Brennan Vineyards

Brennan Vineyards is one of the best kept secrets in Texas winedom. It is located in Comanche about two hours north of Fredericksburg and an hour and a half southwest of Fort Worth. Most of the wines are sold either at the winery or at The Texas Wine Collective, formerly 4.0, which is the unified tasting...

Sparkling Wine and White Wine Recommendations

Although I am not a techie and still shop at Spec’s, where I have bought about a jillion dollars worth of wine since 1973, and have recently shopped at Total Wine, I must tell you about a new and convenient wine source: Vivino. In this not-so-normal condition we now face as a society, online wine sales...

Enjoy Learning More About Wine

In the mid-70s, America was not a wine-drinking nation. At a restaurant, people who drank usually ordered a mixed drink or a beer before the meal, had the meal, and then left. If the restaurant was high-end, the waiter might ask if the guest would like to order wine. The waiter would remark with a slight...

Basic Knowledge to Becoming an Advanced Oenophile

Recently, I was discussing wine with a new acquaintance who said that he and some friends had visited Eleven Madison in New York, and that since he knew all about wine, he acted as their sommelier.  We continued our conversation, and at one point, I asked if he had ever had a pre-phylloxera wine.  “What...

Great Values in Red Wines from $9.95 to $225

Whereas chilled white wines are “de rigueur” in warm weather, red wines take front stage in cold weather. After tasting around 200 red wines in the last couple months, here is the cream of the crop. Pinot Noir My favorite red with chicken, duck, grilled salmon and most veggies. Ryder Estate Pinot Noir...

Successful Entertaining

At Home With Decoy Wines And Small-Bite Courses Many times, the least expensive wines of a great wine estate are superior to other equally priced wines in the market.  Duckhorn Portfolio is one of the world’s top wine estates, with Duckhorn Vineyards, Goldeneye, Migration, Paraduxx, Calera and...

Wine: Art, Science or Just Personal Preference?

For a viticulturist or winemaker, growing grapes or making wine is mostly science – at first. There are certain things one must know about farming, including weather, soil, elevation, drainage, etc., that without that knowledge, quality grape growing for wine would not be possible. Also, there are...

Perfect Hill Country Wine Days

From Houston, San Antonio or Austin, the perfect wine day begins at 11 am at the Fall Creek Tasting Room in Driftwood, about 25 minutes south of Austin. Fall Creek owners Susan and Ed Auler are the co-pioneers of the modern Texas wine industry. Ed, an Austin attorney, was instrumental in working with the...