Dave DeSimone stories

Editor’s note: Pennsylvania liquor stores are closed to help combat the spread of covid-19. With northern Italians now living in virtually complete lockdown, show your support by appreciating and enjoying delicious wines and recipes from the region. Most Northern Italian recipes use ingredients readily available here. And the region’s wines...

Living in the north this time of year, it’s easy to become antsy as stubborn Old Man Winter hangs around outside. For a good antidote, embrace the moment as a perfect opportunity to expand your white wine horizons. Use the tried and true “ABC” approach — “Anything But Chardonnay.” Chardonnay...

Pittsburgh might seem an unlikely epicenter for America’s education on South African wines, but that doesn’t faze Certified Sommelier and wine “translator” Adam Knoerzer. A Pittsburgh resident for the last nine years, Knoerzer in 2019 won the Wines of South Africa Sommelier Cup national competition in New York and then...

In the southern Rhône Valley, Mont Ventoux offers plenty of drama both for cyclists and winegrowers. On 13 occasions since 1951, “The Giant of Provence,” as the mountain is called in France, has figured prominently in the famous Tour de France bicycle race. In each instance, competitors tested their conditioning...

Imagine purchasing top-notch wines online and then enjoying prompt, free shipping directly to either your home or business on a routine basis. Impossible, you say? Not if you live in Pennsylvania and spend at least $99 at FineWineAndGoodSpirits.com, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s ecommerce website. Consumers may also directly ship...

Plunge into 2020 by discovering new quality wines to expand horizons. You won’t have to break the bank to do it by taking advantage of Pennsylvania Wine and Spirits’ Chairman’s Selection program. The program began in 2004 when former Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Chairman Jonathan Newman worked to leverage the...

The upcoming New Year celebrations once again bring festive spirits and fun opportunities to share and enjoy delicious wines with friends. But this year also brings a more alarming moment for wine drinkers. Time is of the essence to oppose the possible January 2020 imposition of devastating 100% import tariffs...

No wine variety suffers more stereotyping than Riesling. Both casual drinkers and experienced wine enthusiasts often pigeonhole Riesling wines as being “too sweet.” Not true. Certainly there are mass-produced, cloyingly sweet white wines labeled as “Riesling” and ofteen seen in either “jugs” or “bags-in-boxes.” These flabby, uninteresting selections appeal to...

When family and friends gather for Thanksgiving dinner, diverse personalities, political opinions and tastes invariably convene at the table. A variety of dishes with clashing flavors adds fuel to the hubbub. Lest you despair, remember this potentially volatile mix also creates a terrific opportunity to serve fun wines. One bottle...

The headlines sound ominous: “Devastating Fires in Northern California Wine Country.” One might think the industry has been brought to its knees and that the wine will stop flowing from the likes of Napa and Sonoma. The facts to date tell a different story. When the fires broke out in...

It’s a privilege to visit vineyards during the hectic harvest season. Seeing ripening grapes hanging heavily on the vines provides a thrill and creates an appreciation for the hard work required to produce a tasty bottle of wine. A recent tour of three leading northern Italian wineries proved the point....

With glorious autumn colors unfolding across the commonwealth, commercial wineries have plenty of fun events planned to attract visitors as part of Pennsylvania Wine Month throughout October. In Pittsburgh, two restaurants, Cinderlands 3705 in Lower Lawrenceville at 3705 Butler St. and The Allegheny Wine Mixer at 5326 Butler St., are...

When you’re curious about any French wine region, typically you can find one or two excellent English language books to provide insights on history, wine culture, terroir and producers. But until now, the wines from France’s Alpine region provided a glaring exception. English author Wink Lorch corrects the situation with...

In today’s social media cauldron, nothing generates more heated diatribes than the topic of “natural wines.” Pontificating pundits — most self-appointed — routinely unleash clickbait fodder with full-throated opinions either for or against the wines. Yet this blathering does little to enlighten casual wine drinkers just hoping to understand “natural...

Late summer’s sunny, hot days and lingering, warm evenings call out for refreshing libations. Crisp white wines make a good choice, but don’t overlook the delicious, fruity refreshment available from well-balanced reds served slightly chilled. Consider Loire Valley red wines. They come primarily from cabernet franc grapes (referred to as...

Let’s say it’s a beautiful August day, just perfect for a relaxing moment poolside, or maybe a picnic or cook out around the campfire. Sipping an easy drinking, tasty wine would be fun, but is it worth the hassle of opening an entire bottle, using wine glasses and then disposing...

When confronted with sultry, humid days punctuated by sudden thunderstorms with torrential rain, only one response seems sensible. Call your friends and fire up the grill. Don’t forget, of course, to open a bottle or two (or three) of tasty vino to keep the fun moving along. Northwestern Italy’s Piedmont...

Summer should be about sharing relaxing moments outside on fine sunny days. Savoring a casual, yet creative summer salad paired with a glass or two of wine provides the perfect opportunity to do so. Stick to salads that go beyond just lettuce and croutons by adding fresh seasonal ingredients. In...

Walk into any wine shop this summer, and you’ll quickly notice stacks of rosé wines. The diverse colors range from pale pink to deep salmon hues, and most of the wines have essentially dry finishes without noticeable residual sweetness. Since wine drinkers cannot buy enough dry rosé, wine producers must...

For good bargains on tasty, high quality wines with personality, look to Burgundy’s regional wines as a terrific starting point. Regional level wines account for about 51% of Burgundy’s overall production. The wines generally come from limestone and clay-based vineyards resembling, but not quite as distinctive as Burgundy’s more prestigious...

The end of May brings graduations aplenty. Graduations, of course, bring festive parties at every turn. And every fun party must offer tasty libations. With graduation party wines, following a few simple tips makes it easy. First, the wines must be convenient to open and serve. That means avoiding the...

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, remember some very simple advice: Always do your best never to behave in a way that gives dear old Mom a reason to drink out of worry! Instead on Mother’s Day itself, if you are fortunate to have an opportunity to enjoy her...

Stepping into a garden on a sunny, breezy April day brings marvelous pleasures for all the senses. Enjoying crisp, aromatic white wines from the Loire Valley — a vast region known as “The Garden of France” — offers parallel pleasures. Le Jardin de la France, as it is known in...

Delicious, reasonably priced red wines typically do not spring to mind when considering France’s lovely wine growing region of Alsace. Yet with over 10% of production now coming from red-skinned Pinot Noir grapes, opportunities to snag terrific Alsace red wines arise readily especially with online sales and shipping. The renewed...

To discover wines with dramatic pleasure, look no further than Mount Etna on the Italian island of Sicily. The region’s vineyards unfurl in a semi-circular crescent running from north to south on the eastern slopes of a very active volcano. Lava from Mount Etna’s last major eruption in 1992 buried...