Debra C. Argen

The Lorgeril Wine Tasting Luncheon hosted by Miren de Lorgeril at Upland restaurant in New York City, provided the perfect introduction to the famed winery in the Languedoc region of France that has been producing high-quality wines since 1620. Family-owned and independent, these lovely wines express the best of the region. Tasting their delicious wines is like tasting 400 years of family history. Six wines, paired with elegantly prepared food by the Upland chef, provided the perfect balance of wine…

Some things are worth waiting for, like veteran Bluesman Duke Robillard’s latest release, Duke Robillard – Roll With Me, released on the Stony Plain Records label. Interesting to note is this release should have happened back in 2005, however it fell by the wayside when Duke was working on another project. It finally hits the streets on August 30, 2024, however, I gave it an early listen, and this release cooks with all the right Blues genres: Jump Blues, Swing…

Foodies have a new reason to celebrate with the opening of Kappo Sono restaurant, at 39 East 13th Street (near Union Square) in New York City, as it is the epitome of the art of dining well. Chef Chikara Sono is the creative culinary talent at the helm of the 12-seat counter space where elegance begins with the attractive ambience and continues with his impressive cuisine and impeccable service by the team. Located on the sixth floor of the Westerly…

The intimate wine cellar at the fine-dining restaurant Aretksy’s Patroon in New York City was the perfect setting for the Château Malartic-Lagravière and Bodega DiamAndes Wine Tasting Dinner with Véronique Bonnie, co-owner of Vignobles Malartic. Over the course of the evening, I, along with a handful of invited guests, experienced seven different wines, two from Château Malartic-Lagravière in France, and five wines from Bodega DiamAndes in Argentina to pair with the delectable three-course meal. It was a memorable evening of…

The Westport Young Women’s League (WYWL) Grant Awards Luncheon 2024 with guest speaker Lidia Bastianich was a perfect combination of “a curated culinary experience” and community grant awards. Sponsored by Cuisinart, guests had the opportunity to not only learn about the charitable works of the WYWL but also to meet Lidia Bastianich, one of the best loved and renowned chefs in America with her effervescent personality as an Emmy award-winning public television host for the past 25 years, for her…

Deb Ryder’s latest release, Deb Ryder: Live And Havin’ Fun, released on the VizzTone Label Group, is exactly that. Deb opens her 14-track stellar release with the track, Fun Never Hurt No One, that is straight out of the box fabulous with its phenomenal horn intro to complement Deb Ryder’s raspy vocals that were meant to sing the Blues. From there it just keeps getting better and better. Put your dance shoes on baby and get ready to have fun…

Cellar Master Julien Fort Lovely wines, a sumptuous lunch, and the opportunity to share it with Château La Gordonne’s Cellar Master Julian Fort and Pauline Vranken of Champagne Pommery at Fleming by Le Bilboquet in Manhattan’s Upper East Side was a perfect afternoon of fine dining, wine tasting, and the art of wine conservation. Santé and Bon Appetit!  The best way to learn about and better appreciate the nuances of a wine house is to speak with the Cellar Master,…

As the VizzTone label group aptly noted to Mathias Lattin, “Welcome to the family,” as they released Mathias Lattin – Up Next. All songs on the release were written by Mathias Lattin and coupled with his exceptional guitar work and vocals, the result is a release that crosses genres from Blues, Jazz, Rock, Funk, and Swing.

I attended a wonderful Ottella Italian wine luncheon at the restaurant Il Fiorista in New York City to have a better appreciation of these outstanding wines from the Lugana region of Northern Italy. Mariano Sansone, Wine Consultant at Vias Imports, Ltd. gave an interesting presentation on the history of Ottella founded in 1905 and the four wines that paired exceptionally well with Chef Rae Kramer’s exciting cuisine. Mangia bene et saluti!