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California Uncorked: Napa Valley & Beyond (Total Wine class review)
Nothing helps smooth the path to the weekend better than a midweek wine or spirits tasting. And so, I frequently take Thursday evening classes at the Total Wine in West Plano, Texas. It’s like an educational version of a Thirsty Thursday happy hour! Last night’s class was “California Uncorked: Napa Valley & Beyond.” It’s an…
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Not a bubbly mood: 4 ways Prosecco lovers can cope with tariffs
It has not been a festive year for the wine industry. Climate-related worries, buzz-killing medical research, and an overall decline in drinking among young consumers are just a few of the worries keeping wine people up at night. Now, the wine business is bracing for the possibility of Trumpian tariffs on European imports. Winemakers of…
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Review: Ana Beirut Assyrtico (2023)
Today I’m tasting a bottle from the tiny wine-producing country of Lebanon. I was lucky to have a chance to try many of Ana Beirut’s Bekaa Valley wines at a Wine Authority event in December. The Assyrtico was my favorite pour from the lineup. It checks some of my favorite boxes for a white wine:…
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Review: Sea Pearl Sauvignon Blanc (2023)
Ordering wine at a non-wine place can feel like rolling the dice. Is the wine stored in a freezing bar fridge, or by the radiator in the boss’s office? Will they serve it in a beer glass? Will anyone have a corkscrew, or at least know how to use one? Fortunately, I know how to…
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Review: L’Enclos de Carbonnieux Pessac-Léognan Blanc (2021)
Late January is the worst. The Yule tree is put away, and yet it’s still below freezing and gray outside. I find myself daydreaming about springtime and picnics. And with them, picnic wines. In the Wine Fairy’s household, a picnic wine is something crisp and aromatic. Buzz-inducing, but not so high in alcohol that you…
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Review: La Tour Blanche “Emotions” Sauternes (2018)
Are you sweet on Sauternes? I certainly am! Sweet wines a usually get a bad rap in the wine world. Beginning wine drinkers tend to prefer sweeter tastes–a fact that causes many intermediate wine drinkers to assume that sweet wines must be basic or bad. But the nobly-rotted white wines from Bordeaux have a long…
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Review: Kith & Kin Russian River Valley Chardonnay (2022)
Poor Chardonnay. It got too popular for its own good, and now it’s facing an epic backlash. “Anything but Chard,” say the trendy drinkers at the bottle shop and the wine bar. Meanwhile, the Chardonnay bottles sit on the shelf with their golden, sloping shoulders and plead: Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful. Don’t hate…
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Houston Pit Stop: Golden Oak Micro Cellar
What is better than a glass of Texas wine on a perfect fall day? A glass of Texas wine with pasture views, of course! We had just such a an idyllic experience on a recent trip from the Houston metro area back home to Dallas. Those of you who travel through Texas know the drive…