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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…
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If wine were only art or only science, what would be lost?
I was recently a Fellow of the 2026 Wine Writers’ Symposium in Napa Valley. In late February, I spent several days in classes and on field trips in the St. Helena area. I met winemakers, toured vineyards, tasted unreal bottles, and conversed with wine writers at every stage of their careers–from beginners to near-legends. It…
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Merlot Thursday: Reclos de la Couronne Montagne-Saint-Émilion (2022)
Every week, following the example of a loose community of online wine nerds, I stop whatever I’m doing and drink a Merlot. There are two main reasons for the exercise: One, I’m trying to train my palate to recognize subtle differences in terroir and winemaking by becoming overly familiar with one variety, and two, Merlot…
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Merlot Thursday: Early Mountain “Eluvium” Virginia Red Blend (2017)
Today’s #MerlotThursday wine is a rare treat: A classic Bordeaux-style blend from the rocky and steep terrain of the Blue Ridge mountains. The marker is Early Mountain Vineyards, a boutique producer in Madison, Virginia. They are specialists in structured red blends from Bordeaux varieties, sometimes with the addition of Tannat. Merlot anchors two Early Mountain…
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Bottoms up, and back to school: Why wine education is trending now
Even as wine consumption is slumping worldwide, wine education is enjoying a healthy surge. Whether it’s full-blown certification courses or more casual learning sessions, more and more people are taking their drink with a side of “think.” As a wine blogger, I keep tabs on wine activities in my community with a monthly post of…
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Six takeaways from Wine Paris 2026
We’re back from three days of tasting, learning, and exploring at the colossal Wine Paris trade show! Each day, I wandered the exhibition halls from open until close to try and soak up clues about what’s happening in the international wine biz. On Friday, I shared seven personal moments that defined my Wine Paris experience.…
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Merlot Thursday: Martin Ray “Courtney’s Cuvée” Merlot (2021)–and the trouble with wine on tap
The quest to bring back Merlot got a boost this week from a delightful “Sideways Effect” piece by Willa Paskin for Slate: “For years, many believed that one tiny movie brainwashed American wine drinkers forever. The truth is weirder.” All the biggest questions and juiciest details are in that article: Is it true that one…
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Under $12 Review: 14 Hands “Stampede” Bold Red Blend (2022)
Critter label? Check. Screw cap? Check. All signs say that a casual, fruity wine is on the table tonight. And here we are: The “Stampede” Bold Red Blend from 14 Hands. 14 Hands is owned by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and is Washington’s second largest winery (after Ste. Michelle itself). Ste. Michelle created the 14…