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The late Irv Kotovsky’s Wines and Spirits Auction Extraordinaire at Christie’s

It was a pleasure and honor to write this article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about the late Irv Kotovsky and the auction at Christie’s of Irv’s spectacular wine cellars in both Pittsburgh and Paris. Thanks to Irv’s spouse, Cher Lynn Kotovsky for sharing your terrific memories about enjoying marvelous wines and food with Irv in […]

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Ruppert-Leroy’s Beautiful Sparkling Wines Spotlight Southern Champagne

The quiet French village of Essoyes seems an unlikely place to discover some of Champagne’s most intriguing and delicious wines. Afterall Essoyes is over 100 miles from the epicenter of Reims, Champagne’s unofficial capital. And with just over 700 inhabitants, Essoyes is best known as Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s summer home. He painted memorable scenes on

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Talented Duo Delivers Delicious, Affordable Red Hautes-Côtes de Nuits

In the village of Vosnse-Romanée, Bourgogne’s most famous vineyards of La Tâche and Romanée-Conti produce red wines with prices in the thousands, if not, tens of thousands of dollars per bottle. Few drinkers can afford to taste these wines. Fortunately, other delicious and affordable options readily exist literally from just nearby. Go west up a

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Spotlight Bastille Day And Reopening With Really Tempting French Bubbles

The widespread reopening of society creates a great opportunity once again to celebrate Bastille Day on July 14th. Rejoice in style by enjoying tempting French sparkling wines. The frothy bubbles and crisp, delicious flavors really capture both Bastille Day’s effusive, joyous spirit and the optimism of the reopening. BASTILLE DAY CELEBRATIONS Bastille Day—known in France

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Energetic Visan Winegrowers Deliver Vibrant, Beautiful Reds

When it comes to southern Rhône red wines, the serene commune of Visan does not jump immediately to mind. The low profile exists in large part because Visan lies around 40 kilometers (i.e., 25 miles) northeast of the popular tourist stop of  Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Despite being tucked way, marvelous grape growing terroir prevails in Visan. Energetic

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Fearless Pioneering Pennsylvania Winegrower, Doug Moorhead, Passes

Growing Vitis vinifera grapes on Lake Erie’s frigid, often snow-swept shores requires fearlessness, patience, and imagination. Having a wry sense of humor helps, too. Erie winegrower Doug Moorhead (1943-2021), who passed away on June 10, 2021, embodied these qualities. He succeeded in producing outstanding table wines made from Vitis vinifera and French Hybrid grapes. All

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A Secret to Quality and Value? Top Notch Bourgogne-Passetoutgrains!

Within the dazzling diversity of Bourgogne red wines, discovering quality and value doesn’t have to be an insurmountable challenge. Easy-drinking gems are readily available at terrific prices. You just have to do a little digging with an open mind and palate. Consider, for example, high quality Bourgogne-Passetoutgrain red wines. GENERIC BOURGOGNE-PASSETOUTGRAINS Bourgogne-Passetoutgrains (pronounced “Boor–gawn–Pass–too–gran”) typically

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Tantalizing, Affordable French Moselle Pinot Noir? It’s here!

In world of wine, German Rieslings from the Mosel River’s steep, slate slopes enjoy well-earned fame. But mention France’s Moselle A.O.C. winegrowing appellation, and even ardent French wine fans draw a blank. Not to worry. Thanks to dedicated work from modern day winegrowers such as Rémi Gauthier, Moselle A.O.C. wines slowly are gaining international recognition.

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