Editor’s Note: Melanie wrote the following post before her passing, knowing that it would one day be shared with the community she loved so much. Melanie passed away peacefully on August 23, 2026, with her family by her side. What follows are her own words, written in her own unmistakable voice.
Hi friends,
I’ve been trying to figure out how to write this one, because for sixteen years, this space has been the easiest writing I do. I always took notes—glass in one hand, notebook in the other—and then came here to tell you what I found.
When I started this blog, I had one rule, and it’s still the only one: No wine snobs allowed. I built this community on the idea that wine belongs to everyone, not just the people who can pronounce the names of the grapes correctly. I’ve always wanted a beginner and a certified expert to feel equally at home here.
I’ve loved chasing this idea through the years across a lot of bottles and miles. Tuscany, where Sangiovese still runs through everything I love about wine, and where I kept going back, trip after trip, because some places just get under your skin. Texas Hill Country, close to home, where I fell for Tempranillo and Mourvèdre and spent years arguing that this state makes wine worth taking seriously. Willamette Valley and Sonoma, exploring Pinot Noir through the fog from world class vineyards felt more like a gift than work. Valle de Guadalupe, enchantingly under-discovered and remote. Bierzo, in a surprise flurry of snow. Paso Robles before everyone knew its name.
And Merlot—I never gave up on Merlot, not even when it became unfashionable, because a wine, and the people who make it, doesn’t stop being good just because it goes “out of style”.
None of that was really about the wine, though. It was about you—showing up in the comments here and on social media, sending me your own favorites, arguing with my views, meeting me at a tasting because you’d read something I wrote, even stopping me in the grocery store (that impressed my daughter).
You are the reason behind every award Dallas Wine Chick has received. I might have poured the glass, but you turned it into something worth recognizing. You are what turned this into a community, and I have never once taken that lightly.
Now, the time has come for me to step back. I need my energy for slow mornings, long talks, bad TV, good wine, and the people sitting right here in the room with me. That’s where my attention belongs for this stretch of road. I won’t be posting much, if at all, and I won’t be able to answer messages the way I usually do. If there’s ever anything to share, it’ll come through here or on social media.
If you want to do something for me and our community, keep it simple: Pour something you love and share it. Don’t wait for a special occasion. You are the occasion. Be gentle with someone. Laugh often and loud. Share a smile and hospitality. Embrace fun.
And please—respect my family’s privacy right now. They’re doing the bravest work of all.
Here’s to drinking the good stuff!
With love,
Melanie, aka Dallas Wine Chick
