-
Review: Regaleali Lamùri Nero d’Avola (2021)
The French Paradox has been mostly debunked, but has anyone figured out the Italian Paradox? Logic dictates that cheap Italian food and mediocre Italian wine shouldn’t add up to something spectacular. Bad wine usually makes an even worse pairing…but somehow Italy doesn’t have to play by those rules. You know how it is. You get…
-
A taste of heaven at Eden Hill Winery (Celina, TX)
Just north of Dallas, where the tollways end and the cornfields begin, is a little slice of wine paradise. Towering vines, friendly staff, and distinctive wines make Eden Hill Winery a delightful day trip from anywhere in the Metroplex. The 10-acre property is equipped with a tasting room, wine-making facilities, and two acres planted with…
-
Bordeaux + Tuscany Tasting with Château Giscours and Caiarossa
Wine Wednesday got a serious upgrade with a selection of bold blends from Bordeaux’s Château Giscours and Tuscany’s Caiarossa. Reps from both estates were in Dallas this week and swung by The Wine Authority with some crates of their marvelous red elixirs. Giscours and Caiarossa had just been featured in a “Bordeaux Meets Toscana” winemakers’…
-
Review: Rowdy Creek Ranch Texas Merlot (2022)
Gather ’round the chuck wagon, ’cause today I’m pouring a 2022 Texas Merlot from Rowdy Creek Ranch. Located in Gilmer, Texas (about 20 minutes northeast of Longview), Rowdy Creek Ranch is a 450-acre country resort that opened in 2022. A 22-acre winery is on site. The property is equipped with a venue and event space,…
-
Review: Palivou Estate Single Vineyard Nemea (2021)
From ancient vineyards near the ruins of Nemea, to a patio overlooking a parking lot in suburban Dallas–such was the fated journey of this bottle of red wine. And I am so grateful it made the trip. Palivou Estate’s flagship wine is a welcome discovery. Both fruit-forward and elegant, it’s a testament to what native…
-
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…