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Review: Trabucco “ÉRRE” Falerno del Massico (2020)
Small wine shops are the best, am I right? Even better are the ones with a “drink it here” option. Once a week or so, I make a date night out of it and choose a bottle that I can’t find on every wine list in town. Often, it’s a bottle I doubt is on…
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The anonymous wit and wisdom of Reddit’s winos
Everything I know about wine, I learned while scrolling Reddit on the can. Well, not everything–but a lot of it. Reddit reminds me of what I loved (and currently miss) about Internet 1.0. Militantly anonymous and mostly non-commercial, its millions of forums are a messy, ad hoc encyclopedia of the known universe. Nary an influencer…
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Forget groceries–let’s go wine tasting at the Whole Foods bar
If you crave the surreal experience of getting tipsy in the meat department of a grocery store, then have I got the recommendation for you: The Whole Foods Market taproom. Grocery store taprooms are not a new idea. Whole Foods opened their first in-store bar in 2009 and have them in many of their roughly…
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Review: Cline “Rock Carved” Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (2021)
“What consumer product is a perfect design?” A friend got this question in an interview for an engineering job. I think he said, “the toothbrush.” Toothbrush is a good answer. There are many–although, given the length of human history, probably not as many as there should be–everyday items that are basically solved engineering problems. They…
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Fournier Père et Fils (Loire Valley) tasting at The Wine Authority (Richardson, TX)
We said “bonsoir” to four from the Loire at The Wine Authority last night. It was a special tasting from the Fournier portfolio: Three Sauvignon Blancs and a Pinot Noir. All of the wines were brand new from the 2023 vintage. All four were fresh and zippy and ready to pair with summer salads and…
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Review: Günzer Estate Bocor Single Vineyard Selection Cuvée (2016)
It’s kind of an obvious tip–but if you’re ever stuck in a wine rut, ask a sommelier what they’re drinking at home. Somms work in the food and beverage industry, which means most are chronically underpaid. They regularly taste all the big name wines at work, so that’s not what they’re buying on their days…
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Drink North Texas Wine Festival at the Frontiers of Flight Museum (Dallas, TX)
North Texas wines took flight last Saturday with a special showcase of 12 local producers. DFW wine fans, you came and saw and sipped. From bold reds to crisp aromatic whites to only-in-Texas oddball blends, there was wine aplenty for all y’all Texas wine lovers. The host was the North Texas Wine Country trade organization.…
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The wines of South America (Total Wine class review)
Last night, my ass was in class for “Exploremos América del Sur” (Let’s Explore South America). This two-hour workshop is occasionally taught at Total Wine and focuses on the wines of Argentina and Chile. I tasted ten South American wines (four whites and six reds) from Total Wine’s Winery Direct lineup. In this post, I…
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Review: Regaleali Lamùri Nero d’Avola (2021)
The French Paradox has been mostly debunked, but has anyone figured out the Italian Paradox? Logic dictates that cheap Italian food and mediocre Italian wine shouldn’t add up to something spectacular. Bad wine usually makes an even worse pairing…but somehow Italy doesn’t have to play by those rules. You know how it is. You get…
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A taste of heaven at Eden Hill Winery (Celina, TX)
Just north of Dallas, where the tollways end and the cornfields begin, is a little slice of wine paradise. Towering vines, friendly staff, and distinctive wines make Eden Hill Winery a delightful day trip from anywhere in the Metroplex. The 10-acre property is equipped with a tasting room, wine-making facilities, and two acres planted with…
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Review: Visionario Bianco Trevenezie (2023)
I made a promise back in April to review all 13 of the wines I got in a mixed Italian case from the Wall Street Journal’s wine club. Lucky me! I’ll be grabbing these bottles one by one, finding something in my pantry or freezer to pair with them, and giving you my honest thoughts…
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A chef’s secrets for cooking with wine
Cooking with wine is almost as much fun as drinking it. I hardly ever make a savory dish or sauce without adding a splash of wine to it. I first acquired this delicious habit working the line as a sauté cook. (I cooked professionally for almost a decade.) Now, as a wine student with lots…