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The boldest reds in the West: Bull Lion Ranch and Vineyard (Grapevine, TX)
Part Texan, part Italian, and completely delicious–that’s how I describe Bull Lion Ranch and Vineyard to North Texas newcomers. The family-owned winery was founded in 2010, following an Italian-American winemaking heritage that was passed down through generations. Make it part of your weekend wine trip, and enjoy Italian hospitality, Texas style! If you think you’ve…
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The Four Graces Pinot tasting at Bambu Thai (Richardson, TX)
Oregon terroir met an explosion of global flavors at a special Pinot-focused tasting of The Four Graces. Winemaker Tim Jones was the guest of Bambu Thai, which had prepared a special course of small bites to partner with these food-loving wines. The party started with Four Graces’ 2023 Willamette Valley Pinot Gris. It has flavors…
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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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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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The Wine Fairy 2025 recap: Our first year by the numbers
Wine friends, The Wine Fairy blog was started in December 2024. That means I’ve just wrapped up my first full year as a wine writer…and what a busy year it’s been. I have been through months of studying, gallons upon gallons of wine, and several short exploratory trips to United States wine regions. (Napa Valley…
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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 wines by the Bay at Winery Collective (San Francisco, CA)
Fisherman’s Wharf in December is not a bustling place. The cruise ships have mostly left for the season and the sidewalks are nearly empty. It’s too chilly and gray to catch any California sunshine on the waterfront. The Ghirardelli Chocolate building shines on the top of the hill, its marble counters spotless, its sundae glasses…
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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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DFW Wine Events: December 2025
‘Tis the season to spoil your palate with the best wines that North Texas has to offer! This month, as ever, we scoured the emails and socials for tempting wine events to make your days and nights jolly. The unifying theme of this December 2025 edition is bubbles. South African bubbly, Italian bubbly, good Champagne,…
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Local Sips: Tasting Texas Pinot Noir (and more) at Red Dirt Cellars (Grapevine, TX)
They say you can’t grow Pinot Noir in Texas…but Texans are a feisty bunch who don’t hearken to the word “can’t.” That doesn’t mean it’s easy. Pinot Noir, as a rule, likes a long, consistent growing season and a cool to moderate climate. Those are two things we definitely don’t have here, where summer temperatures…
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Champagne Laurent-Perrier tasting at Pogo’s Wine & Spirits (Dallas, TX)
I used to credit most of Champagne’s popularity to marketing glitz. It’s all about the image, right? I guzzled cheap Cava and grocery-store Crémant, feeling smug and wise. But I was wrong. Good Champagne, alas, occupies its own tier of deliciousness among sparkling wines. The bubbles are finer, the texture richer, the flavors brighter and…
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DFW Wine Events: November 2025
We love our vibrant, viniferous city! Once a month at The Wine Fairy blog, we pick Dallas-Fort Worth’s ten (or so) most exciting wine events to share with you. But for November, there was too much to choose from–it was impossible to narrow it down. So here’s 20 local wine activities (yep, 20!) to keep…