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Merlot Thursday: Château La Rose Perrière Lussac Saint-Émilion (2020)
“When you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail,” the saying goes. And when you are a cooper, every wine needs time in a barrel. So it is with Château La Rose Perrière, the Bordeaux estate owned and managed by Jean-Luc Sylvain (of renowned barrel supplier Tonnellerie Sylvain). The Château’s red wines, unusually, are…
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Review: Granbazán “Etiqueta Ámbar” Albariño Rías Baixas (2023)
Albariño from Spain was on the screen and in my glass. I pulled a cold bottle from the wine fridge and settled in for a one-hour Zoom class hosted by New York-based importer Olé & Obrigado. “El Camino del Albariño” is their July-August virtual education and promotional tour. It’s an invitation to wine pros to…
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The Diploma decision: Why I took the WSET Level 4 plunge
“Are you going to do the Diploma?” my wine teacher asked me, only minutes after I handed in my Level 3 exam. “I dunno,” I remember saying. “It’s a lot of time and a lot of money.” Even as I spoke those words, though, there was a quieter voice in my head whispering: Yeah…probably. Today,…
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A year of Merlot Thursday: What I learned from tasting 52 different Merlots
Looking back at The Wine Fairy archive this week, I realized something neat: July is my one-year anniversary of Merlot Thursday participation. I first learned about #MerlotThursday while scrolling wine-related posts on Reddit. The premise is simple enough: On Thursday, you drink a Merlot and review it, in hopes of raising the profile of an…
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Merlot Thursday: DuCard Vineyards Virginia Merlot (2021)
A bright, berry-filled mountain Merlot is on the tasting table! It’s the latest bottle we’ve enjoyed from the “if you know, then you know” (don’t call it “emerging”) wine region of Virginia. Tucked away in the Shenandoah Mountains of Madison County, DuCard Vineyards is a local destination for live music and boutique wine-tasting experiences. Their…
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Slow night, blind flight! Wine-tasting practice from behind the bar
I’m constantly working on improving my tasting skills. It’s partly to become a better wine writer/critic, and partly to get more enjoyment from the wines I pour for myself and others. And because, as I’ve talked about on the blog recently, I’m thiiiiiiiss close to embarking on my WSET Level 4 Diploma journey. Blind-tasting competence…
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Review: Kirkland Signature Vacqueyras (2023)
There are two types of people who buy the Kirkland Signature wines from Costco: Those who care about wine tasting, and those who (mostly) don’t. Among the latter group, Kirkland wines are convenient, cheap grocery items and house-party standbys. Grabbing a case of Prosecco or a jug of Chianti saves you money and a trip…
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Merlot Thursday: Meeker “Winemakers’ Handprint” Sonoma County Merlot (2022)
Every bottle of Meeker‘s “Winemakers’ Handprint” Merlot is marked by the winemaker with acrylic paint. Fingerprints grasp the curves of the bottle in neon smears of fuschia and yellow, wrapping the glass in a handshake–or reaching out from the shelf in a friendly wave. The handprint is meant to remind drinkers that wine is made…
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Review: Domaines Schlumberger “Cuvée Christine” Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives (2018)
“A late-picked Gewurztraminer has perhaps the most exotic smell of any wine in the world,” says Jancis Robinson’s Atlas of Wine. Whether dry or sweet, this grape is extra. Gewurztraminer punks the palate while it indulges the senses. It’s fascinating, it’s uncanny–and I can’t get enough of it. My local wine shop only stocks Gewurztraminer…
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Review: Champagne Barnaut Bouzy Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Brut (NV)
A bigger-is-better Grand Cru Champagne is on the menu for today. Determined to get over my birthday blues, I’m celebrating at Coupes, a chic bubble-centric wine bar in Dallas. Coupes has an eye-popping list that includes–by my quickest count–more than 80 different Champagnes and Crémants by the glass, bottle, and half-bottle. I rattle off some…
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All roads lead to wine: On starting a wine career at 40
I’m 40 years old tomorrow, and I’m starting off my birthday weekend with a short pour of midlife angst. At first, I thought I’d celebrate with a special bottle. But there are no 1986 wines in stock at the local shop. (They laughed.) So instead of uncorking a birthday vintage tonight, I’m looking back at…
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Merlot Thursday: Anterra Terre Siciliane Merlot (2024) + a meatball Ferris wheel
Today’s Merlot is doomed to be overshadowed by its food pairing: An audacious, silly carnival ride for meatballs. The Meatball Ferris Wheel is the signature appetizer at The Sicilian Butcher. Created by Chef Joey Maggiore, the Italian chain has 7 locations in Texas, Arizona, and Tennessee. It popped up last year in a North Dallas…