-
Merlot Thursday: DuCard Vineyards Virginia Merlot (2021)
A bright, berry-filled mountain Merlot is on the tasting table! It’s the latest bottle we’ve enjoyed from the “if you know, then you know” (don’t call it “emerging”) wine region of Virginia. Tucked away in the Shenandoah Mountains of Madison County, DuCard Vineyards is a local destination for live music and boutique wine-tasting experiences. Their…
-
Merlot Thursday: Château Armens Saint-Émilion Grand Cru (2020)
A World Cup match lasts approximately 90 to 100 minutes. I’m not really into sports…but coincidentally, 90 minutes is about how long I like to linger over a tasty glass of red wine. And so, we are at the bar, my wife is watching footie on the telly–and I am kicking off the evening with…
-
Review: Kirkland Signature Vacqueyras (2023)
There are two types of people who buy the Kirkland Signature wines from Costco: Those who care about wine tasting, and those who (mostly) don’t. Among the latter group, Kirkland wines are convenient, cheap grocery items and house-party standbys. Grabbing a case of Prosecco or a jug of Chianti saves you money and a trip…
-
Review: ROCO “Gravel Road” Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (2022)
A fresh and lively Willamette Pinot Noir is on the table tonight. “Gravel Road” is the entry-level Pinot from ROCO Winery, founded by Oregon wine pioneers Rollin Soles and Corby Stonebraker-Soles. It’s a solid–though not life-changing–weekday wine at $25-$30. It opens with a friendly burst of fruit: Cherry, strawberry fruit leather, and Bosc pear. The…
-
Merlot Thursday: Meeker “Winemakers’ Handprint” Sonoma County Merlot (2022)
Every bottle of Meeker‘s “Winemakers’ Handprint” Merlot is marked by the winemaker with acrylic paint. Fingerprints grasp the curves of the bottle in neon smears of fuschia and yellow, wrapping the glass in a handshake–or reaching out from the shelf in a friendly wave. The handprint is meant to remind drinkers that wine is made…
-
Review: Domaines Schlumberger “Cuvée Christine” Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives (2018)
“A late-picked Gewurztraminer has perhaps the most exotic smell of any wine in the world,” says Jancis Robinson’s Atlas of Wine. Whether dry or sweet, this grape is extra. Gewurztraminer punks the palate while it indulges the senses. It’s fascinating, it’s uncanny–and I can’t get enough of it. My local wine shop only stocks Gewurztraminer…
-
Review: Santa Cruz Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (2023)
This dive bar is better known for birria tacos–and for bad decisions involving tequila–than it is for wine. But I really want a glass of red wine with some carne asada, so here goes nothing. Santa Cruz Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is sitting in mini bottles, next to vials of beer salt and a frozen-drink machine…
-
Review: Taittinger “La Française” Brut Champagne (NV)
Taittinger’s “La Française” is one of the best widely available Champagnes in the $50-$60 price range. It’s like a sampler platter of all the classic Champagne flavors, and it hits an ideal spot between richness and freshness. It’s versatile, too. Not too soft, not too acidic. Good brand-name recognition for impressing your friends, but not…
-
Onward and upward for Texas wine! Tasting North Texas at the Frontiers of Flight Museum
Texas wine took over the Frontiers of Flight Museum for a day, with a dozen producers showing up to pour their wines for thirsty Dallasites. A backdrop of historic aircraft and spacecraft set the scene as the post-brunch crowd streamed in for an afternoon of tasting. The Wine Fairy was there, too! Here’s what we…
-
Norah Jones’s “This Life” wines, reviewed: French bubbles and rosé for summer!
Summer in Texas lasts about nine months out of the year. When you’re relaxing by the pool or on the patio in 100-degree weather, only one type of wine will do: The cold type. Singer-songwriter and musician Norah Jones must’ve been thinking of her Texas roots when she created her wine brand. Her “This Life”…
-
Merlot Thursday: Ron Yates Friesen Vineyards Texas High Plains Merlot (2021)
“Texas wine is bad” is one of those wine-industry truisms that I wish I could erase from conversation. The truth is, Texas wine runs the entire gamut of quality, from undrinkable to world-class. In that way, it’s a lot like Merlot–another wine category that has fallen victim to unfair generalization and unfair disdain. The only…
-
Review: Champagne Barnaut Bouzy Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Brut (NV)
A bigger-is-better Grand Cru Champagne is on the menu for today. Determined to get over my birthday blues, I’m celebrating at Coupes, a chic bubble-centric wine bar in Dallas. Coupes has an eye-popping list that includes–by my quickest count–more than 80 different Champagnes and Crémants by the glass, bottle, and half-bottle. I rattle off some…