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Review: Château Thivin Côte de Brouilly Kermit Lynch (2023)
When people who are older and wiser than you keep warning you not to acquire a taste for Burgundy, you listen. And so, I’m really into the Beaujolais crus lately. While Beaujolais is technically part of Burgundy, the grape is Gamay and the prices are much friendlier. Tonight’s special treat is Château Thivin Côte de…
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Review: Lyla & Kennedy Barrel Aged Rosé (2022)
Another day, another strange rosé. Today we’re sipping on Lyla & Kennedy Barrel Aged Rosé. This was a limited-stock bottle I picked up at the wine shop because the packaging was gorgeous and the price was right. My impulsive moment is about to be either punished or rewarded–we shall see. The label text doesn’t reveal very…
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Total buzzkill: Total Wine’s rewards program devalues its best perk
It’s dark days in Dallas, y’all. First, we gave away Luka Dončić to the freakin’ Lakers. Then, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines started charging for bags. Now–because crappy things come in threes–our largest and best chain liquor store appears to be seriously scaling back their rewards program. Will the disappointments never end? Just a couple of months…
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A Pinot Comparison (Saturday Tasting at Blind Bishop)
Pinot is loved for its versatility, and that chameleonic quality was on display at Saturday’s themed wine tasting at Blind Bishop in Dallas. We tried six different expressions of Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio/Gris. It was the first summery day of the season, and wine lovers streamed into the sun-filled tasting room. Two gentleman pourers…
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Review: Querceto Chianti Classico Riserva (2019)
I have a bottle of Chianti to talk about–but first, a magical oak tree story. Tuesday night I was out at dinner with my wife Sarah, and as we were leaving we got caught in a freak hailstorm. It was typical screwy North Texas early spring weather. Cool and sunny and then…bam! Blinding rain and…
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Review: Don Benigno Amontillado Sherry
Sherry is not easy to come by in this town, folks. (“Cherry? Yeah, we have cherry vodka.”) If you’re seeking Sherry (and you’re lucky), the liquor store person will lead you to a dusty shelf over by the jug wines, where approximately 95% of the fortified wines will be syrupy sweet and/or flavored. Even my…
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Mixing it up with Clos du Val’s blending seminar
It was a fab Cab lab at The Wine Authority this past Saturday. Napa Valley’s Clos du Val was in the house with barrel samples from the 2023 vintage–and one very special finished wine, the 2021 Yettalil blend ($200 retail). I booked the blending seminar for “educational” purposes. My wife (and fellow Cab lover) Sarah…
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My WSET Level 3 study diary: How it’s going so far
It’s back to school time! Some of y’all may know that I’m currently working my way through the WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) certifications. So, in between all the bottle reviews and local wine topics, I thought I’d share a little bit about how that’s going so far. I took the Level 2 Award…
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Review: Lavau Tavel Rosé (2020)
My most recent wine find is a shamrock in a field of clovers. A crane among chickens. A redhead in a room full of blondes. It’s a piquant and powerful rosé from Tavel. I’d heard about Tavel from wine geeks. But I’d never had the opportunity to taste one because unlike Côtes-du-Rhône and Provence rosés…
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Review: The Black Stump Durif-Shiraz (2022)
An oddball wine from Down Under is tonight’s random tipple. I don’t remember buying this, but I’m almost certain it was in my first shipment from the Wall Street Journal wine club. That means it cost approximately negative two dollars after introductory offers…so my expectations were dialed down low. The Black Stump is a blend…
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How to taste great wine (for less than $5000)
There’s a winery in Napa that now has a $5000 per person tasting fee, the San Francisco Chronicle reported in February 2025. The culprit is Ghost Horse, the same attention-hungry winemaker that is preparing to release a $25,000 bottle of Cabernet. I’m all for people doing whatever they want with their money. But I think…
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Review: Domaine Philippe et Vincent Jaboulet Viognier (2022)
Viognier? More like, “Viogn-yay!” Today we’re reviewing a fruit-packed, exquisitely floral Viognier from veteran Rhône winemaker Philippe Jaboulet (and son). The Jaboulets sold their renowned family business Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné in 2006, retained a few small plots, and have since started a new life as independent winemakers. So this is no trend-chasing, clumsily made…