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Pinot Forum Dallas: Tasting the Russian River Valley
What could be better than traveling to your favorite wine regions? Not much–except having your favorite wine regions come to you! That’s what happened in April when I met up with the Russian River Valley Winegrowers in downtown Dallas. Located just north of the Bay Area and cooled by fog from the Petaluma Gap, Russian…
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Review: Cantine Due Palme “Pillastro” Primitivo Puglia IGP (2022)
Sometimes, in the midst of all the tasting and study that is my new wine life, I just want to drink something liquid and red. I keep a modest stash of bottles just for this purpose. Sangria wines, pasta-night wines–wines you drink with your mouth and not your nose. “Please don’t be gross,” I whisper…
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“Market Price” Sancerre: WTF, restaurants?
An obnoxious new wine list practice has invaded my city–one that stinks worse than five-day-old lobster. On the list, where you should see a producer name and a bottle price, it just says “Sancerre: MP.” (Or, the even more precious version: “Seasonal Sancerre: MP.”) I’ve seen this at two or three places now–and three is…
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Three winemakers, three Spanish regions: Juan Gil, Bodegas Shaya, and Bodegas Morca
Spain is one of my favorite wine-producing countries. Even though I’ve yet to collect that stamp on my passport, when I drink a Spanish wine I can almost taste the Mediterranean sunshine in my glass. Recently in Texas, I got to sample some marvelous wines (and meet the winemakers!) at The Wine Authority. They came…
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Merlot Thursday: Shafer Napa Valley Merlot (2023)
The 2023 vintage in Napa Valley has wine writers using some immoderate language. “2023 was as perfect as any Napa vintage in living memory. It was Napa’s ‘1961 Bordeaux,’” writes Karen MacNeil in Decanter. “The Vintage of a Lifetime,” proclaims the Napa Valley Harvest’s vintage summary. “With consistent, mild weather throughout the season, above-average crop yields,…
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A whirlwind of wine! A 2026 update from The Wine Fairy
A big, hearty “Cheers!” to those amazing readers who follow my wine adventures. There has been a lot going on behind the scenes at The Wine Fairy. Things are flowing fast. It’s been the craziest three months in my wine career–probably in my life. My brain is mush, my palate is exhausted…and yeah, I’m ready…
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Merlot Thursday: Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot (2022)
Today’s wine was presaged by a special omen: Duck family! In my yard! Mr. and Mrs. Mallard stopped by this morning, grubbing up worms from the driveway after the rain. Whenever they found one, he nudged it toward her to taste it first–just like my partner does when I order something weird off a wine…
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What Is This Thing? Giambellino Bellini Wine Cocktail
This is what it’s like to write a highbrow-lowbrow wine blog: Sometimes we’re drinking a single-vineyard Pinot Noir, and sometimes we’re drinking a dubious orange liquid that we bought at ALDI. On What Is This Thing?, we look at various wine-adjacent products and try to determine: 1. What is this thing? 2. Should you drink…
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Close calls: Three recent blind-tasting traps–and what I learned from them
Identifying mystery wines isn’t easy at the best of times. But when a wine is chosen specifically to trip up the taster, it adds another layer of difficulty. I’ve been doing a lot of blind tasting practice since earning my WSET Level 3 certificate in February. I’m trying to get an honest look at my…
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Review: El Pino Club “Sea Floored” Pinot Noir (2021)
Working as a prep cook in a hotel, I used to clean a lot of strawberries. Strawberries for the breakfast buffet, strawberries for the cold line’s fruit plates and salads, strawberries for the pastry shop. (This is a Pinot Noir review–I’m getting to it, I promise. But first I want to tell you about my…
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WSET Level 3: What it’s really like + tips for passing with Distinction
Are you studying for the daunting Wine & Spirit Education Trust Level 3 Award in Wines? Is your hand about to fall off from writing flashcards? Are you talking about the sub-regions of Rioja in your sleep? If you’re taking the Level 3 exam soon–or thinking about enrolling–then this post is for you. I took…
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Review: Masi “Bonacosta” Valpolicella Classico (2022)
Rare bottles are nice and all. But sometimes your mood (or your wallet) pulls you in a different direction–toward clunky glassware, red-sauce pasta, and BYOB. Wine can be part of the occasion without being the occasion. Valpolicella knows this, and is a gracious guest at almost any table. My bottle of the night is a…