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WSET Level 2 Class: Week 1 Thoughts
To be honest, I’m not completely sure what I’m doing here. Just a few months ago, I was a wine drinker–meaning a normal lady who drinks wine. A little knowledge here and there, a few opinions and preferences. I’ve seen “Sideways” once, maybe twice. I have Wine Folly on my coffee table. I always bring…
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What Is This Thing? Buzzballz Choco Chiller
Welcome to another edition of What Is This Thing?, in which your intrepid wine blogger reviews wine-adjacent, wine-ish, and not-quite-wine products. Fact: Despite their liquor-shooter appearance and sexually suggestive names, Buzzballz Chillers are technically wine. “Orange Wine With Cream & Natural Flavors,” to be precise. It’s all part of Buzzballz’s unique genius, and one of…
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Pour one out for Trova Wine Market as Dallas beverage scene continues a string of closures
CultureMap Dallas reports that Trova Wine + Market is closing next week, on January 18, 2025. It’s the latest in a series of sales and closures as Dallas’s wine and beer venues continue their rapid churn. Since 2020, the bar, bottle shop, and gourmet food market has offered wine and nibbles to a ritzy clientele…
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Where to find cheap brunch drinks in Dallas
Having brunch with your pals makes you feel rich and classy–like an extra on Sex and the City! Until you get the check and realize you somehow spent a half a day’s wages on Prosecco and eggs. Sad but true: Dallas is no longer an affordable place to eat, drink, and play. The going rate…
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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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My experience preparing for WSET Level 2
Nobody needs an industry credential to enjoy and learn about wine…but what if you just want one? Today, I thought I’d write a bit about my experience studying and preparing for the Wine & Spirits Education Trust Level 2 Award in Wines. I’m planning to take the exam in just over three weeks (January 2025).…
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Texas Tasting: Messina Hof (Grapevine)
When Paul V. and Merrill Bonarrigo planted some vines in Bryan, Texas in 1977, they might not have guessed that the single-acre, experimental vineyard would become one of the oldest and most awarded estate wineries in Texas. Messina Hof wines are familiar to Texas wine fans here and abroad. There’s a large portfolio of wines, covering…
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How much should a mocktail cost?
It’s practically the definition of a First World Problem: How much is too much to pay for some ice cubes, soda water, and syrup/bitters in a glass? About five bucks, you say? A big slice of the internet agrees. On a popular Threads post, user “ughchase” writes: “in no world should mocktails cost $1-2 less…
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Review: The Costco Wine Adventure Calendar (2024)
Update: Costco’s 2025 calendar is out now! Peek inside the box here. Or, if you’re curious about what the wines taste like, check out our archive of reviews from the 2025 Wine Advent-ure Calendar. As every suburban wino knows, the wholesale club Costco can be a reliable source for better-than-drinkable wine at rock-bottom prices. The…
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Top ten North Dallas happy hours for winos
Dining out in Dallas has gotten expensive, y’all. Sometimes you want to go celebrate Hump Day without blowing your entire week’s budget on one so-so meal. Sometimes you’re itching to get out of the house or the office, but you ate a big lunch and you’re probably not going to be hungry for dinner. Sometimes…
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Total Wine’s Grand Reserve status: Worth it?
Today’s blog post combines two of my very favorite topics: Wine (or course) and rewards points/churning. Total Wine is one of the nation’s largest wine retailers–and if you ever shop there, you may know that they have a tiered status/rewards system as part of their loyalty program. The program is officially called “&More Rewards” and…