FROM THE WIRES... BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse’s newest seasonal beer is Grass Attack, an all-new Cold IPA made for match days, watch parties and warm-weather sipping. The beer has just launched and will be available on tap exclusively at all BJ’s restaurants for a limited time. Brewed as a Cold IPA, Grass Attack brings together the bold, hop-forward character of an IPA with the crisp, smooth drinkability of a pale lager. At 6.5% ABV and 42 IBU, it pours pale and clear, ope

FROM THE WIRES...

FROM THE WIRES... AUSTIN, TX (June 9, 2026) - Dulce Vida Tequila, a pioneer in organic tequila, today unveils a bold new creative campaign alongside redesigned packaging for its core tequila pack, marking the first major evolution of the brand’s bottle design since its founding in 2009. Together, the national “For Those Who Know” campaign and redesigned bottles reflect the premium quality inside every bottle, placing Dulce Vida’s USDA-certified organic credentials and 100% Bl

Drone shot of the estate, October 2022, photo credit: © Wesley Steffens by Andrew Chalk The wines of perennial favorite Spring Mountain winery Smith-Madrone represent the unyielding convictions of Stuart and Charles Smith about how wines should taste. My insider contact reports (emphasis added): “Greetings from Smith-Madrone! Wildlife report: a litter of coyotes has appeared! Red-tail hawks are also often patrolling the vineyards! Stu and Charlie just celebrated the winery’s

by Andrew Chalk Type “Arche Winery” into the Google search box in your browser and the first entry that pops up in the list is: and that 100% authentic is what you get. Plus, the winemaking is some of the best in the state, often with challenging varieties. One unmissable here is the 2024 Chardonnay. Grown on the estate, just a short drone flight from the Oklahoma state line on a bluff above an imposing U-bend in the Red River. It is made in the New World style of barrel fe

Don't worry about burns. This candle is not real. by Andrew Chalk The proprietors of this fugazi French restaurant must think Dallasites will put up with anything. From the ‘French tat’ design, apparently by a designer whose closest proximity to France was Paris Texas, to the food, wine, and service, it is an underwhelming and too expensive experience. Ironically, ‘French bistro’ is not an oversupplied category in Dallas, where there are some good examples but there could be

FROM THE WIRES... The Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva 2018 (SRP $16) is the perfect Spanish-hearted solution for easily creating these everyday connections. The Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva is the quintessential go-to wine for effortless entertaining, bringing a spark of joy and spontanity to any gathering. This crowd-pleasing, hearty red simplifies hosting, allowing guests to relax and focus on connecting, rather than the beverage list. The 2018 Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva is surpr

View from the tasting room at Blue Ostrich Winery & Vineyard by Andrew Chalk On a narrow legal basis, the ‘North Texas Hill Country’ does not exist. However, one look at the sweeping vista outside the floor-to-ceiling windows of the tasting room at Blue Ostrich Winery & Vineyard moves one to create it. Sweeping slopes cascade away in all directions. To the Red River in the north (that is how close to the state line the winery lies), to St. Jo, Muenster, and, eventually, Fort

by Andrew Chalk There is a widespread, but seriously inaccurate, image of the French wine industry as being slow to change, hidebound, and introverted. “They still use corks” might characterize the view, at a time where screwcaps are ubiquitous on Australian and New Zealand wines, and spreading elsewhere.. Over 20+ visits to winegrowers in France have convinced me that this view is wrong. A closer statement would be that they rightly, and justifiably, celebrate their success

Part of the 'About' page of the Landon Winery web site by Andrew Chalk At the Drink North Texas Wine Festival I had an experience unlike any other. I wandered up to the Landon Winery booth and noticed they had a Chardonnay. I asked the sullen-looking guy behind the counter (he did not sound at all happy. He appeared to be having a bad day and intent on taking it out on people who visited the Landon booth) where the grapes came from. “Washington State”, he said. “What is it d

The floor at Drink North Texas, 2026 by Andrew Chalk I have just returned from Drink North Texas Wine Fedstival 2026, held in the spectacular, unforgettable setting of the Frontiers of Flight Museum next to Dallas Love Field Airport. The setting brings in hundreds of people keen to learn about Texas wine because they get the run of the museum too. Everything from early biplanes to F/A-18 Super Hornets that flew in The Blue Angels. Little wonder that the festival has already e

by Andrew Chalk Following up on the antipodean Sauvignon Blancs of last week, Southern Starz also has a range of Aussie Grenache wines. Eliding the oddity that they do not call the grape by its correct name, Garnacha (reflecting its Spanish origin), viticulturalists and vignerons in that innovative wine country are resculpting it in a way that I predict can only lead to its reentry as a major type in the US wine market. The words to describe this change were better chosen by

