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DFW Day Trip: San Martiño Winery (Lavon, TX)
On a drizzly summer Saturday, we wandered east of Dallas to San Martiño Winery & Vineyards. A tip from a wine friend had led us to this hidden family winery in a growing DFW suburb. It’s located in Lavon, Texas on Highway 205 between Lavon Lake and Lake Ray Hubbard. Spanish touches are everywhere, beginning…
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Review: Donnachiara Fiano de Avellino (2022)
When shopping for EU wines, it can be hard to make sense of the label. There are far too many proper nouns. It’s a humbling reminder of how much there is to learn in the world of wine. For those of us who grew up drinking mass-produced domestic wines with just a couple of words…
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Merlot Thursday: Ferrari-Carano Sonoma County Merlot (2021)
Today’s #MerlotThursday pick is a by-the-glass pour at The Wine Authority: The 2021 Ferrari-Carano Sonoma County Merlot. Welcome, wine friends–let’s bring Merlot back! 🍇🍷 Ferrari-Carano makes moderately-priced, food-friendly wines from their Sonoma County vineyards. I generally find them to be a good value and I reviewed their exuberant Dry Sangiovese Rosé earlier this year. In…
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Review: La Croix Bonis Saint-Estèphe Bordeaux (2018)
No adventurous pairings or exotic bottles tonight. It’s Restaurant Week in Dallas, which means it’s time for some steak ‘n Bordeaux! For local foodies, taking full advantage of DFW Restaurant Week–it actually lasts for more than a month–can be hard on the liver, the waistline, and the wallet. That’s why me and my table opted…
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Review: Row 503 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (2022)
I hardly ever think about Pinot Noir. If any Pinot has a problem with that, then that thin-skinned little grape can go in the corner and cry about it. It’s a relief, actually, to not care that much about Pinot Noir. From what I’ve observed, the Pinot bug seems to be an especially virulent strain…
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Review: German Wine Collection “Prost” Mosel Riesling (2019)
“Prost” means “cheers” in German, and it’s the perfect name for this value-priced, deliciously drinkable German wine. My home state of Texas has a lot of German heritage. However, the noble grapes of Germany sadly don’t suit our climate, and quality German wine imports don’t always make it this far inland. “Prost, y’all!” is a…
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Merlot Thursday: Morpho Helena Merlot (2024)
There are at least three places where wine just tastes better: In the vineyard, in the cellar, and in the middle of the ocean. The latter place is where I am this #MerlotThursday, onboard the Enchanted Princess and cruising across the Gulf of Mexico. The house wines on Princess Cruises are a mixed bag and…
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Review: La Chiamata Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (2022)
I’m trying to get better at blind tasting–both for upcoming exams and as a cool party trick. Practicing (and usually being wrong) at home is way less stressful than doing it at a wine bar. So that is what we’re doing, about one night per week. Last night’s blind bottle was La Chiamata Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.…
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Merlot Thursday: Chateau Ste. Michelle Canoe Ridge Estate Merlot (2019)
For this #MerlotThursday, I’m diving into a bottle of deep red Washington Merlot from Chateau Ste. Michelle. This 2019 estate bottling comes from the Canoe Ridge vineyard of Horse Heaven Hills. In keeping with the spirit of the exercise of Merlot appreciation, I was poking all over The Wine Authority‘s shelves for an example of…
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Review: Château Montmirail “Beauchamp” Gigondas (2021)
Gigondas, meet gigantes! The homophonic pairing was Sarah’s idea. My wife adores the huge, creamy Greek beans known as gigantes. So when she heard me yammering on about the hearty Southern Rhône wines of Gigondas, it was ordained that the two should share a table one day soon. It was an easy enough meetup to…
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Review: Paco & Lola Albariño (2023)
A happy hour it was indeed as we lingered over a chilled bottle of Paco & Lola Albariño. This fruity Spanish white was flowing all around the tapas bar as Dallasites hid indoors from the 95-degree heat. At tables around the room, I could spy its cheery label peeking out from ice buckets like a…
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Southern Italy (Campania & Puglia) tasting at Corner Wines (Plano, TX)
Wine, at its best, is both a teleporter and a time machine. The right glass can whisk you away to distant locales visited long ago (or never), to historical moments remembered or imagined by the yearning, eternal soul inside each of your tastebuds. This is why we drink wine. That, and because it’s a tasty…