartop, that is what we will be having with dinner. Today’s wine comes…
-
Costco Advent Calendar Wine #24: Ciel Bleu Sparkling Brut (France)
Patience, persistence, and an iron liver have finally brought us here: The very last bottle of the 2025 Costco Wine Advent-ure Calendar. And what better way to celebrate crossing the annual wine finish line than by popping some champy? As it turns out, it’s not actually Champagne that’s behind Door #24. Instead it’s this, the…
-
Champagne Taittinger tasting at The Wine Authority (Richardson, TX)
It would be insane to abstain from Champagne when Taittinger is being poured. And so, dozens of wine lovers herded ourselves into The Wine Authority for a wide-ranging tasting of six Taittinger labels, including the prestigious “Comtes de Champagne.” French wine specialist Benjamin Samacoïts-Etchegpin of Kobrand Wine & Spirits was on hand to answer questions…
-
Costco Advent Calendar Wine #23: Once Upon A Time Chocolate Red (France)
Every Wine Person (every Wine Person that I respect, anyway) has the same motto: Drink what you like. It’s true that learning is useful and exploring is enlightening. Wine tastes often drift over time, and they tend to evolve in a predictable way–often away from sweetness and toward nuance and complexity. But it’s dumb and…