-
Balletto Vineyards tasting at The Wine Authority (Richardson, TX)
I love my Wine Authority membership because I get to try all kinds of stuff I wouldn’t find on my own. Premium wines, small-production wines, overlooked grapes and regions–you never know what’s going to be on the tasting bar. This week was a Russian River Valley tasting. I order a Russian River Valley Pinot Noir…
-
Texas wines and good times at Salado Winery Co. (Salado, TX)
Texas country highways in the springtime are idyllic, all blankets of wildflowers and baby cows. The April rains have made the grass tall and green. The smell of hickory and mesquite smoke hovers faintly in the air. And if you tire of the ever-thickening traffic as you pass through growing cities like Temple and Waco,…
-
Review: Cruz Alta Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (2021)
“Sex is like pizza. When it’s bad, it’s still pretty good.” That same principle does not hold true for 1990s sex comedies–for instance the movie Threesome in which it first appeared. When they’re bad…they’re just bad. But it can be said of certain wine styles. Especially big and bold reds from Mendoza, Argentina. I actually…
-
Travelin’ the Grapevine Spring Wine Trail (Grapevine, TX)
Wine Fairy here, reporting from the 2025 Spring Wine Trail in Grapevine, Texas! The 33rd annual festival took place on Saturday, April 12. The sky was Easter-egg blue and it was in the low 60s all morning (cellar temp)! It could not have been a lovelier day to explore Grapevine’s downtown wineries on foot. Here,…
-
Review: Greek Wine Cellars “Flowers” Agiorgitiko Nemea (2020)
If I’ve never tasted a grape variety before and it’s on the WSET Level 3 syllabus, I’m buying it. That’s my shopping strategy from now until my exam date in November. No more safe and familiar Chards and Cabs on the list–I’m going Agiorgitiko to Zweigelt and loving it. And so, I wound up with…
-
Wine and Turkey Legs: The Wine Fairy’s Guide to Scarborough Faire
Hear ye, hear ye, winos of North Texas! April 5-6 was the opening weekend for our own Renaissance festival, Scarborough Faire in Waxahachie, Texas. The Wine Fairy was there, tasting (almost) all the wines so I could report back to you. (Aye…’tis a tough job.) Scarborough Faire (a.k.a. Scarborough Renaissance Festival) has more than 15…
-
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…
-
Local Sips: Tasting Tuesday at Antonio Ristorante (Addison, TX)
Do you like Italian wine and Italian food? Of course–everybody does, unless they’re nuts. Would you like to know a weeknight date idea that won’t empty your wallet or leave you so full you swear you’ll never eat again? Then check out Antonio Ristorante in Addison Circle. Antonio’s offers a seasonal 3-course tasting menu on…
-
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…
-
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…
-
Under $12 Review: Ed Edmundo Red Blend (2020)
I am not now (nor have I ever been) “serious” about wine. Ew. Perish the thought. But at some point–and it wasn’t too long ago–there was a change. I got a little more…focused about wine. Or disciplined. Or perceptive. Something shifted, and I started paying more attention to what was in the glass. The result…
-
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…