FROM THE WIRES... Château d'Esclans stands apart. This year, the brand offers even more reason to celebrate, marking the 20th anniversary of the iconic Whispering Angel; a bottle that has helped redefine rosé as a symbol of effortless elegance. Known for elevating rosé into a luxury experience, the Château d'Esclans offers a thoughtful twist on gifting by allowing bottles to be customized, turning an already elegant pour into something deeply sentimental. The customization tr

by Andrew Chalk Auteur, one of the most innovative wineries in Sonoma County, just released three wines as their Spring 2026 selection and, having just tasted them, can readily recommend them. TASTING NOTES First, if you like Chardonnay, like its rich New World style, but like it to retain vibrant acidity, then the Auteur 2024 Chardonnay from Green Acres Vineyard in the Carneros region is the wine for you. I suspect it did not go through malolactic fermentation, hence the vi

by Andrew Chalk It has been a decade since I discovered DAOU, toured their spectacular rolling estate vineyard, and tasted their wines. A lot has changed since. In 2016 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines flew under the radar, unmentioned in Napa and Sonoma Cabernet reviews. Now, they are recognized for their quality, with DAOU as one of the flagship wineries and its region, the Adeleida District, drawing attention of its own. Bring on the 2023 vintage of DAOU’s flagsh

by Andrew Chalk The preamble to part one read… “More people are coming round to the idea that Texas can make good wine as they sample more of it. But the ultimate test of gravitas in, at least red wines, is how they age. How does Texas do in that regard? To find out, I am doing a series of tastings of Texas wines, all 10+ years old, and assessing how they are doing. I am choosing them based on how their peers in other parts of the world do at the end of their first decade.”

FROM THE WIRES... Fans Can Enjoy $1 off Select Hungr-Busters through the DQ App BEDFORD, Texas (May 21, 2026) – In celebration of National Burger Day, DQ restaurants in Texas are giving fans a reason to enjoy a Hungr-Buster®. From May 25 to May 31, DQ fans can get $1 off select Hungr-Busters through a one-time app-only offer at participating DQ restaurants in Texas. The deal highlights one of the most iconic menu items served at DQ restaurants in Texas: the Hungr-Buster®. “T

FROM THE WIRES... Bramble Ski by Le Collectionist has curated an edit of four private chalets across Verbier, St Anton and Méribel, perfect for a creative escape this summer. These are spaces designed for focus and stillness, with light-filled interiors, open views, and thoughtful details such as libraries, dedicated offices and reading mezzanines - ideal for writers, artists and travellers seeking a quiet summer alpine getaway rather than a packed programme. The propertie

by Andrew Chalk The advent of Bilt 2.0 upended the Frequent Miler first year valuation method. It valued the Bilt Palladium card at $505, a frankly poor valuation for a card that has an annual fee of $495. Just a cursory valuation showed that the card was worth several times this amount. As the calculations below show, no matter what personal valuations you put on the benefits, that valuation is hopelessly wrong. I orignally exposed their errors in "Using Frequent Miler’s Val

FROM THE WIRES... Valdobbiadene (Treviso) Italy, April 29th 2026 The stunning hills of Valdobbiadene DOCG, a true paradise nestled between two other jewels of the Veneto—Venice and the Dolomites—are renowned worldwide for their historic winemaking vocation. Part of the UNESCO World Heritage, they form a cultural landscape rich in excellence, stretching from the scenery itself all the way to the wine. Immersed in such a setting, Col Vetoraz stands as tangible proof of how a s

by Andrew Chalk On the WSET (Wine & Spirits Education Trust) Level 3 blind tasting exam, it is quite likely the white wine to be tasted is a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. The island country sits alone in the South Pacific Ocean and has developed its wine industry with a singular cast of mind. Sauvignon Blanc is widely grown and, in stereotypical parlance, produces wines of vibrant acidity, citable citrus fruits, and herbaceous aromatic notes. This Occum’s Razor will not just

VinePair Podcast: Where is the Market for Domestic Sparkling Wine Elisa Christopher is just one of a steadily lengthening list of Texas sparkling wine makers by Andrew Chalk Now that we are making creditworthy sparkling wines in Texas it is time to adopt a practice of nation states. At state dinners, they go through bottle after bottle of sparkling wine in the cause of celebratory toasts. Nations promote their national sparkling wine for this purpose. The state of Texas shoul

FROM THE WIRES... Two Weeks Away Get Your Tickets Now For Drink North Texas! Saturday, May 30th from 10 am - 8 pmthe Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas, TX What’s pouring in 2026: 40+ award-winning North Texas wines to taste BRAND NEW VIP EXPERIENCE — exclusive lounge, catered bites & bonus pours (VIP is NEW this year!) Live jazz music Local shopping + artisan vendors Stunning floral installations The largest collection of vintage aircraft in North Texas North Texas Wine Co

Photo: Kimberly Ha FROM THE WIRES... New Orleans has always worn its French heritage proudly, be it in parlance or on the palate. But walk through the French Quarter, and the architecture tells a different story; almost every building is unmistakably Spanish. That contradiction is exactly what Chef Adolfo Garcia Jr. and partner Sophia Petrou Garcia are bringing to the table with Dolfy’s, their Basque-inspired, wood-fired restaurant, which opened in March 2026 at 4508 Freret S