Debra C. Argen

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 …

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, and thus when an …

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!