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How to get from San Francisco to Napa for under $20
The words “Napa Valley” evoke visions of majestic estates, vine-clad foothills, and world-class Cabernet poured in lavish tasting rooms. It’s one of the world’s great wine tourism destinations—always in demand, and with prices to match. Napa is expensive for wine-tasting. That’s expected. But the hardest part is shelling out hundreds of dollars before the first…
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Review: Cave de Lugny Mâcon-Villages “La Côte Blanche” Unoaked Chardonnay (2022)
Today’s white wine is 100% Chardonnay–you can be sure of it. Not only because Chardonnay is the only permitted variety in the Mâcon-Villages appellation, but also because the label proudly proclaims it to be so: “Chardonnay.” Although it’s jarring to see the name of a grape beneath the sloping shoulders of a Burgundy bottle, it…
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Merlot Thursday: Bodegas Volver “Juntos” Alicante Merlot (2024)
A ripe ‘n rowdy Merlot from Spain is our pick for this #MerlotThursday! “Juntos” comes from the sunny Mediterranean coast in the region of Valencia. Wine lovers may hear “Alicante” and think of Alicante Bouschet, the red-fleshed grape that lends its irresistible color to blends. And indeed, Merlot-Alicante blends do exist in the table wines…
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“Market Price” Sancerre: WTF, restaurants?
An obnoxious new wine list practice has invaded my city–one that stinks worse than five-day-old lobster. On the list, where you should see a producer name and a bottle price, it just says “Sancerre: MP.” (Or, the even more precious version: “Seasonal Sancerre: MP.”) I’ve seen this at two or three places now–and three is…
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Three winemakers, three Spanish regions: Juan Gil, Bodegas Shaya, and Bodegas Morca
Spain is one of my favorite wine-producing countries. Even though I’ve yet to collect that stamp on my passport, when I drink a Spanish wine I can almost taste the Mediterranean sunshine in my glass. Recently in Texas, I got to sample some marvelous wines (and meet the winemakers!) at The Wine Authority. They came…
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Merlot Thursday: Shafer Napa Valley Merlot (2023)
The 2023 vintage in Napa Valley has wine writers using some immoderate language. “2023 was as perfect as any Napa vintage in living memory. It was Napa’s ‘1961 Bordeaux,’” writes Karen MacNeil in Decanter. “The Vintage of a Lifetime,” proclaims the Napa Valley Harvest’s vintage summary. “With consistent, mild weather throughout the season, above-average crop yields,…
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DFW Wine Events: May 2026
Our monthly roundup of wine-centric local events! We hope you’re thinking pink…because May in Dallas is all about the rosé. As always at The Wine Fairy, we’ve done our best to make this info current and correct. Still, we always recommend that you confirm details before traveling. Ticket prices include all taxes and fees except where…
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A whirlwind of wine! A 2026 update from The Wine Fairy
A big, hearty “Cheers!” to those amazing readers who follow my wine adventures. There has been a lot going on behind the scenes at The Wine Fairy. Things are flowing fast. It’s been the craziest three months in my wine career–probably in my life. My brain is mush, my palate is exhausted…and yeah, I’m ready…
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Merlot Thursday: Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot (2022)
Today’s wine was presaged by a special omen: Duck family! In my yard! Mr. and Mrs. Mallard stopped by this morning, grubbing up worms from the driveway after the rain. Whenever they found one, he nudged it toward her to taste it first–just like my partner does when I order something weird off a wine…
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The 67 Pall Mall Global Wine Communicator Awards: I’m longlisted!
This morning started with a small thrill–Château Giscours liked a recent post I made about enjoying their wine with dinner. A few minutes later, a much bigger surprise landed in my inbox: I’m longlisted for the 67 Pall Mall Global Wine Communicator Awards! My name is on the 2026 longlist in two categories: • Laurent-Perrier…
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What Is This Thing? Giambellino Bellini Wine Cocktail
This is what it’s like to write a highbrow-lowbrow wine blog: Sometimes we’re drinking a single-vineyard Pinot Noir, and sometimes we’re drinking a dubious orange liquid that we bought at ALDI. On What Is This Thing?, we look at various wine-adjacent products and try to determine: 1. What is this thing? 2. Should you drink…
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Merlot Thursday: Château Giscours “Haut-Médoc de Giscours” (2020)
Today’s #MerlotThursday wine is actually just 50% Merlot–so I drank two glasses to make it count. 😉 The “Haut-Médoc de Giscours” is the third label of Château Giscours, a prestigious Third Growth estate in the Margaux appellation of Bordeaux. The fruit comes from Giscours’ 60 hectares of vines in the Haut-Médoc, slightly inland and adjacent to…