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Here is an easy Crème de Cassis cocktail, inspired by Casablanca, plus a few more to add interest to the popular cocktail: Kir Kir Royale Kir Berrichon You’ve seen the movie often. It’s 1942, and “Casablanca” is playing. Humphrey Bogart is opening Ric’s Café for an evening’s entertainment. Ingrid Bergman has entered the room, on […]

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*Please note: pricing may vary since the release of the article a few years ago! Saint Emilion Wines can be pricey, luckily, you can find great values as well.  Here is our shortlist of Saint Emilion wines to include in your collection: Chateau Pavie-Macquin Chateau Figeac Chateau Canon Chateau Beausejour-Becot La Tour Figeac Chateau ...

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Have you heard of a June event called “Rosé Wine Day”? In our Eastern Shore of Maryland region, there are two wine retailers. Both of them featured rosé wines in their weekend promotions, with tastings. And if you were tasting them for the first time, you were in for a surprise. Some of the best […]

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What are the best Bordeaux wine and cheese pairings?  This is a question often asked, and we wanted to offer you an easy guide to help you when hosting a dinner party or luncheon. Easy wine & cheese combinations: Brie with red St. Emilion wine  Soft ripened Saint Albray cheese with red Bordeaux   Blue […]

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Perfect Champagne Pairings For New Years Eve Menus So you have decided to host a festive New Years’ Eve champagne supper. First, choose from a few New Years Eve menus and make sure to pair the food thoughtfully. Then there are still many choices to make, depending on your preference for sweet or dry champagne. […]

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Vouvray Pairings for the Main Course: Baked Ham, Chinese or Indian food, Gingered Pork, Butternut squash soup, Peking duck Wine Pairings for Dessert: Goat Cheese, Lemon Meringue Pie, Mince Tarts, Pumpkin Pie It was some years ago–as a member of a group of teenagers bicycling through the Loire Valley–that I discovered ...

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There are 48 kinds of cheese in France with the protected AOC status – and six of them are in the Loire Valley. They go quite well with local wines, and all of them are goat cheeses. Valençay cheese with red Sancerre Crottin de Chavignol with a crisp white Quincy wine Chabichou du Poitou Try […]

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What is Cognac?  When someone asks you “What is cognac?”  What is the easiest way to differentiate Cognac from brandy or Armagnac, or another spirit? Here is your essential guide to Cognac. Cognac is a brandy, a spirit produced by distilling wine from grapes. Cognac comes from a delimited region of western France, in the ...

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It’s not too late for considering Valentines Day wines. What makes the wine “special,” though, is not just the wine itself. Also bear in mind the person with whom it is shared, and occasions you have enjoyed together. Those shared associations will be more meaningful than a pricey wine bought off the shelf just before Valentine’s ...

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Northern Rhone Wines That Will Make You Happy I’ve noted to students in my wine tasting courses, many wine regions have produced finer wines over recent years; thus, transforming what is available on the market. That particularly holds true in France. Quality conscious producers are making better wines in many regions. This allows ...

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What Are The Best Thanksgiving Wines? The traditional Thanksgiving turkey is not an easy fit with wine. The upside of that dilemma is that there are no “right” Thanksgiving wines to serve. Turkey is not one of those meats that is automatically associated with any particular wine. And since our American family Thanksgiving ...

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When I was in college, I was often responsible for refreshments when visiting dignitaries came to talk to our budding diplomats club. The talks were interesting, but the wine was pedestrian. The very worst of those was a sweet, unbalanced Chablis from California. I promised I would never touch the stuff again. It was years […]

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The Cote de Beaune: Rare Wines and a Treasured City The Cote de Beaune, the southern half of the storied Cote d’Or of Burgundy, swings in a southwesterly arc from Aloxe-Corton four miles north of Beaune, to Saintenay, some 16 miles away. The entire region could be covered in a few hours, but do yourself […]

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Vosne Romanee Wine: Tasting Notes From Our Expert The wines of the Vosne Romanee region of Burgundy are rare, full-bodied and pricey.  The region lies between the picturesque Clos de Vougeot and the succulent Nuits St. Georges, many wine tasters’ favorite region in the Cote d’Or of Burgundy. To make a comparison with the Medoc […]

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Chambolle-Musigny: The Rare Burgundy White Wine That’s On the Market Again Chambolle-Musigny, the smallest area of storied grand cru wines in Burgundy, is well worth your visit. It has two grand cru red wines, Le Musigny and Bonnes Mares, and one storied grand cru Burgundy white wine, Le Musigny Blanc. Bonnes Mares is a ...

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The Perfect Guest Brings Armagnac! You have been invited to a pleasant dinner party. And since you know a thing or two about wines, you might please your host and hostess with a fine bottle of wine. Why not try something different? A well-chosen spirit, Armagnac or Cognac, will last longer, and your host and […]

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