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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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Merlot Thursday: Whitehall Lane Napa Valley Merlot (2019)
Happy #MerlotThursday! This week’s bottle was recommended and enjoyed at The Wine Authority in Richardson, Texas. I was in the wine shop for a LunaGaia tasting event. They were all biodynamic Sicilian wines from the 2023 vintage. After challenging my palate with those acids and tannins and native yeasts and unfamiliar grapes, I was ready…
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DFW Wine Events: August 2025
August is upon us, and we’re serving up a fresh batch of wine-related happenings in and around Dallas-Fort Worth! Savor delicious wine dinners, do a Sangria-fueled crawl through Deep Ellum, enhance your fermentation knowledge with a homebrewing workshop, and lots more. Events are listed in chronological order. Note that Eventbrite ticket prices now include all…
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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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An afternoon at Lost Draw Wines (Johnson City, TX)
It looks, perhaps, like AI trickery. But the summer skies in rural Texas really are that shade of robin’s egg blue. The lolling clouds really are that white and fluffy. And the sparkling rosé, poured by a hostess and handed to you as soon as you’ve closed your car door, really is that perfectly pink…
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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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Becoming a Texas Wine Ambassador (Hill Country Wine Academy review)
I walked into the classroom as a Texas wine fan, and walked out as the leveled-up version: A Certified Texas Wine Ambassador! My reward for a day of attentive tasting and discussion was a snazzy certificate and a pin. Also: A permanent sense of responsibility for representing Texas wine in an industry where it’s constantly…
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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: Capisco Pinot Grigio (2023)
“Click-click” goes the screw-cap, “ploop-ploop” goes the wine–and we are dipping into a chilled bottle of Pinot Grigio. This midday treat is the latest one to be opened out of a case of budget Italian wines from WSJ Wine. The producer is one Alessandro Gallici, the same Northern Italian winemaker responsible for the “Visionario” Bianco…
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DFW Wine Events: July 2025
There’s so much to eat, drink, and do in North Texas during the summer! Your local wine guide is checking in once again with a fresh batch of vinous fun. Every month at The Wine Fairy, we assemble a list of local happenings you may enjoy. We comb through the apps for wine events that…