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- news
Listen to “In The Wine Cellar” On KDKA Radio
Greetings! I was delighted recently to bring “In The Wine Cellar With Dave DeSimone” to KDKA Radio at 1020 AM and 101.1 FM. If you missed hearing the show live, then pour a glass of wine and tune in here to listen. Beloved, veteran KDKA host, Rob Pratte (pictured above to the left), and I […]
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Shameless Fun With Great Music, Delicious Food, Bourgogne Wines
Dining at La Ferme de la Ruchotte offers an experience unlike anything else you can encounter in France. Veteran chef, farmer and breeder, Frédéric Ménager, serves as the impresario who does things his own unique way on his organic farm. It is just a short seven mile trip from Bourgogne’s wine capital of Beaune. After […]
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New Bourgogne Generation at Domaine Baron Thénard Focuses on Quality and Value
This past Spring, on a crisp, uplifting morning in Bourgogne, the glaring sun climbs high in a blue, blue sky as silence prevails in the empty public parking lot in the center of Givry. That’s Givry—not the famed village of Gevrey-Chambertin, a tourist attraction located further north in Bourgogne’s famous Côte D’Or subregion. Givry lies […]
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Picking Just the Right Bottle for Gin & Tonics, The Delicious Summertime Classic
On a warm and humid summer evening, there’s nothing quite as refreshing as an icy cold gin and tonic. The cocktail first gained wide popularity during the British Raj in India’s hot, humid climates where mosquitoes spread malaria in tropical environments. Drinking gin and tonics offered a delicious way to consume a daily dose of […]
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Toujours Paris…
Toujours, Paris…. Always Paris. For those who have visited Paris, returning provides another opportunity to see old friends, enjoy familiar restaurants and drink at favorite wine bars. But whether it’s a return trip or a first-time visit, the famed “City of Light” always offers chances to experience new discoveries in food, wine and culture around […]
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Partida Creus “MUZ,” Natural Spanish vermouth perfect for warm evening sipping
Like most Americans, vermouth has never been a big favorite for me. Sure, it’s an essential ingredient in a classic Negroni cocktail. But drink it straight up? No, thanks. Typically, it is either too sweet or too bitter or both at the same time. Part of the great fun with wine, however, is making discoveries […]
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Castelfeder Winery Embodies The Best of Alto Adige/Südtirol Winegrowing
Alto Adige/Südtirol is Italy’s northernmost and smallest wine producing region accounting for less than 1% of Italy’s vast winegrowing areas. Yet despite being a dot on the map nestled in the mountains, Alto Adige/Südtirol is a giant in the wine world. In recent decades, consumer demand worldwide has steadily grown for Alto Adige/Südtirol’s wines, which […]
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John Wabeck, Pittsburgh’s Master of Whiskey
Mention John Wabeck’s name to restaurant professionals working in Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C. and beyond, and they inevitably note two points. First, his extensive wine knowledge and experience are second to none. But he’s also an esteemed mentor known for his dry, self-deprecating humor while taking time to coach, share knowledge, motivate and advise other professionals […]
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Italy’s Cantina di Tortona and its native Timorasso grape are still going strong
The saga of Cantina di Tortona in northwestern Italy’s Piemonte region is a story of tenacity and economic survival, both for winegrowers and a unique grape. Winegrowers collectively own the Cantina di Tortona as a cooperative. The unique grape is Timorasso. In 1931, the farmers and winegrowers of the Tortona hills in southeastern Piemonte faced […]
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Don’t call it Burgundy: How to find great wines for less from France’s Bourgogne region
Way back in the 1990s, when I began visiting “Burgundy,” as it was then commonly called, in France, it was not so easy to navigate the region’s many wine producers, villages and restaurants. There was little readily available information on the internet. English was rarely spoken and arranging tastings at the many small, family-owned domaines […]