-
Review: Paco & Lola Albariño (2023)
A happy hour it was indeed as we lingered over a chilled bottle of Paco & Lola Albariño. This fruity Spanish white was flowing all around the tapas bar as Dallasites hid indoors from the 95-degree heat. At tables around the room, I could spy its cheery label peeking out from ice buckets like a…
-
Southern Italy (Campania & Puglia) tasting at Corner Wines (Plano, TX)
Wine, at its best, is both a teleporter and a time machine. The right glass can whisk you away to distant locales visited long ago (or never), to historical moments remembered or imagined by the yearning, eternal soul inside each of your tastebuds. This is why we drink wine. That, and because it’s a tasty…
-
Notes from the Lone Star International Wine Competition (2025)
It was an exciting day for wine producers from Texas and beyond: Medal day! After a one-day qualifying round, the Lone Star International Wine Competition judges reconvened on Thursday morning to choose the best of the best. There were still dozens of wines in the running, and many potential medals to be awarded: Gold, Double…
-
Local Sips: CRÚ Food & Wine Bar (Plano, TX)
Wine Fairy here, checking in with another recommended watering hole in our big old town of DFW! Read on for a local’s guide to CRÚ Food & Wine Bar in Plano’s Legacy East shopping center. I’ve been going to CRÚ’s Plano location for approximately forever. My wife and I celebrated our first over-21 Valentine’s Day…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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.…
-
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…
-
Rombauer Vineyards tasting at The Wine Authority (Richardson, TX)
It was a Rombauer power hour at The Wine Authority last Tuesday. A Rombauer Vineyards rep stopped by to pour a whole slew of their wines to a thirsty afternoon crowd. Picks included their well-known Napa Valley Cabernet, along with a super-premium version of the Carneros Chardonnay and the single-estate “El Dorado” Zinfandel. (Apologies for…
-
DFW Wine Events: June 2025
Dallas, I hope you are thirsty because June has more wine activities than you could possibly believe. (June 14th is National Rosé Day!) I hope you’re hungry, too–because the wine dinners are positively blooming on the vine. Every month at The Wine Fairy, we assemble a list of local happenings you won’t want to miss.…
-
Local Sips: Bar Vino at Buon Vino Cellars (Plano, TX)
Want to drink great wine while feeling like you’re inside a secret club (because you kind of are)? Let me clue you in on one of DFW’s hidden wine oases, Buon Vino Cellars. Buon Vino Cellars is a concierge wine store and locker club located just off the Dallas North Tollway. Normally, it’s a bottle…
-
Texas Winery Bingo (Free downloadable game cards)
Liven up your Texas wine trip with this fun, free scavenger-hunt game! Up to six people or teams can play Texas Winery Bingo. Each card lists objects and words you’re likely to find while doing tastings at Texas wineries. To play, each player or team marks off the squares as you find them. (Complete rules…