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Wine Road Trip: Sonoma County in winter
The hills were gray and damp, but the mood was jolly. Twelve wine lovers were gathered into a big white van–not friends just yet, but soon to be. “Who’s ready for wine this morning? Everybody!” We made introductions and sipped hot Americanos from a café stop in Sausalito, right over the Golden Gate bridge. We had…
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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…
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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…
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9 hot takes about wine
A wise person once said that when first learning about wine, you should refrain from forming or expressing strong opinions. We heard that advice and went, “Pfffft.” What’s the point of wine writing, if not as an outlet for over-generalizations and manufactured outrage on trivial topics? C’mon wine friends–time to stir the pot! This post…
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San Francisco’s Queen of Sauvy B: Eco Terreno Winery
Beer for breakfast and wine for lunch–this is how you pass a wintry day in San Francisco. Today, I have tasted everything from cinnamon-sugar pumpkin ale in a toasty brick basement at Fisherman’s Wharf to vegan gluten-free beer (made with sushi rice) at a queer-friendly microbrewery in North Beach. And before strolling off to reconstitute…
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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.…
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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…
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Merlot Thursday: No. 3 d’Angelus Saint-Émilion Grand Cru (2020)
Hark how the bells! Sweet silver bells! All seem to say, “Throw cares away! “It’s Merlot day!” (Okay–so I made up that last part.) It’s not only the freaking “Carol of the Bells” that’s living rent-free in my head today, but the famous bells of Château Angelus. Located in a natural amphitheater, the Château’s vineyards…
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The wino’s guide to Princess Cruises
The thought of being stranded at sea for seven or more days–away from your cellar and favorite decanter, at the mercy of a dismal list of house wines–strikes fear into the heart of any wine enthusiast. But don’t worry! With the help of this guide, you will be able to navigate through an ocean of…
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Local Sips: Times Ten Cellars (Dallas, TX)
A leisurely wine tasting sounded like the perfect way to end a hectic holiday weekend. Feeling curious and thirsty, I made my way to Times Ten Cellars, an urban winery in East Dallas’s historic Lakewood neighborhood. Open since 2005, Times Ten is well-known locally as a bookable venue for wedding dinners and private receptions. But…
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Costco Advent Calendar Wine #17: Cielo d’Oro Carménère (Chile)
Carménère is one of those wines that people either flee from or embrace. Appreciating this long-banished Bordeaux grape takes practice. (Or blending!) Dark red in color, full of chewy tannins, and often packing intensely vegetal flavors, it’s not likely to be selected as anyone’s house wine or wedding-table tipple. In fact, this is the first…
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Review: Alta Mora Etna Bianco (2022)
Volcanic wines and volcanic curries seem like a natural match. It was exciting to find this Etna Bianco on the wine list at my favorite neighborhood Thai spot. Made from 100% Carricante, Alta Mora’s Etna Bianco grows on the foothills of Mount Etna. (Before wine, this is a place I was familiar with only from…