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French Wines With Butternut Squash and Chestnut Soup: Da Bomb!

For my family, enjoying Butternut Squash and Chestnut Soup signals the start of Winter. As snow flurries fly, markets still offer fresh Butternut Squash and Chestnuts. So the time is right for making this delightful, warming soup. Its creamy, rich texture and earthy, savory flavors hit the spot especially when paired with versatile French white […]

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Can’t Miss Wine and Cheese Pairings From Alsace, Burgundy and Loire Valley.

Brisk but sunny afternoons make perfect moments to enjoy flavorful cheeses with zesty wines. Use the opportunities to discover distinctive parings to delight the taste buds. The following “can’t miss” cheese and wine combinations from Alsace, Burgundy and the Loire provide intriguing possibilities. ALSACE: MUNSTER CHEESE AND AUXERROIS WINE Autumn’s cool nights and sunny days

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Friends Sharing Tips on Good Reads and Good Wines

The Covid-19 pandemic has provided at least one saving grace: more time to drink delicious wines and to read good books. Since the “lock down” started, I’ve traded reading and drinking recommendations with lots of friends, My wine industry colleague and fellow Pittsburgh native, Jess Peters, made the terrific recommendation of reading Mark Whitaker’s “Smoketown: 

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Dave’s Wine Tips: Drinking Gueguen Bourgogne Rosé Pinot Noir For Refreshment

For crisp, refreshing rosés, images of sunny southern France come readily to mind. The region’s wealth of familiar choices include Provence’s “pink” wines and Tavel’s delicious, full flavored dark rosés. But believe it or not, winegrowers far to the north in Burgundy also offer mighty tasty, thirst-quenching rosés. Consider, for example the 2019 Domaine Céline

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Dave’s Wine Tips: Puligny-Montrachet for a fraction of the price

If you like Chardonnay-based wines with enticing aromas, rich flavors and exquisite freshness, then it’s hard to beat the delightful wines from the village of Puligny-Montrachet in Burgundy, France. But as collectors the world over clamor for the wines, prices have climbed uncomfortably. Wines from Puligny-Montrachet’s famous grand cru vineyards and its seventeen premier cru

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Dave’s Wine Tips: Pair Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon, Mâcon-Villages with Summertime Seafood Tempura

On steamy summer evenings, nobody wants to heat up the kitchen, right? Try instead a “take out” meal of crispy, breaded Japanese tempura seafood rolls wrapped with steamed rice, avocado slices and savory sauces. The delicious 2017 Héritiers du Comte Lafon, Mâcon-Villages, France, a terrific white Burgundy at an attractive price around $23, makes a

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Dave’s Wine Tips: Summer Delights–Honeysuckle and Viognier

The seductive perfume of honeysuckle on a mild June evening surely signals summer’s arrival. Rediscovering the pleasure of those delicate yellow and white blossoms never grows old. The scent holds out the promise of long, languorous nights ahead before the return of Autumn’s chill. Bringing home a few branches enhances the moment. To continue the

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Dave’s Wine Tips: Domaine Julien Cruchandeau, 2018 Bouzeron “Massale”

The 2018 Julien Cruchandeau, Bouzeron “Cuvée Massale” is a delightful and delicious white Burgundy wine that just makes you smile with pleasure and appreciation. But here’s the thing. The wine comes not from chardonnay, but from top quality Aligoté grapes grown in the Bouzeron appellation. Under talented grower Julien Cruchandeau’s attentive care, his Aligoté vines

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