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The 6 biggest wine stories of 2024
Happy New Year from The Wine Fairy–and for bloggers and scrollers, a very happy List Week! This is the time of year when all of our favorite wine critics are posting lists of their top bottles of the year. We didn’t keep good enough tasting notes in 2024…so yeah, we’re not doing that. Instead, our…
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Texas Tasting: Blue Lotus Winery (Seguin, TX)
Along the bottom side of the upright triangle connecting Houston, Austin, and San Antonio runs Texas Highway 10. And along this route is the small, rustic town of Seguin. And just a short drive from old downtown Seguin is Blue Lotus Winery, a cozy tasting room with Texas wine/mead and great service. I found myself…
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“Flabby,” “smooth,” “precise”? These 7 wine words are past their prime
When I read too many wine reviews, I feel like I’m getting smarter and dumber at the same time. On the one hand, I’m learning to talk about wine like the pros do! On the other hand, I’m ingesting a florid word salad that leaves me even more confused about what’s in the bottle. In…
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5 grape-y things to do in Grapevine, Texas
The Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Grapevine, Texas is becoming nationally known for its family-friendly attractions. Legoland, Great Wolf Lodge Waterpark, Sea Life Aquarium, and the Gaylord Texan Resort are all located nearby. But if you’re looking for a more adult kind of fun–the kind that involves crushing some tasty wines with friends–Grapevine has that, too.…
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All the Southwest Airlines in-flight wines, rated
To all of us wine nerds flying basic economy, be prepared to stow your taste and curiosity along with your roller bag. Since airlines restored alcohol service after the pandemic, the focus has been on efficiency and catering to the broadest swath of the flying public. Menus are getting smaller, prices are getting higher, and…
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My experience preparing for WSET Level 2
Nobody needs an industry credential to enjoy and learn about wine…but what if you just want one? Today, I thought I’d write a bit about my experience studying and preparing for the Wine & Spirits Education Trust Level 2 Award in Wines. I’m planning to take the exam in just over three weeks (January 2025).…
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It’s December, let’s all drink Glühwein.
What do you do when it’s dark at 4:30 PM, and you wish it would maybe snow a little, but it’s Texas so it’s 70 degrees and humid in mid-December? Why, drink some wine, of course! If your holiday spirit is lagging a bit, why not pour yourself a dose of liquid Christmastime with Glühwein.…
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Molto carino! These 11 Italian grape varieties are named after animals
The Italian language has a rich tradition of nicknames. Not just for people, to help distinguish one Giovanni from another–but for animals, places, and plants, including grapes. The names of some grape varieties reach back to Roman times, when viticulture was in its infancy. Farmers needed a way to differentiate grapes by their flavor, yield,…
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Texas Tasting: Messina Hof (Grapevine)
When Paul V. and Merrill Bonarrigo planted some vines in Bryan, Texas in 1977, they might not have guessed that the single-acre, experimental vineyard would become one of the oldest and most awarded estate wineries in Texas. Messina Hof wines are familiar to Texas wine fans here and abroad. There’s a large portfolio of wines, covering…
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Review: The Costco Wine Adventure Calendar (2024)
Update: Costco’s 2025 calendar is out now! Peek inside the box here. Or, if you’re curious about what the wines taste like, check out our archive of reviews from the 2025 Wine Advent-ure Calendar. As every suburban wino knows, the wholesale club Costco can be a reliable source for better-than-drinkable wine at rock-bottom prices. The…
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Two-ingredient wine cocktails to make for the holidays
Ah, the holidays. ‘Tis the season of 12-ingredient punches, smoked and spiced cocktails, artfully strained Christmas cookie-tinis. Time to round up the party supplies. Time to drive to five different grocery stores, clean a bunch of specialty glassware…and oh, where did I put the sugarplum bitters? Okay Martha, calm down. Wouldn’t it be nice to…
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Roman wine-making villa unearthed in Spain! But what was the wine like?
Exciting archaeological news for wine-lovers who frequently think about the Roman empire: A large wine-making villa has been unearthed at Sant Gregori villa near the coastal town of Burriana, Spain. Archaeology Magazine reports that the four-acre site is complete with all the facilities required to grow, ferment, and store grapes and wine. There are even…