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What it’s like to be a wine judge
If drinking a glass of wine is like taking a walk in the park, then tasting and scoring a hundred wines is more like running a marathon. Wine judging takes discipline, focus, and endurance–not to mention a lot of crackers and celery! Since judging my first wine contest in 2025, I’ve been involved with several…
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First Glass: How to Taste, Talk About, and Buy Wine Like a Master Sommelier by Tim Gaiser MS (Review)
Master Sommelier Tim Gaiser’s new book, First Glass: How to Taste, Talk About, and Buy Wine Like a Master Sommelier was released on October 20, 2026. It’s available in paperback and digital formats. I’ve been looking forward to reading it since Gaiser announced the title at the TEXSOM Conference back in August 2026. Here’s my…
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Texas + Rioja: Spain’s finest wines come to Dallas
You could say that we’re separated by an ocean but united by a grape. Texans adore our smooth, spicy, food-loving Tempranillo wines, whether homegrown or imported from the historic wine-producing villages of Spain. That love was evident when Rioja came to town this week, bringing lots of their signature Tempranillo-based reds–plus a few delicious surprises!…
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TEXSOM 2026: The week, the work, and the wine!
TEXSOM 2026 has come and gone. Across seven days, I tasted wine, gabbed about wine, and learned more than I would have thought was possible. This was my second TEXSOM Conference–and although my assignments were more challenging this time around, I felt far more confident and more connected. Wine has been good to me this…
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How I score wines
How are wine scores calculated for The Wine Fairy blog? What do the different scores mean? I’m so glad you asked! Having published almost two hundred bottle reviews in the last 18 months, I realized this explanatory post is long overdue. In this article, I share some of my methodology and philosophy of grading wines.…
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TEXSOM Sommer Camp 2026: The most exciting week in wine
It’s a reunion that I’ve been awaiting for many months: TEXSOM 2026 and almost an entire week of Sommer Camp! Sommer Camp starts in Irving, Texas on August 20. In the summer of 2025, I was a raw beginner with stars in my eyes and a brand-new wine blog. I registered for five days of…
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Review: Granbazán “Etiqueta Ámbar” Albariño Rías Baixas (2023)
Albariño from Spain was on the screen and in my glass. I pulled a cold bottle from the wine fridge and settled in for a one-hour Zoom class hosted by New York-based importer Olé & Obrigado. “El Camino del Albariño” is their July-August virtual education and promotional tour. It’s an invitation to wine pros to…
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The Diploma decision: Why I took the WSET Level 4 plunge
“Are you going to do the Diploma?” my wine teacher asked me, only minutes after I handed in my Level 3 exam. “I dunno,” I remember saying. “It’s a lot of time and a lot of money.” Even as I spoke those words, though, there was a quieter voice in my head whispering: Yeah…probably. Today,…
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Slow night, blind flight! Wine-tasting practice from behind the bar
I’m constantly working on improving my tasting skills. It’s partly to become a better wine writer/critic, and partly to get more enjoyment from the wines I pour for myself and others. And because, as I’ve talked about on the blog recently, I’m thiiiiiiiss close to embarking on my WSET Level 4 Diploma journey. Blind-tasting competence…
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All roads lead to wine: On starting a wine career at 40
I’m 40 years old tomorrow, and I’m starting off my birthday weekend with a short pour of midlife angst. At first, I thought I’d celebrate with a special bottle. But there are no 1986 wines in stock at the local shop. (They laughed.) So instead of uncorking a birthday vintage tonight, I’m looking back at…
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Pinot Forum Dallas: Tasting the Russian River Valley
What could be better than traveling to your favorite wine regions? Not much–except having your favorite wine regions come to you! That’s what happened in April when I met up with the Russian River Valley Winegrowers in downtown Dallas. Located just north of the Bay Area and cooled by fog from the Petaluma Gap, Russian…
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Close calls: Three recent blind-tasting traps–and what I learned from them
Identifying mystery wines isn’t easy at the best of times. But when a wine is chosen specifically to trip up the taster, it adds another layer of difficulty. I’ve been doing a lot of blind tasting practice since earning my WSET Level 3 certificate in February. I’m trying to get an honest look at my…