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Merlot Thursday: Markham Vineyards “Six Stack” North Coast Merlot (2023)
As Dallas continues to sprawl northward, newly-built steakhouses pop up along the Tollway overnight, like mushrooms. And, like a forager, I poke at them and turn them over. I’m looking for my next tasty prize: a new bottle for #MerlotThursday. J. Alexander’s has that odd, affluent-suburb combination of steaks and gooey sushi rolls, no happy…
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Merlot Thursday: Clos Pegase Napa Valley Merlot (2023)
A few things have happened since I started writing about Merlot every #MerlotThursday. First, I’ve gained a fresh appreciation for the variety and all its styles and nuances. Second, I’ve gotten better–not perfect, but better–at recognizing Merlot in blind tastings. And third, people have started to approach me with their Merlot stories. The last Merlot…
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Let’s unbox the 2026 Costco holiday wine calendar!
Today we snagged the 2026 Costco Wine Advent-ure Calendar! For the third year in a row, we’ll be tearing apart that bright blue cardboard and digging into a selection of international wines from the warehouse giant. Read on to find out what’s new in the 2026 calendar, which wines are returning, and how to keep…
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Merlot Thursday: Château Tour Bayard Montagne Saint-Émilion (2022) + Bordeaux at TEXSOM
Can a centuries-old wine region learn new tricks? Bordeaux is undergoing a major effort to keep up with changes in drinking habits and in the climate. We’ve personally seen these modernization strategies on display at Wine Paris 2026 and this past week, at the TEXSOM Conference in North Texas. Some recent changes revolve around wine…
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Merlot Thursday: BriO de Cantenac Brown Margaux (2018)
Today’s #MerlotThursday wine is composed of just 50% Merlot–but I’m going to argue that it still counts. What can we say? We love Bordeaux blends and sometimes we fudge a little. “BriO” is the second label of Château Cantenac Brown, a classified Third Growth. It is, as we shall see, a fantastic value for Margaux.…
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Merlot Thursday: Les Chênes de Macquin Saint-Émilion Grand Cru (2018)
Les Chênes de Macquin has been uncorked for #MerlotThursday! This Merlot-dominant blend (90%) serves as the second wine of the Premier Grand Cru Classé estate Château Pavie Macquin. It pours up a mouthwatering Bordeaux ruby color, with some garnet variation just starting to emerge across its rim. An oversized glass can barely contain the wonderfully layered aromas:…
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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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Merlot Thursday: Orin Swift “Advice from John” California Merlot (2024)
“There is no arguing about taste” is a maxim that goes back centuries. But as wine fans and wine critics, that’s what we absolutely love to do, regardless. Let’s taste wine! Argue about taste! Then open another bottle and argue about taste some more. Today’s wine is a very popular Merlot from the very popular…
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Review: Emmolo “No. 8” Méthode Traditionnelle California Sparkling Wine (NV)
This year is the 50th anniversary of the Judgment of Paris–the famous 1976 wine competition that humbled French oenophiles and made Napa Valley famous. For months, my wine calendar has been full of “France vs. United States”-themed classes and tastings. The exercise throws you straight into the deep end of the philosophy of winemaking. Can…
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Merlot Thursday: Château La Rose Perrière Lussac Saint-Émilion (2020)
“When you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail,” the saying goes. And when you are a cooper, every wine needs time in a barrel. So it is with Château La Rose Perrière, the Bordeaux estate owned and managed by Jean-Luc Sylvain (of renowned barrel supplier Tonnellerie Sylvain). The Château’s red wines, unusually, are…
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Merlot Thursday: Siboney Cellars “Storm Breaker” Texas High Plains Merlot (2024)
In September 2019, an epic thunderstorm tore through the Texas High Plains, sending growers and winemakers scrambling into the vineyards to grab up their grapes. Those who waited for the rains to pass risked muddy fields and watery fruit. Those who rushed in got some excellent raw materials (and a story to tell). Such was…
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Merlot Thursday: PlumpJack Napa Valley Merlot (2022)
PlumpJack’s Merlot is plump, for sure–an exuberantly fruity, spice-packed treat. Full of unapologetic, born-this-way Merlot moxie, it divided the room between those who love Merlot and those who remain unconvinced. But, as you might have guessed from this #MerlotThursday series (now in its 53rd installment!) we are not hesitant sippers. We’re fully on board the…