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“Market Price” Sancerre: WTF, restaurants?
An obnoxious new wine list practice has invaded my city–one that stinks worse than five-day-old lobster. On the list, where you should see a producer name and a bottle price, it just says “Sancerre: MP.” (Or, the even more precious version: “Seasonal Sancerre: MP.”) I’ve seen this at two or three places now–and three is…
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Review: Château La Rose de Vitrac Bordeaux Blanc (2024)
Imagine this: You’re in a less-than-ideal wine shop in a new city and you don’t recognize any labels. You have $20 in your pocket. You’re meeting up with friends…and there’s someone who maybe doesn’t drink red? You have no idea what you’re having for dinner. What’s your move? If you said “white Bordeaux,” then great…
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Review: Thierry Delaunay “Le Grand Ballon” Val de Loire Sauvignon Blanc (2023)
Now that Taylor Swift has gone and ruined Sancerre for everyone, ordinary wine drinkers like moi have to look for alternatives to the popular but scarce Loire Valley label. Just kidding, Swifties. Sancerre shortages have been a recurring wine-biz story for at least 2-3 years now, due to harvest challenges and other supply-demand mismatch issues.…
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San Francisco’s Queen of Sauvy B: Eco Terreno Winery
Beer for breakfast and wine for lunch–this is how you pass a wintry day in San Francisco. Today, I have tasted everything from cinnamon-sugar pumpkin ale in a toasty brick basement at Fisherman’s Wharf to vegan gluten-free beer (made with sushi rice) at a queer-friendly microbrewery in North Beach. And before strolling off to reconstitute…
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Costco Advent Calendar Wine #22: Maison du Lac Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc (France)
If you’ve been following along on our journey through all 24 of the Costco advent calendar wines, then you know it’s been a bumpy ride. There is a lot of variation in quality and style this year. The Wine Fairy tasting team (me and my wife, Sarah) are using a very informal (non-blind, non-mathematical, go-with-your-gut)…
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Review: Château Couhins “Les Demoiselles de Couhins” Pessac-Léognan Blanc (2019)
It’s time for some Thai food and Bordeaux–let’s go! Today’s bottle is a second wine from Château Couhins, a classified old Graves estate that is now owned by the French government’s wine research institute. This dry white wine is pale lemon with a frosty appearance (it’s very cold). Superbly aromatic with gooseberry (cats), pineapple, green…
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Costco Advent Calendar Wine #4: Sheep Station Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand)
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is arguably the biggest commercial success story the wine industry has seen in decades. Millennials–including the Wine Fairy household, to be honest–just can’t get enough of its zingy tropical flavors. The Marlborough style is easy to enjoy: No aging, no corkscrew, no swirling required. You will not find a restaurant or…
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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…
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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…
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Review: Visionario Bianco Trevenezie (2023)
I made a promise back in April to review all 13 of the wines I got in a mixed Italian case from the Wall Street Journal’s wine club. Lucky me! I’ll be grabbing these bottles one by one, finding something in my pantry or freezer to pair with them, and giving you my honest thoughts…
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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…
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Review: Yealands Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (2023)
Hate on Outback Steakhouse all you want–it’s consistent and a steal for a weeknight dinner. Some days, you just want a sirloin (with A1 sauce!) and some slightly overcooked broccoli. What you don’t want is to get all dressed up, get sneered at by the valet for your ancient Honda, and then have to buy…