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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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Bordeaux Wine Dinner at Lavendou (Dallas, TX)
I may not be able to travel to Bordeaux at the moment…but I couldn’t resist it when Bordeaux came to my backyard. Last night, Lavendou Bistro Provincial hosted three Bordeaux winery owners. Wines from three distinct appellations were paired with three main courses for a decadent meal that was worth skipping lunch for. The evening…
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Texas wine travel guide: The Red River Valley Wine Trail
Once snubbed by discerning drinkers, Texas wines are starting to get serious attention. The two best-known regions are the Hill Country (which gets the biggest share of the wine tourism) and the High Plains (which grows most of the grapes). But did you know that Texas actually has 19 recognized wine trails? From the Gulf…
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Wine Road Trip: Northern Virginia Wine Country
As part of my quest to visit (and drink wine in) all 50 states, I recently traveled to Virginia for a Valentine’s Day weekend getaway. It turns out that Virginia really is for lovers…wine lovers, that is. My wife and I had a marvelous time, and would recommend this route for a scenic and relaxing…
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Well, that’s depressing. Granbury’s Revolver Brewing closes up shop
It’s been a tough, tough year for the craft brew industry and the casualties just keep mounting. One of the largest and most beloved Texas breweries has turned off the brew kettles for good. The sad news broke over the weekend in the digital edition of the Houston Chronicle. Revolver Brewing was founded in 2012…
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A big win for a Texas Cabernet (plus 5 other Texas Cabs to try)
Texas enjoyed our own little Judgment of Paris this week when a Hill Country winery won a top prize in The San Francisco Chronicle’s annual Wine Competition. Yessirree–that’s right, California. A Texas Cab beat out many storied Napa producers to achieve the “Best in Class” award for a Cabernet in the $90 to $99 price…
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Llano Estacado acquired, plans expansions in Lubbock and Fredericksburg
Llano Estacado Winery is staking out new territory, according to a press release from January 14, 2025. Texas’s largest premium winery was recently purchased by a group of investors with big plans. Currently, Llano Estacado has just one public location: A tasting room in Lubbock, Texas that also includes a 200-person event center. The planned…
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Don’t Napa my Fredericksburg: Can Texas wineries stay affordable?
The Californication will continue until morale improves! Yes, it’s true: Tech and finance dollars–combined with voracious agrotourism–are coming for Texas’s wine industry. The great relocation of California residents to Texas has kept up its pace, remaining the largest state-to-state migration pattern every single year since 2020. We’re all feeling anxious about it. “Don’t California My…
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Texas Tasting: Blue Lotus Winery (Seguin, TX)
Along the bottom side of the upright triangle connecting Houston, Austin, and San Antonio runs Texas Highway 10. And along this route is the small, rustic town of Seguin. And just a short drive from old downtown Seguin is Blue Lotus Winery, a cozy tasting room with Texas wine/mead and great service. I found myself…
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5 grape-y things to do in Grapevine, Texas
The Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Grapevine, Texas is becoming nationally known for its family-friendly attractions. Legoland, Great Wolf Lodge Waterpark, Sea Life Aquarium, and the Gaylord Texan Resort are all located nearby. But if you’re looking for a more adult kind of fun–the kind that involves crushing some tasty wines with friends–Grapevine has that, too.…
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All the Southwest Airlines in-flight wines, rated
To all of us wine nerds flying basic economy, be prepared to stow your taste and curiosity along with your roller bag. Since airlines restored alcohol service after the pandemic, the focus has been on efficiency and catering to the broadest swath of the flying public. Menus are getting smaller, prices are getting higher, and…
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Wine Road Trip: Arizona’s Sonoita-Elgin region
Sippin’ in Sonoita! We were in Tucson in for the Gem & Mineral show in February 2024…what a perfect place to shake off the winter blahs. Some of the most breathtaking green hills and tumbleweed-swept deserts I’ve ever seen are here…and surprising hospitable wineries, as well. Sonoita-Elgin is a lesser-known wine region with plenty of…